Venice
Workshop
F e b r u a r y
Urban Innovation
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1 3 t h - 1 7 t h ,
2 0 1 7
Ecological Hybrid
Monika Thadhani /Christopher Groesbeck - MoNa Architecture Design and Planning, IIT,
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“Perceive the blankness, Listen to the voice of the silence, Imagine the void filled”
“Perceive not the object, but the distance between them, not the sounds but the pauses, they leave
unfilled.”
“An organism is a complex thing and growth so complex a phenomenon that for growth to be so uniform
and constant in all parts to keep the whole shape unchanged would indeed be an unlikely and an unusual
circumstance. Rates vary, proportions change, and the whole configuration alters accordingly.”
D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson-“On Growth and Form”
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVE: Learn to collaborate on micro and macro scale planning and design to
develop prototypes for the future economies of the cities with a global perspective and approach. Class
will learn to rethink the future functions of conventional and traditional programs of the city and the most
innovative technologies supporting balance, self-sufficiency and continual growth.
WORKSHOP OUTCOME: The workshop will develop a model of the future city, a hybrid of functions
that promote self -sufficient work, research and cultural programs that promote the development of
knowledge that can positively impact the economy, environment and social wellbeing of place. Hybrid will
be designed to be part of a larger development of place and will set the pattern of how a future city can
evolve. The hybrid will be based in the concepts of “resiliency” that will look to developing innovative
solutions to issues that anticipate the impact of climate change, creating a new morphology that can
connect to the cultural and historical essence of place and allow it to evolve with a changing global social
and economic climate. The site will be in Santa Marta along the Waterfront that connects IAUV to the port.
The program will bring a global focus on Venice of being a city of the future, not just the past.
DESCRIPTION: Identifying the essential principles and questions of cities:
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What is the city of the future? How and why would it differ from the present?
What is the role of innovation in addressing issues facing in our cities today and in the future?
What is the full meaning of a healthy city?
How should a city respond to global warming, social injustice and economic stress?
These are the few of many questions that have been asked throughout history and will continually be
posed in the future. The responses will be relative to context and conditions however the underlying
principles of positions taken will have a generality that transcends time and place.
The “Urban Innovation´ course focuses on the relationship between “Urbanization” and “Urbanism” and
the role of innovation in addressing issues related to this global phenomenon. It will study the
convergence of technological, economic, cultural and environmental issues critical for the health of the
metropolis today and the future. It will also address an approach of inclusivity that is non-existent in
development today, but critical to both the health and resilience of the metropolis of the future.
The class will investigate the nature of innovation in Architecture, Planning and related scientific, cultural
and social disciplines, “What is the reason for innovation and where does this spring from.” In Plato's
Republic he writes "necessity is the mother of invention." This quote has seen many variations over
history as in Sir Walter Scott's writings "Art imitates nature and necessity is the mother of Invention" to
even popular and counter culture references such as Frank Zappa's experimental musical group "the
Mothers of Invention". There are a couple of key words in these phrases. Necessity is that which is
common to all, and which every person requires either directly or indirectly. Necessity can also be aligned
with the term "usefulness." Mother is a reference to the process of creation and that new innovations
require periods of gestation, or process, that account for both the past and an evolutionary future.
The term “Smart City” is used to refer to innovation mostly in ground up approaches like the proposal for
Masdar in Abu Dhabi, UAE and Pericuma in the state of Brasilia in Brazil. Smart City, Ideal City and
Innovative City are terms that are intertwined yet do not mean the same thing. The term “radical
approach” is also used in reference to innovation. Yet when Antonio Gaudi’s architecture and urbanism
was described to him as “radical” he responded by saying that radical meant going back to your roots.
The meaning of terms will be investigated in context to a larger question, what is a city and is it a
“designed” or an “organic” entity that responds to the varying conditions that surround it. The nature of
cities is much larger than the planning and architecture. It is the culture, society, environment, institutions
and politics to name just a few of the many components that are the essence of a city. Innovation in one
affects all components. The course is about the nature of innovation in architecture, art, science, industrial
design and technology.
The workshop will investigate these questions in context to the city of Venice in Italy, a city of rich cultural
history, economic strength and cross cultural influences throughout its history and its location.
The objectives will be to develop future strategies for possible growth of Venice promote future visions
and strategies that provide the groundwork for the development of a framework plan that addresses the
future needs and positioning of this historic city and place. The workshop conceptual project will be based
on site of Santa Marta, representing strong connection but at the same time boundaries between the past
and the future.
The workshop will focus on the evolutionary nature of urban growth in response to new programs,
changes of context and upcoming epoch of future urbanism. It will attempt to project future model within
the context of the historical city. It will elaborate study of new possibilities of urban form, physical and
sociological configuration with consideration of the past, and focus towards the future. It will study the
opportunities to redefine and improve urban livability with its developed city infrastructure. It will
implement the possibility of evolving city structure and technology to better enhance and integrate with the
ecological systems, to create the opportunity to reduce the carbon level with growing city densification.
