IL RIFUGIO
Designing a new balance between animals, architecture and landscape, in the hills of Vigolzone, Piacenza.
Il Rifugio is not a building programme. It is an evolving system in which architecture is born from the needs of animals, the landscape and respect for the environment.
Vigolzone, the Piacenza hills
~12 ha
Total project area (120,000 sqm)
~670 mq
Indicative recovery of existing buildings
~2.500 mq
Covered area for animal facilities
+1,6 ha
Additional area for uses coherent with the vision
A system, not a building
Horses, donkeys, goats, dogs: each species brings different needs for space, social life and protection. Architecture responds, adapts, and grows in phases.
Discover the animals & habitats →Horses
6 → 15
Dogs
10 → 80
What guides every decision
Animal welfare
Freedom of movement, light, ventilation, safety, social behaviour.
Sustainability
Natural materials, low impact, passive strategies.
Landscape
Rural scale, minimal land consumption.
Modularity
A project that grows in successive phases.
Who can participate
Students & young professionals
Master's students, or professionals up to 30 years old.
Related disciplines
Architects, engineers, landscape architects, urban planners, designers.
Multidisciplinary teams
Sustainability, ethology, agronomy, materials, energy.