Biophilia and Topophilia design practice fostering the connection between people and place
“Pocket Sicily: between Myth and Topos”, a botanical garden that is closely linked to the unique location within the Etna Park in Sicily, Italy. The territory of Mount Etna, with its regular, sometimes dramatic eruptions, is truly a veritable magical register of Sicily. Surrounded by diverse landscape geographies, and imbued with mythological traditions, the Etnean context inspired the manifestation of this educational and recreational garden that inherits both biophilia and topophilia essences.
Regional
Italy
Sicily, Catania
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
As an individual in partnership with other persons
First name: Linda Last name: Grisoli Gender: Female Age: 27 Please attach a copy of your national ID/residence card:
By ticking this box, I certify that the information regarding my age is factually correct. : Yes Nationality: Italy Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Via pilastrello 2 Town: Collecchio Postal code: 43044 Country: Italy Direct Tel:+39 334 245 7483 E-mail:lindagrisoli7@gmail.com
First name: Gordon Jie Xi Last name: Goh Gender: Male Age: 30 Please attach a copy of your national ID/residence card:
By ticking this box, I certify that the information regarding my age is factually correct. : Yes Nationality: Malaysia Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Lot 1-0-33 Likas Court, 2.5 Jalan Tuaran Town: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (country) Postal code: 88300 Country: Italy Direct Tel:+60 10-766 9226 E-mail:gordon88goh@gmail.com
The idea behind “Pocket Sicily” is to create a culturally significant and environmentally sustainable botanical park by adopting the principles of Biophilia and Topophilia. We see the garden as a highly layered landscape, superimposed with multiple narratives. It is functional and purposeful, exuding the quintessence of the place.
Our aim is to design landscapes able to reconnect people to their homeland and culture by incorporating local stories imbued in the cultural landscape (Topophilia), with the ultimate goal of fostering users' attachment to their roots.
Pocket Sicily Garden recognises the importance of the ethnobotanical legacy of a place. It holds a collection of plants from four different ecosystems – the sand dunes, the semi-deserted areas, the rugged volcanic terrain, and the lush Mediterranean marquis, that characterize and coexist in the same region: Sicily. A multi-sensorial experience through an array of regional landscapes, is here condensed, into a "pocket-sized,” microcosm of Sicily.
In fact, each territory, such as the Etna volcano area, possesses a cultural cadastre rich in references to mythology and folk beliefs. The garden then assumes an educational role, with the goal of reviving and teaching some local legends, complementing it with playful intent. Here, the plants and architectural elements become symbolic, carrying hidden meanings, with reference to Greek mythology and anthropological artefacts. In this way, the garden offers an unscripted play, steeped in folklore and mysteries, where children and adults can have fun and fully immerse themselves in fantasy, invoking their cultural memories and consciousness that is rooted deeply in the oral and pictorial traditions.
All in all, the garden proves to be a treasure chest of ecological diversity, a trigger of stimuli, as well a portal into the local culture and history.
Biophilia and Topophilia in design practice
Enhancement of local culture
Celebration of ethnobotanical heritage
Co-existence of humans and non-humans
Water conscious design
In general, sustainability principles are a priority in the practice of landscape architecture. In this specific case, most design choices are dictated by saving water. First is the selection of plant species: endemic, so they are used to the high temperatures of the place and most drought tolerant, so they do not require continuous irrigation. Second, the collocation of species: in the southernmost, hottest part of the garden, the project includes species adapted to arid climates and requiring full sun. In fact, the Sicilian desert and dune environment is re-proposed in this area. To conserve water, two rainwater tanks are allocated in the park to irrigate the plants, when necessary. In addition, since the garden is placed in an industrial setting, we have opted out of creating a water recycling or filtration system for disposable wastewater because we were not sure about the concentration or toxicity of the wastewater, which might impact the health of the garden.
In addition to this "water-conscious" approach, the goal of the project was to minimize construction interventions and maintenance works thus reducing the carbon footprint. Moreover, in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 15, it is the task of every planner to ensure that biodiversity thrives. Consequently, we proceeded with the diversification of species, tapping into the abacus of endemic varieties and combining them so that their ecological contribution is maximised.
Finally, recycled inert materials were used for all the constructed parts of the garden, starting from the "Pagghiaru" hut to the wooden signs indicating the direction. The use of autochthonous recycled materials, the choice of endemic species and the wise use of rainwater and wastewater, which ensures lush garden growth at all times of the year, our project actions contribute to making the garden a low-impact park.