The course will provide a platform to investigate and question today's cities and will discuss designs that
merge architecture with the environment to demonstrate new and relevant methods of arranging city
spaces with the idea of harmoniously integrating Earth’s biological life forms with spaces of human
activities.
The principles developed from this coursework are:
1. Re-Connect Natural Systems.
2. Re-Claim Existing infrastructure and add new functions to connect and strengthen community.
3. Create “Culture” of low carbon Approach-Self-Sustaining Community.
4. Create new visions of adaptive re-use of Public Infrastructure to better serve and enhance the
Community.
5. Expand and celebrate education and research and give it stronger visual presence in the
Metropolis.
Strategies to achieve these principles include the following:
• Public transit
• Walkable cities
• Density following landscape development
• Low-Carbon planning and building\
E c o l o g i c a l
M e t h o d o l o g y
a n d
M e t a p h o r :
As a response to the issue above this course will propose the idea of “Urban Innovation” as both an
Ecological Methodology and a Metaphor for future urban development that will look at concerns of high
density, study the interconnection between systems of open spaces and creating new imperative hybrids
that transform the historical concept into the future urban model.
Ecological Methodology:
Inverted Urbanism / Reforesting the City will propose a study of a complementing urban landscape on
both a micro and macro scale by articulating natural features of the living city. It will study options for
reshaping the city, using underutilized areas to create Urban Forest, encouraging a better environment of
healthy living, increasing and enhancing biodiversity, reduction of rain water runoff, reduction of solar
absorption and its effect on the environment with many additional environmental benefits.
Metaphor:
In the transference of principles of the nature to build environment, Reforesting City will confront the
challenge of future Urban Model that must bring the same benefits and outcomes to the environment as
the natural world, in effect associating with the Forest to create sustainable urban habitat at every level
and promote social and economic dialog with architectural environment. An urban model must maintain
equilibrium habitat for life, similar to forest. This studio will study all levels of city regulations, planning,
construction techniques, new infrastructure possibilities, new technologies and high density programming
opportunities. Study will imply better, sensible redevelopment of infilling existing city structure with more
intense, meaningful layer, connecting dense development with a natural fabric.
Future approach:
Is Venice a city of the past or the future? For Venice the future is the connection the leveraging its
Institutions and location to attract the leading minds in the world to collaborate and develop new
technologies that focus both theoretical and applied research. We propose the development of an
educational and research “incubator” where researchers and students can live, collaborate and develop
new technologies with support commercial, residential, entertainment and cultural facilities open to the
public as well. Open space in the form of parks and recreational space will be included as well as public
access to the waterfront. This development will be an extension of IAUV and a visible affirmation of that
Venice can be a city both a historical and a city of the future. Students will also look at the issues of
density, the understanding of the historical patterns of Venice translated to new development with the
significant inclusion of natural systems creating meaningful connections to place and location.
Climate Change:
Venice floods of 1966 there has been a growing concern of the survival of the city in a condition of rising
waters. The MOSE project currently under construction is a response to this through the development of
flood gates to close off the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea in times of rising sea level. However the MOSE
project may have underestimated the amount of water level rise from reason well documented and
additional thinking may need to address the protection of the City or as this project may afford an area of
refuge in catastrophic events serving both local and larger community. This approach is known as “Urban
Resilience” which is the capacity of the community to respond to and survive catastrophic events whether
it is related to environmental, political, economic or social upheaval.
Economy:
Venice economy is heavily dependent on tourism and cannot survive without it. Chicago and its
environmental and political climate has led to companies moving places overseas, California and Texas
among other locations. Yet cities around the world are leveraging their institutions to develop knowledge
economies that in today’s world represent a “Convergence” of economy, culture and environment. As
Alain Thierstein writes in Culture:City:
“The knowledge economy is built upon qualified skilled and highly motivated people who interact with
each other. And this is one of the magic issues: Knowledge is only created through personal interaction
while information can be downloaded from the internet at any time and any place. Knowledge creation
is thus always place- related, while information processing is ana-spatial process. Architects and
planners have to provide options and potential for people to meet.”
The Scientific and Research environment is based on “Hub” where all disciplines can meet, work together
in cross-disciplinary approaches. These hubs are located near institutions and places where that attract
and support this collaboration. Venice with the right infrastructure could be one such place. Chicago with
its Institutions and strategic location could be another.
