Land: technical feasibility project for the construction of a centre
Description
Year of completion: 2024 – ongoing
LAND: sustainable innovation for agriculture, territory and Sicilian communities
LAND – Società Agricola Impresa Sociale S.R.L. is a Sicilian agricultural enterprise created to promote sustainable production models with a high social impact. The company's shareholders are CESIE and the Danilo Dolci Center for Creative Development, two organisations active in the fields of research, educational innovation and territorial cooperation.
LAND integrates agriculture, training and territorial regeneration, experimenting with advanced technologies and practices such as agrivoltaic systems, low-impact farming and circular economy. LAND – Società Agricola Impresa Sociale S.R.L. is a Sicilian agricultural enterprise created to promote sustainable production models with a high social impact.
Why the project was born
LAND – Società Agricola Impresa Sociale S.R.L. commissioned INSULÆ to develop the architectural, landscape and functional design of its agrivoltaic community farm in Terrasini (PA). The request arose from the need to create a sustainable and replicable agricultural model, capable of integrating agricultural production, energy production and social functions in a single modern and inclusive infrastructure. The general project includes: • areas for cultivation and agricultural experimentation, • spaces for training, dissemination and transformation, • an architectural system inspired by the Sicilian baglio, reinterpreted to host agricultural, educational and community activities.
Project Solution
Design approach
The project is based on three key principles:
• Land saving
Functions are distributed across multiple levels, reducing construction and keeping the ground permeable.
• Building decarbonisation
Buildings are made with local, recycled materials and lightweight structures, favouring steel and low environmental impact wood.
• Territorial identity and inclusion
The architecture is inspired by the Sicilian baglio, reinterpreted to host agricultural, educational and community activities.
Design solutions
• Architecture and landscape
Two central courtyards organise the spaces: one for public activities and one for agricultural processing.
The existing building is recovered and integrated with new volumes, local materials and bioclimatic techniques.
• Land use
Only 5% of the area is sealed. Draining pavements and gabions replace concrete structures.
• Energy and sustainability
A 1 MW agrivoltaic plant is being completed, with additional panels for self-consumption and application of CAM criteria.
• Water and biodiversity
Phytodepuration for water reuse, sensory gardens, social vegetable gardens and naturalistic engineering solutions.
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Render
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Render
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Render
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Campo Agrivoltaico
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Campo Agrivoltaico
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Campo Agrivoltaico
