Changing Attitudes in Urban Development
In today’s world, transforming our approach to building cities is essential. The waste generated by urban areas should be reimagined as a valuable resource for contemporary urban development.
Concept of Still Alive
Still Alive introduces an aesthetic garden that utilizes materials from urban demolition. This project aims to create a living, recolonized rock garden that embodies the resilience of natural dynamics and overgrowth. It showcases life reclaiming its place over human constructions and discarded materials.
Materials and Design
Creating a Contemporary Rock Garden
The materials from the city are repurposed to form a contemporary rock garden. This garden, located in the historic park of Aglié Castell in Torino Council, expresses the richness of poor soils through a carefully selected palette of pioneer plants. Positioned along the main perspective axis of the park, the garden mirrors the essence of romantic parks with its use of urban waste.
Rockery Details
Situated above the Fiumi fountain, the rock garden is composed of inert waste from demolition sites. This sorted waste creates the borders of a large circle that encloses the garden, reminiscent of ruins found in romantic gardens. Within this circle, pioneer plants adapted to dry environments thrive, presenting diverse strata that support various forms of life within the garden.
Meadow Ecosystem
Highlighting Meadow Life
The main perspective axis of the historic park is typically mowed regularly. Still Alive proposes an alternative by halting mowing in specific areas to highlight the meadow’s natural flowering. This approach aims to demonstrate the meadow’s crucial role in maintaining ecological balance and supporting biodiversity in open spaces.
Ecological Balance and Biodiversity
By allowing a large circle of the meadow to remain unmown, the project emphasizes the importance of these natural processes. The flowering meadow showcases the ecological balance and biodiversity that are essential to the health of open spaces.
Conclusion
Still Alive by Wagon Landscaping presents a compelling vision for the future of urban development. By repurposing urban waste into a living rock garden, it highlights the potential for natural overgrowth and the importance of ecological balance in urban design. This project serves as a reminder of nature’s resilience and its ability to reclaim and transform human-made environments.