Progetto di una nuova azienda agricola a Contrada Bricconi
Vincitore
Edizione 2019
Ambito B
Contrada Bricconi is an ancient rural settlement located at 950m a.s.l. in the municipality of Oltressenda Alta, in the Bergamasque Alps. In 2010, the municipal administration launched a tender for the management of some village buildings and land that were disused at the time. Hence, the Contrada Bricconi farm was founded with a view to restoring a cattle farming
and cheese making activity. The purpose of the managers is to consciously blend with the mountain environment, adopting the approach of sustainable resource use typical of alpine rural settlements. Alongside a deep bond with tradition, there are the search for the innovation of breeding and production techniques and the openness towards an extra-local market. The architectural intervention included the renovation of some of the existing buildings, converting them into holiday farms, and the creation, on the village land, of a new stable and a cheese factory. The new complex includes a stable for a maximum of thirty animals with annexed milking parlour, barn, pigsty, a building where cheese, meat and fruits are processed, and a warehouse. The project was carried out with a view to preserving the existing buildings so as to maintain, where possible, original materials and spatiality. The Orobie Bergamasche park allocated funds for the renovation of one of the existing buildings: an old barn that became a conference and meeting centre. The contest issued by the Fondazione Cariplo promoted the conservative restoration of the unfinished building that will house the restaurant. Architects and client shared, throughout the entire process, the awareness that they were operating within an area that has great landscape value and is also an important repository of historical memory. The purpose of the designers was to carry out an intervention able to enhance the features of the existing settlement, while fulfilling the technical and functional needs of production spaces. This intent was shared by the managers who saw in this architectural work a way to enhance the landscape and give added value to the business project.
Localizzazione del progetto
, Alta Lombardia, Italia, Contrada Bricconi, OltressendaMotivazione della Giuria
The Jury commends the project approach,courageously supported by the client. In particular, the initiative addressed and successfully solved the issue of revitalisation and partial restructuring of a high-altitude alpine region, using solutions aimed at finding the right balance between transformation and conservation of pre-existing forms. The outcome is a set of well-balanced features that give new life to the settlement which has now regained its manufacturing dimension. An interesting and sensible choice is the use of an architectural language that is removed from “typical” and “traditional” stereotypes and
introduces a direct and honest relation between shape, function and morphological features, using simple and consistent building techniques and materials well suited to the surrounding environment and to the functional needs of the activities carried out.
Documentazione
