Corte Bertesina Social Farm – daylight, dark sky, human wellbeing
Presentation date: 25. October
Presentation time: 16:45
Corte Bertesina is a project where environmental, social and agricultural values intersect: an eight-hectare forest in Veneto, Italy, which encloses vegetable gardens and farmland, a social farm, an agricultural food processing centre and shop, a bed and breakfast section, a visitor centre for educational activities and residences. The objective of the project was to regenerate and complete the existing courtyard building core with the intention of developing new functional relationships: cultural and educational activities for the enhancement of the forest landscape, social farming activities through the involvement of young people with Down syndrome, collaboration with local social cooperatives, preparation and sale of agricultural products, residences, bed and breakfast. Additionally, the project aims to intervene into the natural context as little as possible, absorbing from the surroundings visual, energetic and wellness potential for its future inhabitants.
Introduced by
Giovanni Traverso/IT & Paola Vighy/IT, traverso-vighy architetti studio
Giovanni Traverso (Bolzano 1969) and Paola Vighy (Vicenza 1969) graduated from IUAV in 1994. They continued their studies at The Bartlett, University College of London attending the Master of Science in Architecture “Light and Lighting”.
In 1996, they founded traverso-vighy architetti studio, based in Vicenza, specializing in sustainable architecture and experimental projects related to the use of light.
The studio’s projects follow a consistent path that leads to the lightweight construction of buildings: based on experimentation, prefabrication and economy of resources while working with local craft production and trying to establish a balance between traditional knowledge and technological optimization.
In recent years the focus for the environment has turned into a real commitment in terms of design approach and the use of sustainable technologies. In the field of lighting design, the studio pays detailed attention to all issues related to sustainability, working on a wide range of projects from urban-scale interventions, lighting systems dedicated to the enhancement of historic buildings and works of art, to the design of buildings to maximize the use of natural light and lighting integration systems and circadian dynamics. The studio also promotes cultural activities to raise awareness of the value of natural light as a compositional element of architecture.
Giovanni and Paola have both taught Master courses on Lighting Design in Italy, and Giovanni teaches a course on The Use of Natural Light at the School of Architecture, University of Florida in Gainesville/USA.
