NEW MONASTIC VILLAGE OF VALLECHIARA 

Vallechiara, Rome, Italy

University of Notre Dame

Group Studio Project 

Spring 2007 

Project designed and drafted by hand and rendered by hand with watercolor.

Objective
Completed in the spring of 2007, this project builds upon the study and analysis of Italian architecture and planning and the first urban design project in the Notre Dame Curriculum.  The aim of the project was to develop an urban and architectural vision for the development of the Monastic Village of Vallechiara, a community thirty kilometers outside of Rome.  The plan would included homes for prayer and hospitality and a working infrastructure catering for a variety of activities.  Considerations included the cooperation between public, private, and intimate spaces, as well as mixing typologies and functions.     

Design Development
After a site visit to the site where and public meeting with residents, the studio conducted a charrette in order to determine a collective design for the master plan.  Because site included several existing structures and homes, it was important to determine the best way to integrate the new with the old and what types of buildings would be incorporated into the design.  A new civic center, a variety of housing types, and a school were designed to support the growing village.

Tasks Completed
Tasks completed for the project included developing the masterplan and designing various buildings within the plan.  Individual contribution included a four part phasing plan for the community as well as the design and rendering of site sections which reflect site conditions and architectural character.