The #GC2022 finalists are out! Read more.

search
×
menu
login
donate
E.V.A. Self build eco-village
Pescomaggiore, Italy
Written by:
follow
share on:mail linkcopy link to clipboardShare via LinkedInShare via TwitterShare via FacebookShare via Facebook
To repopulate the abandoned town and rebuilt a community of resi

image: BeyongArchitectureGroup | © all rights reserved
i
Category:
housing
Phase:
in use
Design:
BeyongArchitectureGroup
Updated:
10 August 2012
introduction

Following the earthquake of the 6th April 2009, the inhabitants of Pescomaggiore wanted to find a way to remain in their town but did not know how. The main aim consists of providing a new home for families that became homeless after the earthquake. The project started in June 2009 Called E.V.A., an acronym for Do it Yourself (DIY) eco-village. The project features seven houses built on a section of land located on a short distance from the original village of Pescomaggiore, which is now abandoned.

There were two priorities in “Progetto EVA”: first is to redefine the professional-client-builder relationship through a participatory process, and second is to build low impact owner built houses. The involvement of local community is essential of this project. EVA’s main innovation lies in the attempt to overcome the building logistics for emergency situations. Different from the top-down approach proposed by the government which failed in meeting the need to build a community, to stay close to the local tradition and to respect its vocation.

EVA is a practical alternative to the governmental C.A.S.E. Project and it aims to take on reconstruction through participatory planning, firstly by listening to the needs of future users, and then accompany them through the building of their community. Thus, it means to reconstruct a social and cultural fabric rather than just physical buildings. In the project’s early stages, the involvement of both professionals and beneficiaries had created a flow of exchange, which deeply enhances the quality of the final outcome (namely the houses). The housing solution identified together with the residents is an autonomous, self-funded, sustainable, and of course earthquake-proof one.

cultural and social context

The project was commisioned to BAG by a Committee for the Rebirth of Pescomaggiore, which already existed before the earthquake, and by a group of inhabitants of the destroyed village, whose common aim was to preserve Pescomaggiore. Since July 2009, about 150 volunteers joined the project on the building fase. Instead of applying the usual top-down building logistics that rules emergency situations, a logic made of prefabricated buildings and the involvement of local population was applied. The project proposes a model made of participation, sustainability, strong ties to the territory and quick response.

BAG identified in the straw bale building the ideal technological tool to prosecute simultaneously all the abovementioned targets. The future residents of the Eco Village will have an active role in managing Pescomaggiore once the building work will be completed. When the ancient Pescomaggiore will be eventually rebuilt, the seven eco-friendly houses will be reconverted for social and cultural activities, offering a range of agricultural activities and landscape maintenance.

materials and building techniques

BAG identified in the straw bale building the ideal technological tool to prosecute simultaneously all the abovementioned targets. The houses have a simple wooden structure and straw padding, the roofs are clad with solar panels and there is a system to collect rainwater. The straw allows the inhabitants to build houses quickly in an emergency situations. It is found locally, thus it is sustainable. It allows for a DIY approach, where even non-experts can participate. And it ensures excellent insulation: in this mountain area the temperature drops to minus 15 degrees Celsius in winter.

image gallery
house 1

image: BAGofficinamobile | © all rights reserved
i
interior view

image: BAGofficinamobile | © all rights reserved
i
roof construction

image: BAGofficinamobile | © all rights reserved
i
the houses

image: BAGofficinamobile | © all rights reserved
i
load-bearing straw bale house

image: BAGofficinamobile | © all rights reserved
i
building the load-bearing straw bale house

image: BAGofficinamobile | © all rights reserved
i
the veranda

image: BAGofficinamobile | © all rights reserved
i
building the laod-bearing straw bale house

image: BAGofficinamobile | © all rights reserved
i
building the wood structure in the night

image: BAGofficinamobile | © all rights reserved
i
the volunteers

image: BAGofficinamobile | © all rights reserved
i
technical drawings
general view

