Towards a rural ecosystem -from agrosystem to open and attractive ecosystem-

Cascina Lossano is a collection of separate farm buildings grouped around a circulation or courtyard. This model for rationalizing agricultural space was certainly efficient, and ensured the farm continued existence for some time. However, the farm is no longer used for its original purpose. In order to respond to its new one and make it socially and environmentally efficient, it is necessary to make an act of interversion. «What was external, the atmosphere, is now at the center, suddenly confined in a closed, reduced, and narrow space; and what was the deepest strata is now arranged in concentric circles that move outwards toward the edges of the map […] where human and nonhuman life and the resources that sustain it are concentrated.» And attract points of life from various horizons, which as a whole will make the identity of the place.

Towards a new architectural and social vernacular -utility, solidity, beauty-

Utility: this rationalization is achieved through the creation of transversal service spaces that give thickness to the existing walls, through longitudinal circulation following a corridor on the outside perimeter and through convivial spaces inspired by agricultural sociability : the workroom and the drying house. We draw inspiration from a way of life to create a new one.

Solidity and beauty: drawing inspiration from built heritage and its know-how, to know how to remake with today’s needs and resources -available nearby like industrial-ordinary materials-, without turning our backs on contemporary knowledge.

The project’s fundamental concept is “live, learn, leisure” symbolising the revitalization of a worn out farmstead into a versatile space for recreation and education. This transformation offers an escape from urban life, providing opportunities for activities such as pottery, painting, yoga, and winemaking. It harmoniously blends modernity with rural traditions, catering particularly to nearby city residents.

At its core, Aia serves as the centrepiece of Cascina. The Garage will be repurposed into a versatile facility, capable of functioning as a dining area, as well as a venue for ceremonies and business events.

The Porch will transform into a hub for various activities, with an expanded underground level housing a winery, spacious second-floor rooms for classes and workshops, and a top-floor viewpoint offering picturesque view of the Cassina landscape.

The Stable has been converted into a residential complex. While retaining their rustic character, the interiors offer a modern and comfortable ambiance. Each apartment offers panoramic views of the picturesque surroundings, ensuring a restful stay.

The exteriors of the buildings will feature neutral colours and natural materials such as wood, brick and stone, seamlessly blending with the environment. Some of the old structures will only undergo conservation work just to preserve their original charm.

This project invites the discovery of a tranquil rural reality, effectively bridging tradition and modernity. It is a place where guests can relish nature, cultivate their passions, and create lasting memories in a delightful setting.

Cascina Lossano is an agricultural farm located in northern Italy. It dates back to the 18th century and has some buildings from the 1960s considerably deteriorated . The intervention of this place to be functional again and adapt it to the needs of rural life, without losing its architectural line, is a challenge for the conservation of this cultural heritage, especially if we want to keep intact the essence of this place.

The project considers capturing part of the rural landscape of the territory surrounding this farm, and integrat it as an essential part of Canscina Lozano. In this way, the rice fields and the network of canals will continue expressing, through the water, the memory of this place.

The stable, the porch and the peasant’s houses are intervened for projecting a void towards the landscape and inside, a mirror of water that reflects it. In addition, it incorporates the rice fields into the ´´Aia´´ courtyard, through the construction of community gardens as new meeting spaces for tourists, promoting the agricultural tradition of the area.

In the buildings, each apartment has double height, that it is used to increase the internal luminosity of the construction and it allows to show the details of the bricks and the finishes of the project. The skylights capture the natural light of the sun during the day and at night each room is illuminated by the night sky, creating a landmark in the landscape.

Cascina is an authentic Italian traditional housing, embodying humanistic ideas of social structure, agricultural practices, and rational construction methods. However, it also encapsulates Western anthropocentric notions, which tend to overlook the relationship with the uncontrollable non-human elements of the surrounding. This is evident in its imposing walls, small openings, and the building arrangement, which create a distinct boundary between human and nature.

However, in today’s context, rural dwellings are sought after by those who desire a profound connection with nature. This presents Cascina with a dual challenge: the need to preserve its historical significance and the need to radically intervene and establish a direct contact with nature.

The Permeable Palimpset ingeniously resolves this dilemma by introducing a peripheral extension to the original structure. This light framework not only manifests the contemporary rational construction method, but also seamlessly bridges the surrounding environment to the interior space through its translucent, openable envelope and skylight. Tree shades over the living room, while windows can be opened to transform the space into an exterior experience. Each garden is encircled by delicate steel fences, addressing privacy and territorial boundaries while minimizing any disruption to natural sunlight, wind, and the non-human elements.

Furthermore, the project respects the existing vegetation that reclaimed the site during its period of decay and even encourages further growth in accordance with the ecoregion of Sant’Alessio con Vialone. This intervention introduce a more favorable microclimate to the building while creating a shelter for various lifeforms.

Inscribed in the landscape, Cascina Lossano leaves a physical and tangible trace of past events. The very existence of this relic in our environment is the guarantor of our memory. This ruin is not limited to a simple spatial manifestation, it also reveals its double: the ghost of what could have been, of what is not yet. The entity formed by the Cascina Lossano thus oscillates between two tangled temporalities: one present and material, made of brick and concrete, the other fictitious and non-current, stimulating our imagination.

How can we preserve the authenticity of this ruin and make it visible while giving it a sustainable habitat use?

