PortfolioUniversity ProjectsFederico Mazzolini

_ AsbestosPath

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_ AsbestosPath

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AsbestosPath_

Ecomuseum in Balangero, TorinoIdeas Competition

The asbestos quarry in Balangero had been the largest one in Europe till 1990, when it was closed because the European Union has banned all use of asbestos and extraction, manufacture and processing of asbestos products, because the inhalation of asbestos fi-bers can cause serious illnesses.The closure affected the entire territo-ry around. The population of the towns near the quarry wasn’t anymore allo-wed to cross the site; a kind of forbid-den giant hole between the mountain comunities, which started swallowing life, economy, nature and hope.The asbestos fibers are so thin that they can be inhaleted causing lung can-cer and mesothelioma. These fibers are still few centimeters under the soil sur-face.The aim of the competition was to revi-talize the area, creating an ecomuseum that would make use of the charming landscape characterized by the quarry lake, the terrace steps and the sorroun-ding mountains.

FoggyVision _

The main objectives of the project were: not to affect further on the already corrupt territory, and at the same time trying to figure it out how to restore the sorroun-ding popolation to their rights, Therefore, we decided to define

the reclaimed area as a common : “resources that are owned in com-mon or shared between or among communities populations”. While the site of the quarry was meant to be use for touristic pur-pose, but instead of creating a

structure with a great impact, we ended up drawing a system of foggy paths, where the possible asbestos dust, generated by the transit, would be neutralized by the water vapour.

_ AsbestosPath

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_ AsbestosPath

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SitePlan Plan

_ AsbestosPath

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_ AsbestosPath

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NebulizationScheme

GreenPhotovoltaicBasket

Dust naturally present in the air or as a result of productive processes

The nebulization system generates high concentration of nebulized water drops ( dim.10 micron) with attraction beha-viour for PM10, or smaller, particles

The surface-active liquids cover the dust particles, increasing the mass and letting them fall down to the ground

_ AsbestosPath

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_ AsbestosPath

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WarehouseGroundFloorPlan

WarehouseAxonometricPlans

WarehouseSection

WarehouseElevation

_ ClimbingWall

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ClimbingWall _

Climbing gym, Lignano, Udinearchitectural project Politecnico di Torinoprof. Stefano Pujatti

Lignano is a turistic city in the north of Italy, facing the Adriatic sea. A big problem is represented by the strong wind which, during the winter season, slaps the coast and in order to protect the promenade and the houses from the progress of the sand it is required the use of wooden panels. Dealing with this problem it was suggested to create a varied waterfront master-plan with irregular shape and different heights, protecting the city from the wind and evocating the aspect of the sand dunes present infront of pine fo-rest, at the border of the town. The last part of this waterfront become a clim-bing gym, using the inclined walls as surfaces for the activities. One side will be entirely closed, sea side, while the other will be composed by a glazing facade, bringing the memory to the ar-chetype of a cave.

_ ClimbingWall

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GroundFloorPlan

PlatformPlan

RoofPlan

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_ ClimbingWall

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WestElevation EastElevation

SectionElevation

_ ClimbingWall

_ InFlatAbleGlass

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InFlatAbleGlass _

material experimentation Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMediaLab _ Mediated Matter Groupprof. Neri Oxman

Starting from an intense fascination for the blowing glass process, I won-dered how to combine this traditional method with an architectural aspect. The first one exploits the characteri-stics of glass (high viscosity, great mal-leability), but it becomes problematic once it is transferred on a larger size; the latter requests flat surfaces and a specific mold for each of the single shapes that we want to create within them. Once this connection is established, would be possible to imagine a custo-mized industrial production of inflated windows, where the naked beauty of glass is brought it out by the swellings and by the visual effects reflected on the surface.The project involved a thorough knowledge of the material properties and, of course, of the manufacturing processes.

_ InFlatAbleGlass

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BlowingInArchitecture _

In collaboration with the glass lab, we experimented different way as such : inflation with fi-berfrax paper, core mold, infla-tion with sand blasting, vacuum/inflation.These processes are more flexible than the slumping method used to curve the glass, in fact, they

employ bidimensional elements instead of bulky and expensive molds. The inflated parts can be con-nected through channels genera-ting a complex system.Discovering new methods to in-flate float glass panes would allow to invent multiple functions for a

glass facade. For example : hydro-ponic cultivation, hot-water hea-ting, windows neon lighting.Furthermore connecting this pro-cesses with specific shapes it is possible to increase the strenght of the panels, and as a result of this it is possible to use thinner layers.

_ InFlatAbleGlass

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_ InFlatAbleGlass

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HydroponicWindow _

By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth’s population will reside in urban centers. Applying the most conserva-tive estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will in-crease by about 3 billion people during the interim. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (about 20% more land than is represented by the country of Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming prac-tices continue as they are practiced to-day. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use.Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solu-tions, in water, without soil. Terre-strial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only. Since the Inflatable process is able to define complex shapes connected through channels, would be possible to create a continuous-flow solution culture, where the nutrient solution constantly flows past the roots.