The initial project theme was a low-impact garden capable of "Keeping alive the Sense of Wonder," focusing mainly on the sense of sight, which refers in turn to the client, a leading Eye Care company. The botanical richness of the Sicilian region has arranged a wide assortment of raw materials to elicit the sense of wonder and amazement demanded by the client. Pocket Sicily holds a collection of plants embodying regional genius loci, defined by architecture critic Christian Norberg-Schulz (1979) as "the spirit of the place", the essence and the unique identity of it. Sicilian ecological diversity and the reference to folk beliefs make the spaces intriguing to observe and stimulate the user’s curiosity, offering a multi-sensorial experience. The aesthetic quality is here intended as an interweaving of bioregions and the re-evocation of folk legends: the presence of the chestnut tree for example, recalls the legend of the Chestnut Tree of 100 Horses, now identified in the majestic chestnut tree in the municipality of Sant'Alfio. Yet another opportunity to stimulate the imagination through physical elements that refer to the mythological narrative. The boulders in the pond allude to the myth of Polyphemus, who hurled rocks and inhabited the "land of the Cyclops" in the archipelago off the Sicilian coast. And again, a Mediterranean handkerchief, a patch of multi-coloured shrubs, located in the eastern part of the pond, is the home of the goddess Persephone before she was abducted by Pluto while picking flowers on the shores of Lake Pergusa in Enna.
The design of the spaces, through sinuous lines, hidden corners, and botanically diverse environments, fosters the continuous discovery of the garden. The anthropological dimension completes the project through the haystack, Etna's "Pagghiaru," a rock monument of peasant civilization, which over the centuries has determined the landscape and historical identity of a prehistoric civilization that lived on Etna before us.
The park itself is a democratic tool, accessible to any age, it lends itself very well as a bearer of benefits to all audiences. Pocket Sicily is a botanical park located next to the company kindergarten, and thus enjoyed by both adult staff and children. Hence the need to target the project to a wide range of different ages, and accommodate the needs of all. For adults, the park becomes a place of recreation during or after working hours. It also offers the opportunity for outdoor sports, through the help of a large green lawn as well as intimate and cozy spaces in the corners of the garden for reading and relaxation of the spirit. Indeed, several studies have confirmed the restorative power of nature, even though brief stops in contact with it (Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. 1989; Ulrich, 1984). This brings us back to the biophilia theory by Edward O. Wilson, professor emeritus of evolutionary biology at Harvard University, who published his 'biophilia hypothesis' in the early 1980s. It postulates that our attraction to nature is genetically predetermined. According to this hypothesis, people have an impulse to seek a connection with nature and affiliate with other life forms;
In addition to providing democratic places for contact with nature, the multi-functionality of the garden is well-fitted for activities for younger children: gardening, playgrounds, an arena for music or theatre workshops, as well as a space for continuous cultural discovery with the help of botanical objects or areas that recall the myths and legends of the area; Company staff and children thus play a proactive role with respect to the garden. They can contribute, in fact, to its maintenance and any openings to the public. The park is traversed by completely flat trails. It is therefore accessible in every part and disable-friendly;
Many scientific studies on urban green space start with stressing the multiple benefits of parks and other green areas (Lyytimäki and Sipilä, 2009). There is general agreement, at least within the green space sector, that parks are essential for liveable and sustainable cities and towns. ‘benefit’ is defined as something that promotes wellbeing (MerriamWebster’s, 2012). Thus in the case of park benefits, we are concerned with the services provided by the park that promote human or societal wellbeing, either directly or indirectly. Pocket Sicily is a botanical park that, following the biophilic approach, aims to bring people closer to nature, with the ultimate aim of promoting the well-being of the human individual and the environment. The reconnection to nature does not only occur physically, but also spiritually, through the choice of essences that represent the ethnobotanical legacy of the place, instilling an appreciation of it.
Pocket Sicily also intends to spread the traditions of the place where it is located, by recalling the myths and legends of the Etnean territory, through the use of indigenous essences, thus succeeding in reinforcing the sense of belonging, which also contributes to the well-being of a community.
At the Rio+20 Conference, member States recognized “the severity of global biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystems”. Pocket Sicily, in its own small way, through the diversification of plant essences, contributes to the stabilisation of habitats for the proliferation of biodiversity, which is also an indirect benefit for mankind.
Pocket Sicily project was developed thanks to the generous contribution of a local enterprise, which today, however, represents an important national organisation for the dissemination of landscape architecture: the Radicepura Foundation. Radicepura is a Foundation that intends to spread a green manifesto of contemporaneity and to be an ethical and artistic instance of a noble and cultural valorisation of the territory. A botanical park that intends to exalt nature as an engine of development for the entire world through initiatives, events, and cultural suggestions that convey sustainable and universal messages. Its principles correspond to the team's own, and so they have supported the project throughout, by visiting the site, touring the greenhouses from which to choose the plants, and to the property in Catania, where the events for the public take place. Their continued support for landscape research makes them an essential partner for the continuation of the project: disseminating the principles of topophilia and biophilia by means of the park tool. Pocket Sicily also found important support from SIFI, a leading private ophthalmology company. Precisely in order to pay homage to this sponsor, the park includes an 'ocular' shaped arena and a predilection for the sense of sight. All stakeholders emphasised the importance of the topic of sustainability and the link with nature and demanded that the project be an example of this. The design of the green area includes the creation of a sub-irrigation system to allow the exploitation and recycling of water, a theme dear to SIFI, which has been investing for years in reducing the environmental impact of its industrial activities.
