Ceramo Civic Centre.Building reuse, culture and participatory design as tools for urban regeneration
Ceramo Civic Centre is a co-designed project for the transformation of an old majolica factory in the Valencian suburb as trigger for the physical and social regeneration of the area. Giving a new life to the building, making it a public space in which protagonism of local associations and enhancement of sense of belonging are merged, becomes a way to unite sociality, education, rediscovery of local cultural heritage and architecture in an inclusive and sustainable perspective.
Local
Spain
Benicalap district, València
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
ERASMUS
The project was carried out as part of an Erasmus+ exchange programme for Master's theses
No
As individual(s) in partnership with organisation(s)
First name: Antongiulio Last name: Panarello Gender: Male Please describe the type of organization(s) you work in partnership with: The work was developed together with the neighbourhood residents' association "Benicalap - Entrecaminos", with the help of the Valencian National Museum of Ceramics and Suntuary Arts "González Martí". Age: 26 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 Monsignor Daniele Comboni 1 Town: Bari Postal code: 70124 Country: Spain Direct Tel:+39 346 376 1111 E-mail:antongiulio.panarello@gmail.com
The project arises from the need to reuse a building, the old "La Ceramo" majolica factory located in the Valencian district of Benicalap, transforming it into a space for public use capable of activating a mechanism of urban regeneration. The complexity of the challenge derives from its strongly identifying character: in addition to having represented the district's main economic nucleus for years, the majority of the decorations of the city's most representative modernist buildings belong to its production (many of them made following an ancient and "mysterious" artisanal technique of Arab derivation and today practically disappeared, known as the "reflejo metalico" one.
The building therefore, with its ethnological heritage, has played and continues to play a major role for the neighbourhood and the entire city, implying the need for a design as consensual as possible. During the drafting of the project, a large number of stakeholders were therefore involved: the City Council, local experts (including the National Ceramics Museum of Valencia), neighbourhood associations and citizens.
The result of the participatory process is a proposal for a civic centre characterised by a complexity of functions hosted, ranging from cultural to social, making it open, welcoming and attractive to everyone. A key element is the centrality of citizens and associations, the true driving force of the place thanks to a model of operation based on co-management. A leading role is also assigned to the history and culture of the place, given by the cohabitation between a museum and a school/workshop, in which ancient techniques belonging to the factory's craft tradition are recovered and disseminated.
Leveraging innovative management models and cultural aspects becomes the way to strengthen the sense of community and belonging, fostering greater involvement of citizenship, the social and economic sustainability of the intervention and ultimately the success of the project.
Promoting recovery and dissemination of cultural heritage
Participative design
Shared and participatory management model
Building Reuse
Urban regeneration
The aim of the project is to represent a good practice in sustainable design, practical and repeatable, demonstrating how it is possible to pursue theoretical principles (combating climate change, reducing consumption of resources and energy, ensuring circularity and renaturalisation of the built space) by declining them with choices suited to the context of the intervention.
First of all, working on the renovation and reuse of existing buildings, apart from being a culturally motivated choice, is the best way to minimise the consumption of resources and the production of waste, proceeding with demolitions only when strictly necessary and taking advantage of all the built elements that are still usable.
From the design point of view, the project focused on the application of bioclimatic strategies such as the correct management of ventilation and natural lighting, as well as solar gains, taking full advantage of the climatic-environmental conditions of the site and minimising the need from the installation point of view to achieve ideal conditions of comfort. On the technological side, the aim was to optimise the buildings' energy efficiency by improving the existing envelope, choosing technologies and materials with a view to circularity. The use of the lightweight steel framing systems, which are demountable and recyclable, and locally produced bio-based materials goes in this direction. In this case, hemp-based elements were used, which are increasingly produced and used in Spain and guarantee excellent performance, complete recyclability and almost zero carbon footprint.
Lastly, maximum use was made of local resources, exploiting the abundant sunshine to ensure the supply of photovoltaic solar energy and rainwater, stored and filtered, to supply the needs of the complex. The complex was renaturalised, proposing the planting of indigenous species and creating a sort of "living museum", allowing people to preserve and learn about the nature of the area.
The aesthetics of the project is strongly related to the context in which it is inserted, adopting strategies to favour the activation of mechanisms of attraction and involvement in the user and to recall the tradition of the place.
The use of local typological elements in the design aims to accentuate the sense of familiarity in the visitor. Enhancing the central patio, the fulcrum of the complex, is intended to recall a scheme typical of local historical houses and already adopted in the factory itself. The creation of large terraces, an open-air continuation of interior spaces, refers to a key element of Valencian social life, emphasising public character of the place. The insertion of a pergola to replace a collapsed roof aims to create a natural oasis that evokes feelings of nostalgia and tranquillity, using an element typical of Valencian countryside houses to create a connection with a theme strongly rooted in the collective imagination.
