Ecobulevard

Fake tree in Vallecas, Madrid.

Re-thinking a 467.500 m3 urban space.

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Activities involve with the Ecoboulevard - The goal of this project is to create an atmosphere that invites and promotes activity in an urban public space.Pisture found on * website by Ecosistema Urbano

Ecosistema Urbano is an innovative agency focused on the understanding of the city as a complex phenomenon, from a special point of view between architecture, urbanism, engineering and sociology. The team’s field of interest is defined by something they call ‘creative urban sustainability’, from where to react to the present situation of cities through innovation, creativity and particularly action.

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Public space use - Public spaces belong to everyone and they should act as supports for a number of activities and events, beyond what can be planned, spaces where citizens can act in freedom and spontaneously. Gif found on * website by Ecosistema Urbano

The whole proposal for the eco-boulevard in Vallecas can be defined as an urban recycling operation consisting of the following actions: insertion of an air tree-social dynamizer, over an existing urbanization area, densification of existing alignment trees and reduction and asymmetric arrangement of wheeled traffic circulation. Superficial interventions reconfiguring the existing urbanization (perforations, fillings, paint, etc.) that defaces the executed kerb development.

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Ecobulevard idea - Three pavilions or trees of air work as supports open to multiple activities chosen by the users. Picture found on ArchDaily's website by Ecosistema Urbano

The best adaptation for a public space is that involving thick and solid trees, a material that cannot be counted on until 15 or 20 years have gone by. Therefore, it was necessary to have an “emergency” action that could operate as a wood would in the future. So the strategy opted for is one of concentration that acts on and adapts specific areas by supplying them with higher climatic comfort and serving thus as the seed of a public space regenerating process. We do not think a building is necessary, but a place for people whose shape is defined by the very activity developed in it at a given time.