The design of a park of any nature constitutes a highly interdisciplinary event. Landscape architects, who are usually employed by universities, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations, are leading the way to design it. But the result would be very poor if they did not draw on the knowledge of other disciplines and consult experts. A wide range of disciplines are actually involved, including ecology, community and regional planning, geography, environmental engineering, socio-economics, civil engineering, and many others. Landscape architecture itself is an interdisciplinary enterprise (Chen et al., 2009) and landscape architect is the figure that bridges the gap between the others. In the case of Pocket Sicily, botanical research was necessary for the choice of endemic species. With regard to water management, it was useful to turn to water and environmental sciences. Finally, for the in-depth study of local customs and traditions, the so-called 'intangible heritages' defined by Lenzerini (2011) as 'the living culture of people', it was essential to delve into anthropological disciplines, as well as into human geography.
In conclusion, we landscape designers must consult a wide range of different disciplines to strengthen and justify the project.
In the early 21st century, landscape urbanism gained traction due to the need for industrial site remediation and restoration, and tackling climate change. All these reasons often stemmed from the idea of securing humanity’s lifeline instead of seeing the peril of the sixth mass extinction, as claimed by The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity's Global Biodiversity Outlook (2020).
It was when covid struck and the anthropocentric world decelerated that humans get to observe and appreciate clear skies, and the proliferation of wildlife. This realisation and sentimentality towards nature seemed to have been forgotten once covid had come to pass. Therefore, in our design practice, biophilia and topophilia principles remain essential to creating a landscape that benefits both the wildlife as well as human sense of place and belonging.
The strong intellectual influence from Donna Haraway, Bruno Latour, Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, made us value the co-existence between humans and non-humans, as well as the ethnobotanical legacy humans share with plants being a significant part of humanity’s grand narrative. Landscape urbanism should not become the “international” style of superficial greening, where trees are seen as objects, mere tools for climate change justification. Landscapes of all scales, from gardens to urban infrastructures ought to accommodate the coexistence of all living beings.
The garden is also perceived as a multi-layered landscape, challenging the notion of being just a place for leisure and pleasure, but also a repository of cultural memories. It is important to incorporate meanings to space that are inherently significant to the local communities as well as the individuals. We hope to evoke a familiar sentiment, a feeling that encapsulates the pleasantly varied relationships we have with the natural environment both as individuals and as participants in cultures with long histories (Tuan, 1974).
The idea behind “Pocket Sicily” was manifested through a cross-international collaboration between two landscape architects from Italy and Malaysia. From our research and dialogue, we learned that both biophilia and topophilia are essential for designers to intervene and create unique landscapes that respect the genius loci and local culture.
To overcome the challenge of designing a site that is remote and unfamiliar, we sought ways to learn about the local environment and culture, such as gathering imageries and watching videos from all sorts of online media, especially on Youtube and Instagram, to understand the place from multiple perspectives, rather than just relying on text-based information.
Hence, we will create a collaborative framework, developing new ways of understanding sites, so that designers could work and learn together on remote projects. For example, we also plan to co-host online design workshops or studios with our alma mater, Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and RMIT University (Australia), to share our experience and exchange new ideas and perspectives. Together with international students, our methodology and ideas could be put to the test in different site contexts around the world.
In our practice, we value both human and non-human agencies, especially incorporating the narrative of plants and humans into our design projects. For instance, entering the biannual Radicepura Garden Festival 2023 in Sicily, we are to curate an array of native Sicilian edible plant species from the progenitor to cultivated species. This shed new light on edible plants, highlighting the ethnobotanical legacy of Sicily from a culinary and medicinal lineage, honouring local farmers, gardeners, and the local Sicilian people.
To further promote our manifesto, we hope to share our ideas through digital platforms and international organisations such as Radicepura Foundation, hoping our message does not only reach the profession but also the general public.
“Pocket Sicily” proves that adopting principles of Topophilia and Biophilia helps create a conducive environment where nature and culture could co-exist, instilling values that aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) to tackle global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity and inclusivity.
The project entails a strong advocacy for environmental sustainability that helps to reduce carbon footprint and water consumption, diversify endemic species, and bring people closer to nature through cultural narratives that associate with the locality.
It emphasises on the role of a garden as a common ground where nature and humans meet. It is botanical archive that host a variety of plants that are culturally significant, and it has a didactic role in teaching younger generation about their ethnobotanical heritage. This inculcates a genuine appreciate of nature which is intrinsically part of their culture. Hence, a garden is not just a place that cultivates plants but also lovers of nature.
Although garden is just a small part of human outdoor environment, this concept and its intrinsic value can be multiplied and magnified onto the greater landscape mosaic from rural to urban environments, such as nature reserves and city parks, and other landscape infrastructures. This is because landscape has always been an important intermediatory spaces that connects all biotic and abiotic entities.
Ultimately, the garden is a consolidation and manifestation of social, cultural, and environmental values, coming together in a form of a tangible spatial experience. Seeing the great benefits it brings, the advocacy for sustainable and equitable landscape is truly needed.
We hope our participation in teaching and engagement with landscape events could help us to promote awareness of environmental stewardship, highlight the rich cultural diversity that landscape brings and the importance our ethnobotanical legacy.
