'rethinking happiness' is a research project showing 4 different new possible communities on a total suface of 40mq.
curated by italian architect and designer aldo cibic, the model is presented at the 12th venice architecture biennale
under the theme 'people meet in architecture' curated by kazuyo seijima.


'rural urbanism'
image © designboom

rural urbanism
the city enters the countryside, the country enters the city.

one hour from shanghai, a large rural territory with an ancient agricultural tradition is crushed between
a growing industrial zone and a new city.

the idea is to create an agricultural park of 4 sq km inhabited by 8000 persons with low-density residential structures,
preserving the agriculture and offering green spaces for the inhabitants. the project calls for a group of elevated buildings
on the streets, to create a perpendicular grid that floats over the countryside.

in the middle of this 'agricultural central park' there are specialized farms that produce crops for the sustainable,
profitable development of the countryside. the challenge is to create a new community with shared services,
new activities and relationships, in tune with the territory.





project elements:

   1. wishing tree
   2. lo shu + holy field
   3. belvedere
   4. drying platform
   5. rainwater fountain
   6. barn
   7. bird houses
   8. hay barn
   9. picnic pavillion
  10. golf driving range + agricultural staging station
  11. water taxi
  12. bamboo court
  13. swimming pool
  14. aquaculture
  15. water plaza
  16. main canal
  17. acrobats theater
  18. excange plaza
  19. labirinth + bike parking
  20. farm area
  21. pedestrian and bike path
  22. orchard
  23. elevated housing
  24. badminton + parking
  25. minigolf + parking
  26. water court
  27. bamboo bascket field
  28. fragrance court
  29. car parking
  30. streets path under elevated housing



detail of the model
image © designboom



sketches of the various elements






elevated housing
image © designboom



plaza and bike parking
image © designboom



close-up
image © designboom



exchange plaza
image © designboom



farm area
image © designboom




elevated housing and farm circulation



farming



badminton and parking
image © designboom



swimming pool
image © designboom


aldo cibic about the project (italian only)


video © aldo cibic


see also the other projects of 'rethinking happiness' curated by aldo cibic at the venice architecture biennale 2010:
a campus in the fields - venice agri-techno valley
new communities, new polarities - a town in the alpine foothills
superbazaar - on the outskirts of milan