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Title: The Re-tuin experience

Authors: Arantxa Lara Perea

School: Escuela superior de arquitectura y tecnología de la UCJC

Tutor: Marta Toral

Year: 2013

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The re-tuin experience is constructed from a set of strategies used in the performance over an industrial tissue from greenhouses, parting from the redevelopment of a Volkstuin.

Intervention strategies

The intervention strategies deal with the redevelopment of a Volkstuin, as it is known nowadays, and the use and regeneration of the residual spaces that are shown in the industrial tissue as well as the greenhouses that generate it.

Concepts such as self-building, economy, rapidity and simplicity in the assembly and dismantling, storing, sustainability, minimum, collective, transportable, reusable, prefabrication, standardisation, mobility, temporary nature, flexibility, operational spaces, reactive individuals, participative mechanisms, awareness of the ground’s occupation etc.

Proposal

The proposal consists of the development of a system that is able to allow all the activities that in a Volkstuin take place nowadays, taking into account the temporary and self-manageable nature of them.

This system is developed in the residual spaces that appear between the greenhouses, taking advantage of the under-use that they currently suffer and creating awareness of the “ground’s occupation” concept. Furthermore, they use the greenhouses’ modular structure in order to get some “support” and to make the most of the environmental conditions that the greenhouses offer.

The system is made of an aluminium structure which is thought as a compatible module with the greenhouses’ structure in order to benefit from that “support” when possible. This structure is able to bear the weight of other secondary elements: “cabin”, “shelter”, “continued garden”, “hanging garden”, “habitable bed” and “common elements”. These pieces are the ones in charge of providing the structure with activity. They are light structures, easily assembled and dismantled and that allow a great amount of changes so that every user can use them in a specific space. Some of these elements can be carried by a person, a carriage or a bike.

Relevant information

Location. The project, in the first place, deals with the investigation and study of the Volkstuin as pieces inserted in the urban scene of the region.
These studied pieces are situated in the “Huid-Holland” region.

Volkstuin Madestein. Five hectares complex which is divided in spite of being public ground. At the beginning it had a productive aim, but currently it is different. Activities linked to “DIY” or “do it yourself”.

Industrial tissue. Greenhouses. The Volkstuin is located surrounded by enormous greenhouses with residual spaces among them that can be used in order to develop other activities. What is more, all the greenhouses belong to the same kind and they have a structure that follows certain modules used for the modulation of the planning structure.

Structure. It is made of aluminium and it is thought to be transported through either utilitarian vehicles or vans. It uses greenhouses as support when possible and, when not possible, it is self-supporting. There is a base module in which some different modules are added according to the location. Once it is installed, it is ready for the secondary elements to be implemented on it.

Secondary elements. There are varied types but all of them are characterised by the lightness and facility in the assembly of its elements. They can be carried by a person or a bicycle’s basket. They are compatible among them and they allow multiple variations according to the needs found in each moment.

Common areas. They are located in the most accessible zones due to the fact that they have a bigger size and they need a greater maintenance. Their modulation is related to the base structure.

Bioclimatic proposals. They are varied: hydroponic crops that consume less resources and occupy less space (and their weight is lighter). Supply and exploitation of water in common spaces through recirculation.
Capturing energy through textile solar panels that are situated in the structure according to the existent needs; water pumping equipment with the help of an old recirculation pump and a bike; and electric wind turbines that are located in the common spaces structure with deposits to fix.