Rethinking the Project
The cultural contribution of our people
New requirements impose new solutions compared to the past
In these months, the People of Politecnica have been experiencing a change that will lead to a normality characterized by different needs in conceiving physical spaces and different functions of use compared to those to which we are traditionally accustomed.
Our homes have turned into our workplace too, our offices will have to change probably becoming less central. Projects will have to be more functional, we shall have to think of increasingly flexible spaces and buildings, of combined solutions able to suit to different conditions from those they were originally designed for, when necessary.
We are thus driven to reflect on the project, the designer will have to go back to his role which is designing the best solutions to meet human needs, i.e. increasingly sustainable and accessible solutions.

The responsibility of the project
“As designers we have an inherent responsibility: imagining what is not there and must be there, to improve the quality of our lives and the future of the new generations.”

A new paradigm
“Shifting from the design of cities to the design of urban life, this is probably the most important challenge we face in rethinking our work and the impact that a project will have on society”

Flexibility to reconcile work and other-than-work
“People need to be able to reconcile work with “other-than-work”: to do this, much more flexible and adaptable places to live in than the existing ones shall be designed. The first example being the very concept of home, to evolve in line with the new types of space-time organization: home is where we can live fully, where we work, where personal and social lives merge. This must be reflected in the design of modular, flexible and multi-purpose environments”

Accessible and inclusive design
“Design must promote new sustainable lifestyles through facilities providing essential, inclusive and safe services to be generally accessible and able to progressively improve everybody’s quality of life, with no exception”

Sustainable mobility
“The transition to sustainable mobility remains central, but the challenge will be to make it safe for everyone. In order to promote pedestrian and cycle paths network, the construction of infrastructure and roads will have to be accelerated, thus making mobility increasingly sustainable”

Green spaces for socializing
“When designing the cities of the future, nature shall be given a new role, no longer just an aesthetic element, or an environmental feature, but a real promoter of social cohesion: urban gardens, shared greenhouses and green courtyards can become spaces with an important function in fostering socialization”