image: © all rights reserved
i
masterplan

image: © all rights reserved
i
general section

image: © all rights reserved
i
house plan

image: © all rights reserved
i
house 2 plan

image: © all rights reserved
i
detailed section

image: © all rights reserved
i
Location
show earth plate boundarieshide earth plate boundaries
Explore more inspirations
Keyword:
local resources (100)
crowdfunding (19)
community practice (113)
straw (8)
earthquake (20)
prev
  •  emergency shelter
    Living Tebogo
    Johannesburg, South Africa
  •  education
    Tongo school
    Tongo, Mali
  •  health & sanitation
    Safe Haven Bathhouse
    Ban Tha Song Yang, Thailand
  •  housing
    Homemade mud house
    Dinajpur, Bangladesh
  •  meeting place
    wNw Bar
    thu dau mot, Vietnam
  •  work & business
    Bamboo factory Bali
    Bali, Indonesia
  •  education
    Thon Mun Community Centre
    Takeo, Cambodia
  •  education
    Gando Primary School
    Gando, Burkina Faso
  •  housing
    Turf houses
    Keldur, Iceland
  •  infrastructure
    Community Bamboo Footbridge
    Davao City, Philippines
  •  housing
    Entre Muros House
    Tumbaco, Quito, Ecuador
  •  emergency shelter
    Bamboo Dome Structure
    Ramsar, Iran
  •  education
    Pani community centre
    Rajarhat, Bangladesh
  •  meeting place
    Liyuan Library
    Jiao jie he (交界河村), China
  •  recreation & sport
    Takasugi-an
    Chino, Japan
  •  housing
    Palmyra house
    Nandgaon, India
  •  emergency shelter
    Low-cost modular housing scheme
    Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  •  housing
    Río Cedro House
    Río Cedro, Colombia
  •  education
    Maosi primary school
    Maosi, China
  •  recreation & sport
    Geometric Hot Springs
    Villarica National Park, Chile
  •  meeting place
    R-Urban
    Colombes, France
  •  housing
    Mousgoum dwellings
    Pouss, Cameroon
  •  meeting place
    Sidi Amor’s eco-village for arts and crafts
    Ariana, Tunisia
  •  health & sanitation
    Butaro hospital
    Burera, Rwanda
  •  emergency shelter
    Soe Ker Tie House
    Ban Tha Song Yang, Thailand
  •  housing
    Bahia house
    Salvador, Brazil
  •  emergency shelter
    Reed house
    Lake Titicaca, Peru
  •  meeting place
    Villanueva Public Library
    Villanueva, Colombia
  •  housing
    cappadocia cave dwellings
    cappadocia, Turkey
  •  health & sanitation
    Salam Center for Cardiac Surgery
    Soba, Sudan
  •  meeting place
    Esperanza
    El Cabuyal, Ecuador
  •  meeting place
    Palomino, Building a Society.
    Palomino, Colombia
  •  housing
    "After the rain comes..."
    Msitu wa Tembo, Tanzania
  •  emergency shelter
    Temporary Dormitories for Mae Tao Clinic
    Mae Sot, Thailand
  •  religion & memorial
    Wenzai True Jesus Church-Our Pray Room
    Changhua, Taiwan
  •  housing
    Ciudadelas de Paz - Building for Peace
    Manaure, Cesar, Colombia
  •  urban planning
    Parque El Óvalo - Pamplona Alta (Lima, Perú)
    Lima, Peru
  •  housing
    Juan Hippolito House
    San Pedro Apostol, Mexico
  •  emergency shelter
    Pallet Garage
    Indianapolis, U.S.A.
  •  housing
    Le Village Noir
    Gatlang, Nepal
  •  education
    Adharshila School Extension Project
    Agara Village, Sheopur District, Madhya Pradesh, India
  •  meeting place
    (CON)VIVENCIAS
    Lima, Peru
  •  education
    Community School in N'Tyeani
    N'tyeani, Mali
  •  recreation & sport
    Cerro Mirador
    San Carlos, Venezuela
  • play
     work & business
    Eco-brick goes MUD!
    Arusha, Tanzania
  •  education
    Ali Apple Elementary School
    Ali, China
  •  housing
    Batak Toba Houses
    Lake Toba, Indonesia
  •  education
    Bamboo Alternative School
    Bogor, Indonesia
  •  meeting place
    Kazi na Bobo - community shop built with plastic bottles
    Msitu wa Tembo, Tanzania
  •  housing
    Open Source House Pilot
    Cape Coast, Ghana