The project takes advantage of this state of ruin by soaking up the opportunities offered by the site. The manor, the farmhouse, the porch and the stable are preserved. With the piggsy, garage and storage rooms demolished, their materials are reused so that their stories live on. Through punctual gestures, the project preserves the existing in its essence. Architecture takes advantage of the state of ruin to invent new ways of living. Removal of fragments of facades and roofs, installation of surface-mounted joinery, addition of bio-sourced elements, structural consolidations, the project rigorously studies every detail to form a whole suspended in time.

The architectural actions orient the project towards the landscape and the Aia. The housing is developed around a common source bordered by fragments of ruins and plants creating an oasis serving life and its history.

Cascina Lossano for Communities is a collective living space recovered from the former Lombardy farmstead located in the countryside near Pavia. The preservation of the three main buildings and the old central aia has guided the design idea towards a new concept of settlement, in a delicate harmony and co-hesiveness with the pre-existing elements. A light metal structure composes the weave of the new building, elaborating the main spaces of sharing. A gym, a library, a gardening workshop, a laundry, a storage space and a large communal kitchen are the spaces around the residences and allow the inhabitants to share, in addition to the spaces, services, resources and energy in a cohousing perspective as we currently tend to restore. It was a spontaneous idea to concentrate, around an open space, a series of functions to share and complement the private flats. The aia returns to being an element belonging to man, versatile according to different situations: a space for play, for sport or outdoor cinema, it becomes fundamental for the inhabitants’ sociability. The rural aspect is also maintained and strengthened through the introduction of communal gardens, another important element of sharing and aggregation for the community. The irrigation of the cultivated fields takes place thanks to a well that exploits the natural resource in a sustainable and ecological manner, as well as the installation of photovoltaic panels to produce electricity. The agricultural activity encourages the consumption of 0 km products, for which a sales area has been designed that is also accessible from outside.

Old farms in rural areas, and cascinas in particular, are proving to be relevant models of living spaces for the future, microcosms where a synergy of human activities is established, a « sinergia rurale ».

Between Pavia and Milan, the Cascina Lossano, with its small scale and diver- sity of buildings, is an opportunity to experiment with the transformation of a former farmhouse into a new microcosm within which a « sinergia rurale » is established. Starting from the existing structure and integrating new uses, the project envisages the reactivation of farming activities, the development of a lodge and the creation of housing, offices and an artist’s studio.

The largest residential building, The Manor House, has been renovated to provide a permanent home for a farming family, with pig rearing in the new Pigsty and vegetable growing in the Garden. Cured meats and ve- getables are then stored in The Pantry, before being eaten on site or sold. The second residential building, The Farmer House, has been converted into a lodge with several types of individual accommodation grouped around a common living room, enabling all types of guests to be accommodated on a temporary basis.The former Stable has been completely redesigned from the inside out, allowing it to be used flexibly for housing, offices and an artist’s studio. Finally, The Porch, open to the courtyard «Aia», has been preserved in its original beauty and aura. Common to all, it has become the place where straw is stored, but also where meals, parties and concerts are held late into the night.

The project is inspired by genius loci, and is in continuity with the existing building while adding subtle touches of modernity, in order to preserve tradi- tion, reveal the essence of the place and breathe new life into it.

The aim is to create a community that embraces a simpler lifestyle, reminiscent of their ancestors, characterized by agriculture and craftsmanship by preserving the charm and architectural integrity of the Cascina through low-impact actions.

The outdoor spaces are a unified public area, connecting the blocks while still offering different levels of privacy through natural elements, trees or different flooring materials. Public access is located to the north, providing peaceful outdoor areas to the west, for the Farmer, Manor House and the Stable’s independent units.

The secret garden is both an orchard and a meditation place for the community, while a new pergola serves as a bike park, with a pathway leading to the housing blocks, into a semi-private garden.

A new volume guides visitors to the main public outdoor space, the Aia, a shaded mineral square providing access to the Porch and the new building, extending their functions.

An urban garden and a pool, housed within the existing structures of the Pigsty and the Pergola, overlook the fields.

Only eco-friendly materials are involved: insulation and plaster of the existing building are made of rice husks while the new building -a multipurpose room where sliding panels and compact furniture allow flexible functions- is in wood.

The interiors are compatible with a community made of families, artisans, travellers and pioneers keen to experiment the proposed lifestyle, creating a social mixite where the creative reuse of the Cascina leads to the Urban regeneration and rediscovery of the whole area.

The design process began with decisions on which buildings to demolish and which to refurbish. In this proposal, both buildings H (Garage) and G (Pigsty) were demolished to make way for a new building. This new structure matched the volume of building H and extended to the limits of building G, resulting in the creation of four distinct outdoor spaces.

Starting at the site entrance, there are six flowerbeds where new residents can plant vegetables, flowers, or herbs. In the centre of the site, a gathering space previously known as the Aia was created, serving as a focal point where all the buildings converge. In the area formerly occupied by building G has been transformed into an open green space for children to play, adults to exercise, and individuals to relax under trees or by a pool. Finally, a semi-private area was designated for the farmer’s house and manor house buildings, offering new homeowners a more private outdoor space.

Throughout the design, efforts were made to preserve the unique features of the existing buildings, maintaining the overall ambiance of the old cascina. These existing structures were repurposed into new apartment buildings, each offering diverse living spaces for different lifestyles.

The new building proposed a mixed-use space, providing common amenities for the neighbourhood, including a small gym, a shared laundry room, and a versatile area that could function as a coworking space, cafeteria, or event space for gatherings and celebrations.