Workshop The City and The Water - final exhibition

The international workshop “The City and The Water, Architecture arts and self construction experiences for a new artisan area in Pietrasanta” finished last Saturday with the presentation of the plans and a lively party at Due Laghi, the location of the actual interventions. 



A place with an unusual atmosphere - two lakes originating from a former quarry and kiln, one of which is now used for game fishing, and the steep, green hills of Versilia. This is the small artisan area between the town Pietrasanta and the municipality of Camaiore, where the workshop The City and The Water restoration project took place.





The idea of active urban reclamation started in 2012 with the arrival of a new generation of artists in the abandoned workshops. Now, thanks to the collaboration with the DESTeC i.e. Territorial Energy System Engineering and Construction Department, Pisa University, the project has reached another dimension in the form of an International Summer School which has organised an international workshop “The City and The Water, Architecture arts and self construction experiences for a new artisan area in Pietrasanta”, under the exceptional guidance of director Santiago Cigureda from the collective “Recetas Urbanas”. This Spanish architect is famous for his self-construction work which he creates and builds together with the local community in question. 





So, in two weeks the group of seventeen students from all over the world, together with Santiago Cigureda, the professors, CAV (Pietrasanta Centre of Visual Arts) lecturers and most of all the artistic workshop “I 2 Luoghi”, who provided available rooms and materials, passed from the initial analysis to the hands-on building. A project focused on intensifying the dialogue with the citizens and encouraging them to benefit from a unique setting besides making it reusable for different activities. In fact, on the last night there was a presentation of the students' individual interventions with video clips - for the concert on the new stage and space for the firework display in the reclaimed square. 





It is an extraordinary experience for the Italian scenario where self-building is often connected to local construction skills. In the meantime, in Pietrasanta it all started with recycling existing material in the area in order to minimise the impact on the economy and environment but also as an example within reach of all the involved communities. 



The workshop, which we followed with Livegreenblog from the very first phases was sponsored by GranitiFiandre. We sincerely hope that the regenerative process continues and converts many so that self-building, guided by experts, can become a real cultural and social promoter for the territory, even in these times of economical tight circumstances!
In the coming weeks we will analyse the workshop experience from different angles (students. artisans, local administration), so stay tuned.

Christiane Bürklein

“The City and The Water, Architecture arts and self construction experiences for a new artisan area in Pietrasanta”
Organisers: DESTeC Territorial Energy System Engineering and Construction Department, Pisa University, Pietrasanta Municipality and CAV, Pietrasanta Visual Arts Centre. 
In collaboration with: Artistic workshop “I 2 Luoghi” and Santiago Cigureda, Recetas Urbanas (http://www.recetasurbanas.net/) and Livegreenblog
Scientific director: Santiago Cigureda
Course Director: Prof. Roberto Pierini 
Participants: Baldani Martina, Benvenuti Federico, Chiofalo Eleonora, Cini Chiara, Corradi Laura, DiBugno Martina, Ferrazzino Federico, Han Zijian, Hu Dan, Leddi Anna, Martirosyan Levon, Mitidieri Guido, Nersesyan Nina, Osella Valeria, Pells Lucia, Sluter Sage, Vagli Emilio
Visting Professor: Alessandra Capanna, La Sapienza, Roma
Teaching Staff: Enrico Bascherini, Marco Giorgio Bevilacqua, Lucia Giorgetti, Stefania Landi, Luca Lanini, Giulia Lenziardi, Roberto Pierini, Chiara Porroni, Lorenzo Secchiari (all DESTeC)
Media Partner: Floornature.com
Main Sponsor: GranitiFiandre
Images: Courtesy of Paolo Vezzoni, Maurizio Bottazzi - zero+