Year: 2021

Collab.: Arch. Valentina Massud; Arch. Mg. Cesia Campos Landscape; Arch. Mg. Carolina Paramo Urban Planning; Carmen Alvarez Climate Policy Consultant.

Where: Orbetello, Italy.

Wetlands area the gravitational center; a meeting point for species from different habitats and a biodiversity mine from which humans, although often unawarely, depend.

This project allows the visitor to understand the true value of wetlands and to get fully immersed in their complex ecosystems through a journey across air, water and earth observatory cabins in the WWF Oasis of Orbetello.
The concept of refuge is priorityzed for all living beings, and the flows of the coexistence of all species will be respected. With the ultimate goal of taking part in the ecosystem without interrupting its course, visitors are guided through paths between the central services units and the observation nodes. Along these paths, elements such as beehotels or birdhouses will be integrated to encourage the preservation and reproduction of species and to create an enriching and didactic experience for the visitor. The variable water level, seasonal transformations and fauna’s migration patterns resemble the mutability and dynamism of the elements that compose the design of this project. The nodes adapt to Orbetello’s relentless changes, with for example floating water observatory cabins that always allow for a view at water level. In addition, the air and earth nodes offer different panoramic views at various heights, considering universal accessibility.