Ghesch

Restoration and transformation of an abandoned village in Ghesch, Val d'Ossola: a summer school project exploring the re-activation of existing mountain settlements through collective design.

The project proposes a shift in assigned functions: making existing enclosures residential, leaving them to self-formed communities to continue their function, while enclosing contemporary pragmatic needs in new construction.

A path, like a current, makes living possible. The existing remains; the forest becomes fruitful. Soft borders are marked between fragments of previous occupation and the overlooking natural surroundings.