The Green Belt project is situated in La Colonia Güell, a historical town located just outside Barcelona. Utilizing a patchwork technique, the project aims to create a multi-centered town that features various ecological and public activities, promoting social inclusion. This approach seeks to generate new opportunities while preserving the town’s historical urban fabric.
green necklace
Ecological urban solutions have been integrated into the town’s classical urban structure, and the research investigates methods for introducing an organic city structure into existing historical areas. The connection lines between different plots incorporate green transportation systems, such as cycling and public transit, while also serving recreational activities like hiking. The Green Belt functions as a crucial ecological segment of this ‘green necklace’ concept, and the project delves deeply into this aspect. The area lies between the historical center and an industrial hub, acting as a separating zone between these two urban ecosystems. To enhance the interaction between these ecosystems, the project introduces the concept of an “urban ecotone.”
switching functions
The area is challenged by significant topographical differences between the historical center and the industrial hub. New circulation lines will connect the two ecosystems, allowing residents to transition easily between them, thereby increasing the diversity of the Green Belt. Fundamental principles of ecological living have been interpreted within the urban framework to promote conscious diversity and intensity. Currently, an existing road divides the area into two parts, a situation that has been preserved. Functions related to the living ecosystem are located near the industrial hub, while collective facilities associated with the working ecosystem are situated closer to the urban center. By swapping the locations of these ecosystems, the project aims to enhance their interaction. A central open public space between the collective facilities and residential areas acts as a convergence point, with open spaces penetrating the solid structures to improve connectivity
