A rural tourism landscape project

An outdoor architecture project that takes sustainability into account, fosters a meaningful relationship with the landscape, and promotes collaboration with local communities is a perfect example of how tourism can be transformed into a driver of socio-economic and cultural development. In this case, by involving people living in nearby villages in the tourism project, cultural exchange is encouraged and mutual understanding between visitors and residents is promoted, thereby enriching the overall tourist experience.

INTEGRATION AND REGENERATION OF THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE

The landscape architect and theorist Ian McHarg (1969), in his book Design with Nature, highlights the importance of integrating planning and landscape design according to the natural characteristics of the territory. McHarg advocates an approach that seeks the conservation and regeneration of the landscape, promoting the adaptation of architecture to the environmental conditions and ecological needs of the site.

The initial proposal of our studio was to position the cabins along the mountainside in order to create a space in close contact with nature while generating minimal impact on the surroundings. We made the decision not to allow the felling or clearing of any tree or shrub species throughout the entire construction process. This approach, which involves minimal human intervention, is essential to ensure the preservation of the ecosystem and biodiversity within the project area.

This design philosophy also provides benefits in terms of energy efficiency and the use of natural resources. By considering solar exposure, the cabins are able to maximize natural light and heat, reducing the need for artificial energy for lighting and heating. Furthermore, by minimizing impact on the terrain and vegetation, water infiltration is promoted and soil erosion is prevented.

We also believe that the approach of our project could have a positive effect on tourists’ environmental education and awareness, which in turn may contribute to the promotion of more sustainable practices in other aspects of their lives.

"We will avoid the clearing of any species of tree or shrub during the entire construction process."

ABOUT IAN McHARG

Ian McHarg was a Scottish landscape architect, urban planner, and thinker (1920–2001) who forever changed the way we understand the relationship between territory, planning, and ecology. He did not design gardens as one arranges flowers; he designed systems, processes, balances. He was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and from there he promoted an ecological vision of territorial planning at a time when sustainability was barely part of the conversation.

His most influential work is the book Design with Nature (1969), in which he argued that design should begin with a scientific analysis of the territory: soils, water, topography, vegetation, climate… He proposed overlaying layers of information — what today we would call analytical cartographies or even GIS — in order to determine where to build and where not to. For him, the landscape was not scenery; it was a living structure. More than for specific gardens, he is remembered for his method. He influenced modern environmental planning, landscape ecology, and entire generations of architects and landscape architects. If today we speak of green infrastructure, territorial resilience, or planning based on natural systems, there is a little of McHarg in all of it.