Project I: Atelier Petzet

Milan is a thriving, growing and constantly developing Metropolis – just an hour’s train ride away from Mendrisio. It is a city of great economic power – but also a testimony to the power of culture and knowledge. A very modern city – with a long and proud tradition of outstanding art, architecture and design – including works by architects such as Ponti, Gardella, Asnago and Vender, Caccia Dominioni and many others. We will define specific areas of intervention and meet people to help us reveal the secrets of these quarters. What can we add? subtract? modify? reinvent? discover? make available? We will apply our intensive working method of subjective research by taking advantage of the proximity of Milan, visiting it together as often as possible, cycling, working on site in order to create an integrated architectonic vision of a possibly better Milan of the future.

The 3Rs of Reduce/Reuse/Recycle are a value system of avoidance, reuse and recovery that originated in waste treatment but should also be our guidance in the treatment of given urban situations. With RRR Milano we aim to create the most positive social impact on the city, with the least possible negative impact on the environment. We will adopt a working method that results in a positive attitude and integrative thinking towards everything that already exists and is present on the site. We will follow the law of the most minimal intervention and learn to apply the RRR strategies: perception, maintenance, behavior, renovation, reprogramming, conversion, infill, redesign, subtraction, addition, recycling and precycling. In two circular movements culminating in the midterm and final presentations we will search, program, implement, present and research, reprogram, reimplement and represent. We will survey the city and find sites that are neglected / underused / ignored. We will redesign what we have found and develop programs that connect and enrich the entire neighborhood. We will implement these programs in detail - planning the necessary adaptations, additions, or subtractions. We will show what and why we have changed. We will work on different scales - from urban to details, designing the hardware of buildings – and the software of uses and business models. If we do our work well, projects could be realized immediately, convincing owners, investors and the city of their necessity and feasibility. Our students will learn to become initiators, entrepreneurs, and developers.

• Table Reviews 
• Public Reviews 
• Online Reviews 
• External contributions

• Final public review
• Video, Graphic material, Models