{"id":27774,"date":"2024-09-21T17:46:54","date_gmt":"2024-09-21T17:46:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artlands.net\/the-house\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T03:53:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T03:53:00","slug":"the-house","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.artlands.net\/en\/the-house\/","title":{"rendered":"The House"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The House<\/h1>\n

2016<\/h2>\n

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ANTE OPERAM<\/strong><\/p>\n

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ANTE OPERAM<\/strong><\/p>\n

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ANTE OPERAM<\/strong><\/p>\n

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IN PROGRESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

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IN PROGRESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

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IN PROGRESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][dsm_image_carousel gallery_ids=”27767,27768,27769,27770,27771,27772,27773″ slide_to_show=”6″ multiple_slide_row=”on” slide_row=”2″ autoplay=”off” space_between=”11″ arrows=”off” dots=”off” grab=”off” show_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″ show_lightbox_title=”on” show_lightbox_gallery=”on”][\/dsm_image_carousel][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”14px” text_line_height=”1.6em” custom_margin=”|0px||0px|false|false” custom_padding=”|0px||12px|false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

CATEGORY<\/strong>
Work-element<\/p>\n

AREA OF INTERVENTION<\/strong>
Protected area of the wwF Oasis Stagni di Focognano, Campi Bisenzio (Florence). The area is located within the Site of Community Importance (SCI), Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Area (SPA) of the Stagni della Piana Fiorentina e Pratese (Natura 2000 code IT5140011).<\/p>\n

STATUS BEFORE INTERVENTION<\/strong>
Arable land cultivated with intensive farming methods, also with the presence of vegetable gardens and illegally constructed sheds, often used for the storage of building materials.<\/p>\n

TYPE OF INTERVENTION<\/strong>
Small building: external dimensions 3.50 x 3.80 x 2.70 m (at roof summit); empty interior volume. Rebuilt with old recovered building materials (bricks and local raw stone).
The main feature of this intervention is the involvement of volunteers in the construction of the entire structure (social art intervention). In a society where the different crafts and professions are now clearly separated, this intervention intended to bring people back to reliving the primitive experience of building a house. The work thus takes the form of repeating the ancestral act of erecting one\u2019s own refuge, a legacy of knowledge and common practice shared by every population until relatively recent times. This gesture therefore opens a reflection on the path of human society and its current different relationship with the land, raw materials, place and one\u2019s territory of residence. <\/p>\n

WORK STATUS<\/strong>
Completed (November 2016).<\/p>\n

AUTHORITIES\/AGENCIES INVOLVED<\/strong>
– Committee for the WWF Oases of the Florence area<\/p>\n

MAIN BIOINDICATORS USED TO MONITOR THE ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE WORK-ELEMENT<\/strong>
– Ardeidae, with particular reference to night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), little egrets (Egretta garzetta), grey herons (Ardea cinerea) and cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis): roost.
– Little owls (Athene noctua): roost.
– Passeriformes: roost.
– Bats: refuge.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text content_tablet=”<\/p>\n

The house has always been synonymous with construction, and therefore intimately tied to the human will and skill to create an environment suited to people\u2019s needs.
Many other animal species have also mastered the ability to \u201cbuild a shelter\u201d, modifying a certain environmental situation according to their needs, so much so that it is often possible to identify the specific species that created a nest, den or lair from the type of construction built. In humans, this act has also acquired symbolic value over time due to all the affective associations that the concept of \u201chome\u201d evokes. The form and type of this intervention recall the notion of \u201chouse\u201d and revisit it in a broader context by referring to other species as well.<\/p>\n

The artwork is placed at the centre of the new work-site of Lake Prataccio, created through the large-scale excavation and remodelling of this vast area.
The work focuses on a small pre-existing structure consisting of a single room, which had been lying in a state of neglect for many years and was now unsafe. In the past, it was probably used as an agricultural tool shed. Furthermore, it was evident that the building had undergone several changes over the years (such as poor-quality additions of extraneous materials in the walls). In this state, the building was of little architectural interest and it would even have been possible to demolish it when the new lake basin was built. <\/p>\n