  •  housing
    Kampung Kali Chode, Yogyakarta
    Yogyakarta, Indonesia
  •  education
    Community Learning Centre in Pasman Tol
    Pasman Tol, Nepal
  •  infrastructure
    Infrastructure to support the indigenous community
    Santo Angelo, Brazil
  •  housing
    A Casa de Abuela Cuentacuentos
    Escobilla, Mexico
  •  education
    LA VIEJA
    Montebello, Cali, Colombia
  •  meeting place
    Jabu Centre
    Siteki, Swaziland
  •  recreation & sport
    sport clubhouse Kalobeyei, Kenya
    Kalobeyei, Kenya
  •  education
    Bamboo Kindergarten
    Tasikmalaya, Indonesia
  •  housing
    Post-Tsunami Rehabilitation
    Kirinda, Sri Lanka
  • play
     housing
    Orphanage for former streetboys
    Nairobi, Kenya
  • finalist 2016
     education
    ModSkool
    New Delhi, India
  •  meeting place
    Community Learning Center Corralones
    Sacaba, Bolivia
  •  housing
    Naust paa Aure
    Aure, Norway
  •  education
    Upgrading of Nile River School
    South of Giza governorate, Egypt
  •  education
    Kusikuna Eco-Active School
    Apote - Tiquipaya, Bolivia
  •  meeting place
    CICADA
    Taipei, Taiwan
  •  education
    Children's Centre XEWA SOWE
    Village of Sowé (Glazoué), Benin
  •  infrastructure
    Community School in Darmang, Ghana
    Damang, Ghana
  •  education
    P'Yan School Project
    Mae Sot, Thailand
  • GC2022 finalist
     work & business
    The Women's House of Imloul
    Imloul, Morocco
  • play
     meeting place
    StadtGoesFuture-Culthäusle
    Filderstadt-Plattenhardt, Germany
  •  recreation & sport
    Sport City
    Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico
  •  education
    Njoro Children's Library
    Mailisita, Kilimanjaro , Tanzania
  • play
     health & sanitation
    Kamuna agricultural rehabilitation centre
    Kamuna, Cankuzo, Burundi
  •  emergency shelter
    SBAM.it 2011
    Massarosa-Stiava (LU), Italy
  •  housing
    Rural Housing Development Program
    Chitrawad, Gujarat, India
  •  meeting place
    Palomino Border
    Palomino, Guajira, Colombia
  •  housing
    CASA RANA
    Tamil Nadu, India
  •  infrastructure
    Bamboo Bridge in Solo
    Solo, Indonesia
  •  education
    Transforming Learning Spaces in Rwanda
    Muhanga, Rwanda
  •  housing
    BAMBÚ SOCIAL
    El Rama, Nicaragua
  •  education
    Trade School in Guatemala
    Cerro la Granadilla (San Raimundo), Guatemala
  •  meeting place
    Community Center in Jatimulyo
    Yogyakarta, Indonesia
  • play
     meeting place
    Sunzu Village Community Center
    Burera, Rwanda
  •  work & business
    Sembalun Bamboo Youth Development Centre
    Lombok, Indonesia
  •  health & sanitation
    Hygiene Station for Cattlefield Village School
    Yunnan, China
  •  education
    Training Center for Mae Tao Clinic
    Mae Sot, Thailand
  • GC2021 finalist
     education
    A School Built By the People, For The People
    Jorhat, India
  •  meeting place
    Farmers' Innovation Center (BLF)
    Angangba (Nagaland), India
  •  education
    Impact Pavilion Ibadan: Connect, Learn, Thrive
    Alaka Community, Ojoo, Ibadan, Nigeria
  •  education
    Bamboo Panyaden School
    Chiang Mai, Thailand
  •  housing
    House of Plenty
    Nijmegen, Netherlands
  •  meeting place
    Iche_Food for thought: a hub for glocal innovation
    San Vicente, Ecuador
  •  education
    Jubilant Tree School
    Moshi, Tanzania
  • play
    GC2022 finalist
     education
    Book House
    China
  • GC2021 finalist
     agriculture & fisheries
    Cocina CoLaboratorio
    Ejido Loma Bonita, Mexico
  •  meeting place
    Tusen Restaurante
    Ramundberget, Sweden
  •  infrastructure
    Taxi Rank
    Magagula Heights, Katlehong, South Africa
  •  education
    Ithuba Community College
    Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa
  •  urban planning
    The Self-made Dwelling
    Dharavi, India
next