Urban Habitation:
Venice issues of tourism and economy have driven many inhabitants onto the mainland seeking opportunities
for employment, sharing their homes though programs like Airbnb and fleeing the crowds of tourists that flood
the city on a daily basis. The local population has been reduced to roughly 20,000 inhabitants. How does
Venice reclaim the City from the tourism and develops into a City whose future goes beyond being one of the
world’s largest museums. How does Venice once again become a city that has a future economic and cultural
potential. Venice represents a technological achievement that is as powerful and relevant today as it was
at its origin. Its physical morphology represent a dialogue with the natural environment that is
unparalleled.
Venice has historically been a home the greatest minds in and has been the meeting ground for artists
and intellectuals. It has always been a place of free intellectual exchange and respect for all cultures. Our
goal is to reinvigorate these traditions and create cities for the future.
Site:
Venice: The district known as Santa Marta is composed of a roughly triangular area in the southwest
quadrant of Venice, adjacent and surrounding the campus of IUAV. The site has varying conditions, Rail
yards that served the port, a park, residential from the 1930’s, Utilitarian buildings serving maritime
functions, There are also historic churches and homes (in white that must be preserved in place. The site
has 3,500 meters of waterfront, a total of 227,065 SM of developable space (including the existing park
and surrounds IUAV.
Program:
The site will have all the functions of a self-sustaining community centered on research and the development
of knowledge that will attract local regional and global scholars, artists and entrepreneurs in Technology,
Industry and Politics. The program will contain key component that are required with optional components such
as residential and commercial as well as additional program components the groups may feel to be essential
and integrated with the strategy of their approach. The students will take a position on what a program of future
would could be and how it would respond to setting a new standard of Architectural Morphology. The program
will include a hybrid of University/Research and Development, Cultural Venues, Neighborhood and
community support and residential if it supports the central position of the concepts proposed.
The program is flexible and can be adjusted as the students develop their schemes. What is important is
that Students take a “position” regarding the program and that position is represented clearly in their
conceptual analysis and presentations.
Process:
Students will be given the following:
• Program brief,
• Site location
Students will be divided into groups of 2-3. As a group the students will be asked to complete the
following tasks:
• Develop Program Analysis
• Develop Site Analysis
The individual groups will provide the following:
• Alternative concepts (3) based on information developed above.
• Narrative description of interpretation of studio goals and objectives
• Diagrams, site plans and models enough to present concept alternatives.
The Groups will then combine alternative concepts into a unified approach:
• Develop all Site and facility Planning
• Develop massing studies
• Prepare Site, Circulation, Open Space and Zoning analysis:
• Develop architectural approach and language appropriate to the sites and the connection with the
program brief.
Deliverables:
• Site analysis, context diagrams, proposed program
• Master Plan @ 1-500
• District Plan @ 1-200
• Concept plans, Section and Elevations @ 1-100
• 3D modeling both electronic and Physical
• Narrative and technical index that describes concepts, approaches, metrics and sustainable
strategies linking proposed solutions to course content.
Knowledge and Expertise:
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Focus on structure and history of urban planning with concurrent development of architectural
responses to principles developed for macro scale development.
Understand the interdisciplinary interplay between planning, landscape and architecture.
Develop new ecological prototypes of urban architecture that will partner with natural systems to
shape, redefine the future city and to address global sociological, economic and ecological
issues.
Understand the relationship of the academic world and the global professional world and their
interconnection in developing responsible and ecological approaches for the future of our cities.
Schedule of Workshop:
Monday, February 13th: Introduction to our background, philosophy, Chicago architecture, our
work at IIT and in Chicago. Introduction the topic, visit of Santa Marta, basic site analysis,
groups discussions, identification of the issues, advantages of the site, strength, possibilities,
site demographics, site patterns, site connections, means of transportations, basic idea of the
program concept related to more global and local issues. Class will be subdivided into groups of
2-3 to develop projects.
Tuesday, February 14th: Group discussion, working on three various concepts in groups,
different ideas of design approach. Searching for solutions which will address all global issues,
climate changes, water level rise, environmental aspects, proposing programs which will
generate future economies, promote the city and create the window to the future and connection
to global economy. Working on ideas of hybrid building complex, which could easily adopt the
unpredictable changes of Venice growth.
Wednesday, February 15th: Group discussion, continuation of concept development and
concept selection. Each group will then develop program analysis, planning and massing
studies,
At the end of the day each group will give a short electronic presentation to the whole workshop
of their concept strategy focusing on key elements of program planning and approach.
Thursday, February 16th: Development of the group projects with individual desk critiques in
the morning. Each group will have opportunities to discuss with the instructors both in morning
and evening with all aspects of work including presentation techniques.
Friday, February 17th: Completion of project, Student groups will present in Mid-Afternoon to
the guest instructors and invited faculty from IAUV. All submissions will be documented
electronically and put together in a report/publication. Group discussion after presentations for
feedback on lessons learned and questions the student may have for the faculty and guest
instructors.