A Roman villa and Gardens

THIS PROPOSAL FOR A NEW VILLA AND PUBLIC GARDENS IN ROME is sited in the neighborhood of Celio, using a rural typology in an area that was functionally the urban edge of the city throughout much of the medieval and Renaissance periods. The site can be accessed by pedestrians from a gate just a five-minute walk from the foundations of the Coliseum, as well as to the south of the gardens immediately across from the church San Gregorio al Celio. The gardens face the archaeologically significant Palatine hill, negotiating the slope of the site with a series of terraces typical of many Italian gardens such as Villa Lante in Bagnaia or Villa Medici in Fiesole. The primary garden terrace terminates in a belvedere which captures the view of the Colosseum to the north.

The villa will house a shelter servicing the homeless community of Rome, and can be supported by income generated from the public gardens. The project was designed following consultation with the community of Sant'Egidio and a visit to their homeless shelter in the city center. Sant'Egidio prides itself on creating community within its shelter and forging close bonds between the homeless people and the volunteers at the shelter. While the shelter is a public building, it is primarily intended to be a home— the decision to break the complex up into three separate buildings reflects a desire to retain a domestic scale and quality to the architecture. Housing and bathing are located in the two secondary buildings, while social spaces such as a first-floor lounge and a roof terrace are focused in the central villa. At Sant’Egidio shared meals were a critical way to build community in the shelter, and so a refectory is located at the heart of the villa, with views overlooking the public gardens and the Palatine.

The villa is set on a terrace facing the public gardens, placing the homeless in a prominent location in the neighborhood while still preserving privacy for the shelter. Behind the villa to the east is a sequence of private gardens which belong to the shelter, with a combination of pleasure gardens and productive gardens for the shelter’s kitchen.

The architectural language draws from the rural typologies typical of the historic urban edge in Rome, characterized by medieval examples such as the Casa Bessarione and the Casale Vaccarecchia. Careful study was made of traditional Roman materials and construction techniques, particularly those utilized in late 19th century Roman social housing neighborhoods such as Testaccio and San Saba. Construction techniques like tile vaulting and Roman suspended vaulted ceilings were used and are visible in the technical wall sections. These types of techniques were utilized to create a building that is highly sustainable, not only because of its hyperlocal construction footprint but also due to the durability of these architectural systems. The result is a building that, due to its construction, design, and social mission, would be a lasting investment for the city of Rome and its people.