SECOND PRIZE WINNER!
Alberto Rossini
Italy
My name is Alberto Rossini and I'm from Italy. I’m a young architect graduated in 2022 at the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio USI AAM in Switzerland (Mendrisio, CH) with the professors and architects Manuel e Francisco Aires Mateus.
Interview with the Winner
Introduction:
● Can you please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background in architecture and/or design? What inspired you to participate in the Sunlight in Architecture 2023 Design Competition?
- My name is Alberto Rossini and I'm from Italy. I’m a young architect graduated in 2022 at the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio USI AAM in Switzerland (Mendrisio, CH) with the professors and architects Manuel e Francisco Aires Mateus.
This competition had permitted me to explore more the connection between architecture and light, which was one of the most important relation in my study career and still one of the point I’m researching more in my design process.
In general my design process is strictly connected to the inheritance of Portuguese architecture and the work of architect such as Alvaro Siza, Eduardo Souto de Moura , Menos e Mais and of course Aires Mateus.
Design Overview:
● Could you provide a brief description of your winning design? What were the key elements and concepts you incorporated? How did you prioritize and integrate sunlight into your design to create a transformative architectural space?
The project was born from the study of the concept of space as an environment for interaction between people: the first approach was to think of the internal distribution of the building not only as a functional environment but as a place of life and sharing.
Given this starting point it was very important for me to create a common space which can work as a central point for the whole building. We, as architects, tends to channel our design process into the best solution for the living spaces when we are asked to work on housing projects, but we have to take into account that one of the most important space in housing is the connection space (staircase, hallway, balcony, etc…) because it’s the first space that we experience entering this typology of architecture. With this statement I’ve started thinking of a way to give the circulation spaces as much light as possible, in order to ennoble them and create common spaces for the people living inside the building. For example the inner core, which is the distribution to each apartment, lives on the light that filters through the central atrium and the large staircase that winds through the heart of the building enjoys the zenithal light which reverberates from the central distribution core.
Importance of Sunlight:
● How do you perceive the importance of sunlight in architectural design? What benefits does it bring to occupants and the overall atmosphere of a space? Did you encounter any challenges in maximizing the utilization of sunlight in your design, and how did you address them?
Sunlight in architecture is very important; my design process is full of ways to understand and react to the link between architecture and every typology of light. In particular I’m deeply interested in how the light, entering in the building, can create not only illumination but can also sculpt the spaces. Simple forms in architecture are very hard to handle but with the correct use of light they can become interesting approach to think of new spaces. Sunlight has a lot of different uses but I’m very interested in the zenithal light which, depending on the different angulation and position of the sun, can bring to our architecture different ways of expression. In the design process of “A Palazzina in Edinburgh” I’ve explored the value of the sunlight that reverberates from the core of the building and enters the spaces, one by one. Imagine entering in the building to access your apartment: the first step you take inside you’re welcomed by a central atrium that spread a soft light, which starts to enhance every floor of the building you walk in; the difference between the light of the circulation system and the apartments; the difference lies in the type of light you face: the atrium enjoys a filtered and indirect light while the apartments, opening towards the outside and the city, enjoy direct and warm light, filtered only by the nature of the surrounding park.
User Experience:
● How did you prioritize the well-being and comfort of the occupants in your design through the effective use of sunlight? Can you describe any specific spatial or experiential qualities created by the presence of natural light in your design?
An empty space, even if it’s completely aseptic, can react to light. This concept is fundamental if we have to deal with sunlight; even if we design a complex space, full of additions and detail, it does not necessarily gain beauty or complexity once illuminated by natural light. Starting from simple gesture is the best way to approach an architecture design that has to consider light as one to the main topic.
Sunlight needs to be a way to better express the purity and beauty of a simple but deeply thought architecture space.
As I suggested before, my design process is influenced by Portuguese Architecture and their connection between shapes and light. Project such as Casa das Histórias Paula Rego by Eduardo Souto de Moura or the Sines Centre for Arts by Manuel e Francisco Aires Mateus have thought me so much about the relationship between light and architecture, not only in the forms of the architecture but also in their material; it’s very important to select the right material to build your architecture, also because your project may relate in different ways depending on the behavior of the material in natural light.
In addition to the Portuguese examples, while studying in Mendrisio I was able to observe the architecture of modern studios and their particular attention to the design of high quality housing architecture and this has given me a solid base to start off my own design process.
Future of Sunlight in Architecture:
● Based on your experience and insights, how do you envision the role of sunlight in architecture evolving in the future?
Many architects today do not fully consider the benefits that natural light can bring within the design process. The result is therefore that of relegating the contribution of natural light to a simple objective fact, present but not influential.
Modern design should therefore consider the potential of natural light among the first starting points in architectural design, thus allowing our buildings to enjoy generous spaces full of direct light during the hours of the day. By favoring this choice we will not only obtain quality spaces and architecture but we will also save money in the use of artificial light sources so as to limit the use of electricity and reduce light pollution in our inhabited centres.
Personal Reflection:
● How has participating in this competition and winning affected your perspective on the importance of sunlight in architectural design?
The interest in the theme of sunlight has allowed me to develop a new concept of living: we are used to think of the theme of housing as an effective method to create more and more spaces for living but we rarely stop to understand the value that good living can also be a necessary element to consider in architectural design. Thinking about the quality of space and its influence on social life can lead us to the discovery of a new way of doing architecture, more aware of constantly evolving needs and capable of evolving according to changes in society.
The desire to combine the design of light with the design of living spaces has allowed me to learn about and interpret new ways to rethink our conventional spaces, in ways that can also facilitate social relationships within a housing ensemble.
The result obtained certainly helped to encourage me in my research into the relationship between light and architecture, laying solid foundations for me to continue experimenting with ever more articulated forms and solutions.
Advice for Aspiring Architects:
● What advice would you give to aspiring architects or designers who are interested in exploring the integration of sunlight in their designs? Based on your experience, what are the key elements that make a design stand out in a competition of this nature?
The advice I can give to young architects and designers like me is to take a real problem or situation as a starting point from which to start to develop a "history" to solve with your own project. A central and decisive theme such as natural light is clearly indispensable for relating one's architecture to the places and contexts in which we design. More than materials and shapes, natural light is the real protagonist of our architectures: the peculiarities that the light takes on are decidedly different depending on the place where it is observed, the sunlight in Scotland will be decidedly less intense or warm than the sun in Sicily. Each latitude has its own personal "light", different in intensity, heat and exposure.
We, as architects, are led to have to best relate the characteristics of light with the materials, shapes and uses of our architectural spaces. In conclusion, it is necessary to underline how natural light is actually the one and only aspect of architecture that cannot be bent or decided by us designers: in fact, it is up to us architects to "collaborate" with natural light so that our architectures are to enhance its beauty, in a precise and skillful combination of shapes and lights.
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