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_ CapillarySkin

CapillarySkin _

material experimentation Massachusetts Institute of Techno-logyMediaLab _ Mediated Matter GroupHarvard UniversityWyss Institute prof. Neri Oxman - Benjamin Hatton

An interdisciplinary approach can lead to inspiring suggestions. Capil-larySkin, for example, was developed from a method used for cooling testers in biological laboratories.Exploiting the properties of PDMS, a silicon-based organic polymer, it was possible to create a series of mi-cro channels with particular patterns, where tinted dye was let pass through. The silicon layer can be attached to a glass surface with an high frequency generator, and become a “second skin”. After this process, it was tested the light transmission depending on the different color passing through the channels and the change of tempera-ture on the glass surface. This method can be applied in the architectural field with a remarkable aesthetic effect, cre-ating moving patterns and mixing dif-ferent color.

_ CapillarySkin

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Optical transmittance control

Depending on the dye’s colour, and its combinations, flowing in-side the microchannels, it would be possible to control the amount of light passing through the win-dow.As much darker become the co-

lour as less light can pass; the fluid would follow the pattern generated inside the PDMS, cre-ating a decorated facade changing its intensity during the different hours of the day. Furthermore it was possible to test a drop in tem-

perature within the beneath glass surface, thanks to the liquid flow. This would allow a lower heat transmission during the hot sea-son.

EthyleneGlycolLightTransmission : 0.8

ColoredWaterLightTransmission : 0.75

TitaniumDioxide TIO2LightTransmission : 0.6

CarbonBlackLightTransmission : 0.5

_ MicroAlgae

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MicroAlgae _

prototype for air purification system and biodiesel productionMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMediaLab _ Mediated Matter Groupprof. Neri Oxman

In the modern Anthropocene era, in-creasing levels of largely anthropoge-nic (human-produced) atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), correlating with an abnormal increase in average global surface temperatures, have ge-nerated a multitude of more severe and diverse problems.Algae are the fastest growing pho-tosynthesizing organisms, with growth cycles that reach completion in a few days. They rapidly fix atmospheric CO2 into biomass and ooxygen, rea-ching up to double their biomass every 24 hours.Algae can be grown in photobioreac-tors, which are comprised of algae-filled glass tubes through which CO2 is bubbled. Algae grown in photobio-reactors can then be harvested for bio-fuel production.

_ MicroAlgae

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Man-madesystem

Man-madeorganism

Breathable facade

The project make use of the knowled-ge experienced with the Inflatable-Glass and the CapillarySkin.Collecting the CO2 generated from the building service or from the out-side environment (traffic pollution, industrial waste etc.), and feeding with it the mixture of microalgae and water inside the glass facade (bioreac-tor), it is possible to activate the pho-

tosynthetic process. As a result of it, the system generate oxygen which is trapped inside the impermeable glass surface, once the entire quantity of CO2 is transformed, the liquid is let it pass inside the microchannels layer (PDMS). The gas permeability pro-perty of the silicone let the O2 flow in/outside the building. Then the bio-mass is harvested and transformed

into biodiesel and methane. Biofuel production by means of algae cultivation produces a carbon-neutral fuel with 98% of the combustion ef-ficiency of petroleum based diesel; substituting regular petroleum-based fuels with biofuel would reduce the world’s total CO2 emissions by 14%.

_ MicroAlgae

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_ MicroAlgae

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InflableGlass

CO2

CapillarySkin

LightAlgae

O2

_ PoliBeton

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PoliBeton_

material experimentationMonolithic - exploring versatilityConcrete Design CompetitionValerio Olgiati

Starting from a simple question, why can’t concrete (structural part) and polyurethane ( insulating part) stay to-gether?Intrigued by the “living” activity expe-rienced by both of this construction materials during their hardening pha-se, I explored this particular moment when they are interacting in a common essence. It was very interesting stu-dy how from a common liquid state they become two completely different elements. The first one hard and resi-stant, the second one soft and docile, but still the junction, once they harden, between them is so strong that they are impossible to split mechanically. The most problematic thing was how to control them while they are liquid, infact, spray polyurethane foam tends to grow 50 times its original volume in few seconds, while concrete is still steady.

_ PoliBeton

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Memory Of a Liquid Essence _

The mixture became controllable when it was introduced a metal grid; this allows to stop the polyu-rethane foam growth on top, whi-le the concrete pressure gave an uniform shape to the insulating

layer on the lateral sides.The metal grid is folded in or-der to create a continuous line of polyurethane after the following castings.The next step was to generate dif-

ferent type walls. Deciding to use two layers of polyurethane gave me the idea of an expandabe layer of concrete in between, the width of which depends on the loads

that the wall has to carry.