Farm on the Lake

Domus Academy Masters in Interiors and Living Design 2010/2011

MADE IN ITALY FILES

in conjunction with PROGETTO 100 CASCINE
Project Leader: Guendalina di Lorenzo
Assitant: Dimitris Perros
Project title: “FARM ON THE LAKE”
Eco-friendly hotel with Farmer’s Market
Group members: Natasha Aggarwal, Theocharoula Atmatzidou, Eun Whan Cho
Student : Natasha Aggarwal

“FARM ON THE LAKE”

Definition of Cascina
A farm house or other structure used to house livestock or farm tools. It is derived
from the Latin word “capsia” meaning case or receptacle.

The term is primarily used in Northern Italy and especially in Piedmont to denote a
farmhouse or winery or dairy farm.

Progetto 100 Cascine

• A project that is closely associated with the Expo 2015 in Milan
• Purpose: redevelopment and rehabilitation of the Lombard farmhouses.
A long-term goal for recovery of farms through grants from public and
private entities that is aimed at owners of farms, both public and private
institutions, in the metropolitan area of Lombard and its neighbouring regions.
• Objectives: The project aims to support the agricultural sector with the farm
as a source of alternative income
• Project size:6000 hectares i.e 1,87,000 sq.mts
300 million Euros of investment

EXPO 2015 Milan

• Theme: Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life
• Expo will be located on a site covering 1.7 million sq. mts.to the north-west of
Milan comprising part of the municipal territory of Pero and Rho.
• Why Milan :it is a metropolis and a world cross point, its centrally positioned
within the European context.

Pavia
• 35kms south of Milan
• a pretty old town which is encircled by a large industrial-agricultural belt
• contributes 1/3rd of the rice and cheese production in the country

La Cassinazza
• Few kilometers from Pavia and 45mins away from Milan
• One of the oldest cascina in the region with rich agricultural and landscape
biodiversity
• This cascina has become a production model for all the other cascine with
respect to its landscape modification that was started in 1996 by Mr.

1
Farm on the Lake

Giuseppe Natta
Why did we choose La Cassinazza?
With the rise in global warming over the years, sustainability has become a
necessity. La cassinazza boasts of intense green surroundings and extensive
agricultural biodiversity..

Our project aim was to make something sustainable, compatible, feasible, smart and
interesting out of places which are not being used for what they were meant, and
also creating additional income as a result of their multi-functionality.

Cassinazza being the best example of sustainability and its role as a prototype for
other cascine, we thought that creating something environmental friendly, in order to
enhance the natural landscape, as well as making it a central area for farm marketing
would be ideal. Thus, we arrived at the concept of “Farm on the Lake” – eco friendly
hotel with farmer’s markets.

CONCEPT
• Eco-friendly hotel with Farmer’s market:
• A place to live, meet, sell, buy, and eat thereby helping in improving the
quality of life of people on the social, economic and environmental level

Hotel features :
- Accomodation
- Restaurant: open to public
- Kitchen that is open to all for cooking fresh food that is sold in the farmer’s
market
- Rooms: designed using materials that are eco-friendly and easily available,
example: stone, brick, wood
- Other facilities: wellness centre, greenhouse, wine cellar, boat rides in the
lake for leisure, nature trails

Farmer’s Market:
- Open-air market where guests and customers can shop and enjoy the
surroundings
- Encourage people to buy vegetables, cheese, fruits ,flowers, poultry that is
fresh and locally produced
- Daily markets at the cascina with the theme of the market changing every
week. For example,
Week 1: cheese market
Week 2: organic vegetables market
Week 3: wine market etc
- People have the opportunity to buy, cook and eat the food from the market at
the cascina

Target Group:
- Traveller’s and local and international buyers who come to the Expo and who
want to experience and learn about locally grown Italian food in a market
environment as well as rejuvenate themselves by enjoying the natural
landscape around the cascina.
- A holiday spot for families to bond and experience nature
2
Farm on the Lake

DESIGN

Zoning:
- Public areas: ground floor 1) restaurant
2) lobby/ living area/ common space
3) public kitchen
4) wellness centre
5) office for administration / staff
6) farmers market
7) boat house/ bicycle stand
8) pergola sitting area

- Private areas: first floor 1) rooms & suites

2) rooms for farmers / staff

Design elements:
- Eco-friendly materials –stone,wood,brick
- Keeping the window pattern in the cascina
- Using existing pergolas in the open areas for the open-air seating
- Creating “mushroom-like” roofs for the market in a random fashion depicting
the vegetation grown around the cascina
- Green pathways which direct you through the market without being too
apparent

Mood:
- Creating an urban setting in a rural environment
- Maintaining the strong and typical architecture of the cascina, adding few
modern touches to the interiors with an intention to enhance the existing
elements
- Interactive markets by keeping the market design in sync with the nature
thereby ensuring that shopping in these markets will be a pleasurable and
joyous activity rather than a task.

AFTER THE EXPO

• the daily markets will be held fortnightly/monthly
• a centre to support the farmer’s market
• link with the national farmer’s market place
• to sell local food in supermarkets (similar to the project ‘km 0’ format) with the
exemption of tax
• hotel can be used as a weekend destination or as business centres

CONCLUSION

La Cassinazza with its rich green heritage can become a landmark for sustainability
and diversity and prove how a small centre can lay the foundation for other such
centres, creating harmony and benefitting not just the environment but also the
people and the economy.