Another strategy is the constant search for visual permeability, developed on several levels: inside the buildings, providing double heights that visually connect and integrate spaces with distinct but related functions (such as the museum with the school/workshop, so as to link theory and practice of ceramic production); between the different buildings of the complex and between them and the outside, creating glass façades useful to convey the impression of a lively, attractive, transparent place open to everyone, inviting passers-by to enter and experience the centre.
Lastly, emphasis is placed on characterising the external appearance of the buildings. Apart from enhancing the main façade, a historically identifying element of the factory, the proposal provides a solution for the cladding of the newly built part, able to emphasise its modernity while using materials connected with the tradition of the place: hence the use of blue and red copper-effect ceramics, both related to the factory's historical production.
Inclusion is a fundamental aspect of the project proposal given its public character. The reduction of design freedom, due to the need to work on an existing and heritage-protected building, implies the need to make choices to reach an optimal level in terms of accessibility still taking into account the starting conditions. The objective of making the building usable to the widest possible audience of users, with particular reference to the elderly and persons with disabilities, was pursued by flanking systematic interventions (e.g. minimising differences in level inside the buildings and creating wide paths and connections with reduced slopes) with other more punctual ones. Taking into account the conditions of the context also means giving importance to the economic affordability of the concept, which is fundamental in a neighbourhood with high social vulnerability. The centre's operating model goes in this direction, envisaging activities capable of generating income partly used to support the expenses necessary to organise free initiatives, open to everyone without burdening the public finances.
In order to favour the effective opening of the centre to the needs of different social groups, both economically and in terms of age, the proposal counts with a shared management and governance model between the public administration and local associations, activating a democratisation process useful to involve the users more directly, understand their real needs and consequently make the civic centre's operation effective. Sharing the responsibility for management with citizens, while leaving the administration with a guiding and supervisory role, makes everyone feel part of the project, strengthening their sense of belonging to it and to the community and helping to generate an inclusive environment open to dialogue (intercultural, intergenerational, etc.), particularly needed in a neighbourhood with high social vulnerability.
Civil society participation played a very large part in the drafting of the project proposal, reflected in a two-level approach.
The first consists of consulting local scholars with expertise in ceramic production, factory and neighbourhood history, defining the valuable architectural and ethnological elements to be protected and enhanced, and the possible functions related to the identity of the place to be included in the future complex.
The second level corresponds to the broader involvement of citizens, developed in several stages and in collaboration with the residents' association 'Benicalap-Entrecaminos', the best known, most active and participative in the neighbourhood.
During an initial meeting with the association, the needs of the area and some proposals for the future of the factory were approached. In addition, a questionnaire was collaboratively drafted to be subsequently proposed to the citizens, whose participation went beyond expectation (more than 500 responses) testifying to the importance of the issue in the collective imagination.
The results of the questionnaires provided a more complete picture of the situation, clearly confirming the need for public services. The results, together with an initial project proposal, were the subject of a second discussion with the association during which a final solution was agreed upon.
The impact resulting from this participatory process made it possible to emphasise the importance of safeguarding the factory's cultural identity through the creation of a museum and, according to the association's suggestion, a school/workshop to spread knowledge of ceramic production techniques among the people. The role of the network of associations in the neighbourhood and the strong participation of the residents also emerged, leading to the shared decision to structure the complex as a hub for local associations, assigning them an important organisational and management role.
The participatory design process involved, in addition to residents and civil society, several public institutions in the area, dialoguing in particular with the Municipality (Urban Development Department), the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the National Ceramics Museum of Valencia.
From the collaboration with the Municipality, owner of the complex and future implementer of the intervention, derives the intention to include in the project spaces for young people, the most penalised age group in the district in terms of dedicated public services. Attention to the young generation is crucial for the activation of positive mechanisms of urban and social regeneration. Apart from this, the municipal technicians have also forwarded a historical study previously carried out on the factory and the measure of protection as a heritage building, both useful in gathering information on the possible transformations to be applied to the complex.
Contacting the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and in particular some professors and students from the School of Construction Engineering, helped to gather detailed material on the complex, reconstructing the local construction techniques used in the factory and the problems affecting it.
The 'Gonzalez Martí' National Ceramics Museum in Valencia constitutes one of the institutional actors most closely linked to the factory, the latter having been mentioned several times in the public debate as a possible secondary location for the museum. In fact, the institution is currently the repository of much material deriving from the factory (products, machinery, etc.), thus enabling its protection and valorisation. Dialogue with the museum's director, an important scholar and member of the Spanish ceramic world, allowed an in-depth study of the craftsmanship techniques followed in the factory and knowledge of the heritage to be exhibited, facilitating the design of the museum and educational part of the complex.
The drafting of a complex proposal implies the need for a multi-disciplinary approach, in which various themes flank and combine with architecture. In the specific case of the Ceramo Civic Centre, particular attention was given to sociology (to study the situation and dynamics of the neighbourhood), history (carried out with various local experts to investigate and get to know the factory and its relevance in the area in depth), museum design (to design the exhibition areas in an innovative and effective manner), and above all ceramic production.
