Morphology and sustainability in the project of public spaces. The case of the historic centre of Viterbo (Italy)

Abstract

The research at the base of the project proposal is based on the idea that a city is, first of all, a body made out of "fabrics": Social, economic, cultural and environmental fabrics that in the physical form of the built environment find their dynamic expression. If the morphological analysis of Viterbo urban fabric has been then the analytical base of the design process, the focus on daily use of urban spaces has been its main analytical goal. But to talk about a shared, efficient, citizen-friendly city, means, at the end of the day, to tell of a sustainable city where Morphology and Sustainability can be part of a unique creative process. That has been our main goal from a methodological point of view. The city is in fact a key resource for the environmental control. The scale of microclimate come into play tighter interactions between design and climate data, improving context environmental conditions, promoting social relations between users and enabling energy-saving-strategies for the creation of a healthy and comfortable urban environment. The joint use of Urban Morphology together with an accurate environmental analysis by GIS Environmental maps and a parametric costs control of design choices for the Economic and Financial sustainability has made possible the design of living spaces, aware and respectful from the identity point of view, efficient from the energetic point of view, but also open and flexible to the changing use conditions of city-life.