The study of the ceramic discipline was conducted with the help of several figures, including the Director of the National Museum of Valencia and a former artisan employee, thanks to whom it was possible to reconstruct exactly the artisanal process of ceramic production followed in the factory. The detailed understanding of each phase, necessary to plan a careful valorisation of the complex and the local tradition, implied the study of certain aspects belonging to other disciplines: chemistry, with the in-depth study of the reactions present in the process as functional to the understanding of the kilns' functioning scheme, their characteristics and the resulting pollution; botany, with the study of the local plant species used to feed the ceramic firing process and included in the "living museum" of the proposal.
Knowledge of traditional ceramic production techniques also made it possible to make a comparison with today's methodologies, which was useful in the engineering of the façade cladding included in the project proposal.
In general, therefore, having recourse to disciplines that are not strictly architectural such as local history or the art of ceramic production is indispensable to obtain a concrete, complete, useful and feasible project, generating added value for the community in terms of quality of experience and dissemination of knowledge.
The transformation of degraded areas and existing buildings into areas with public use is increasingly a tool used by public administrations to trigger urban regeneration mechanisms. In most cases, however, this is done by identifying citizens and civil society as passive subjects of implementation, as mere downstream users of something conceived, realised and managed by others: participatory planning and co-management are often understood as complex and time-consuming tools. The concept seeks to represent a best practice in this sense, fully implementing a systematic approach that aims at open participation of as many stakeholders as possible in all phases of the intervention, from its conception to its effective implementation.
The relationship with the associations intends to be an innovation by basing itself on constant dialogue during the development of the project, with meetings in which to discuss needs and proposals through structured techniques. Technology can offer an important contribution in this sense: the implementation of the HBIM (Historical BIM) methodology, besides guaranteeing numerous advantages in terms of preservation of the cultural heritage and efficiency of the construction process, allows the use of new tools such as Virtual Reality, which is very effective in "democratising" the decision-making process by facilitating access to the proposals even for a less expert audience. Moreover, the proposal of a shared management and governance system for the civic centre, which is functional for greater involvement and empowerment of citizenship, helps in this sense.
Part of the innovation also lies in the construction design, with the use of bio-based materials and the creation of a customised ceramic façade cladding for the factory, developed and tested in association with local companies with the purpose of obtaining valid alternatives to traditional decoration techniques, with a high quality appearance but a high environmental impact.
The heart of the project is the idea of using the transformation of an abandoned building into a public space as a triggering element for improving the quality of life of the neighbourhood's residents. Every choice made, both methodologically and architecturally, has the ultimate aim of identifying an ideal design path that is repeatable in other contexts and truly effective in determining the achievement of the objective.
The involvement of stakeholders from different sectors and levels, even though each with a distinct and clearly identified role, proved to be a valid method for generating a common purpose and a generalised commitment to the success of the project: the enthusiasm and broad participation encountered during the design phase are a symbol of the importance of an open, democratic and inclusive process. A further element in this direction is the transfer of part of the organisational and management responsibility from the public administration to the citizens and the local associative network: in addition to fostering the economic sustainability of the project, it leads to a greater emotional and personal involvement of the citizens and a better correspondence of the services provided to real needs. These choices, together with the valorisation of historical and cultural identity elements, contribute to regenerate the sense of belonging to the place and the community, strengthening social cohesion whatever the context of application.
In the project there are some other aspects that can be replicated from a technical, technological and methodological point of view: the use of bio-based materials made using local products to promote energy efficiency (such as hemp in this case); the engineering of innovative construction elements linked to tradition and local techniques; the application of the BIM (and HBIM) method to bring the project closer to the citizens, optimise time and resources and preserve the architectural heritage.
The project is set up from its early stages as an attempt to provide solutions, even if on a small scale, to some of the main global challenges for our century, referring in particular to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New European Bauhaus within the framework of the European Green Deal.
Following the UN Agenda, the concept aims first and foremost to contribute to the creation of sustainable cities and communities by intervening in a neighbourhood with high socio-economic vulnerability. Inequality reduction is pursued by involving a wide range of stakeholders in the process, in accordance with the principle of developing partnerships to achieve the goals. This challenge represents an important point of contact with the New European Bauhaus guidelines, which emphasise the importance of developing interventions to respond to the needs of the weakest members of society.
Leveraging cultural identity elements such as the Arab-derived ceramic tradition, symbol of historical integration among different cultures, as well as involvement in the elaboration of the project proposal, becomes a way to strengthen the citizens' sense of belonging, combating phenomena of segregation and isolation (very present in the neighbourhood under examination), facilitating the coexistence of different communities and encouraging intergenerational dialogue in an inclusive perspective.
From the environmental point of view, the project aims to combat climate change by focusing on reducing the consumption of land, resources and energy: circularity and attention to material life cycle (use of products with a low carbon footprint, obtained in a sustainable way or with a high recyclability rate) are two fundamental elements in this sense. The achievement of climate goals depends on raising public awareness, which is also pursued through the renaturalisation of urban space with the use of native plants to strengthen biodiversity and the man-nature relationship.