However, the small structure closely matched that typical, albeit basic image of a \u201chouse\u201d that is so deeply rooted in our imagination, of the kind that a child might draw when asked to depict a simple dwelling: a small building with a sloping roof, a door and two small windows.
When designing the new lake, the decision was therefore made to keep the house on a small island. As it was badly damaged, however, it was thoroughly surveyed before being dismantled and then rebuilt from scratch \u2013 in the same position and with the same dimensions, and replacing the extraneous materials with local ones that respected its original characteristics. The stones and bricks used for the reconstruction originated from the ruins of old farmhouses in the area (thanks to donations from the owners). In this way, the small building has symbolically brought together the \u201chistorical imprint of building\u201d typical of the plain. Once the reconstruction was complete, the work proceeded to isolate the structure on a small island, which was modelled by excavating the ground all around it. <\/p>\n

The new large lake basin encompassing the structure is an immense man-made architectural work conceived to meet the needs of thousands of living beings, from the smallest, almost invisible, to the largest. All of them can now find their \u201chome\u201d there.
In a radical change of perspective, architecture has for the first time shifted its focus from humans to other species. As a symbol of this shift thanks to its essential form as a house, the small building has become a \u201cmonument to architecture\u201d, embodying the fulfilment of the discipline with a more universal character. <\/p>\n

The symbolic value of the work, underlined by the fact that it is isolated in the middle of a lake and therefore inaccessible to direct use by its builders (humans), becomes a stimulus for a broader reflection on the possibility of forgoing the construction of new architecture and rethinking the use of pre-existing buildings (or of the land on which they were built) in a new way and with simple projects, aimed at reconstituting an area\u2019s typical landscape and the conservation of biodiversity.<\/p>\n

” content_phone=”<\/p>\n

The house has always been synonymous with construction, and therefore intimately tied to the human will and skill to create an environment suited to people\u2019s needs.
Many other animal species have also mastered the ability to \u201cbuild a shelter\u201d, modifying a certain environmental situation according to their needs, so much so that it is often possible to identify the specific species that created a nest, den or lair from the type of construction built. In humans, this act has also acquired symbolic value over time due to all the affective associations that the concept of \u201chome\u201d evokes. The form and type of this intervention recall the notion of \u201chouse\u201d and revisit it in a broader context by referring to other species as well.<\/p>\n

The artwork is placed at the centre of the new work-site of Lake Prataccio, created through the large-scale excavation and remodelling of this vast area.
The work focuses on a small pre-existing structure consisting of a single room, which had been lying in a state of neglect for many years and was now unsafe. In the past, it was probably used as an agricultural tool shed. Furthermore, it was evident that the building had undergone several changes over the years (such as poor-quality additions of extraneous materials in the walls). In this state, the building was of little architectural interest and it would even have been possible to demolish it when the new lake basin was built. <\/p>\n

However, the small structure closely matched that typical, albeit basic image of a \u201chouse\u201d that is so deeply rooted in our imagination, of the kind that a child might draw when asked to depict a simple dwelling: a small building with a sloping roof, a door and two small windows.
When designing the new lake, the decision was therefore made to keep the house on a small island. As it was badly damaged, however, it was thoroughly surveyed before being dismantled and then rebuilt from scratch \u2013 in the same position and with the same dimensions, and replacing the extraneous materials with local ones that respected its original characteristics. The stones and bricks used for the reconstruction originated from the ruins of old farmhouses in the area (thanks to donations from the owners). In this way, the small building has symbolically brought together the \u201chistorical imprint of building\u201d typical of the plain. Once the reconstruction was complete, the work proceeded to isolate the structure on a small island, which was modelled by excavating the ground all around it. <\/p>\n

The new large lake basin encompassing the structure is an immense man-made architectural work conceived to meet the needs of thousands of living beings, from the smallest, almost invisible, to the largest. All of them can now find their \u201chome\u201d there.
In a radical change of perspective, architecture has for the first time shifted its focus from humans to other species. As a symbol of this shift thanks to its essential form as a house, the small building has become a \u201cmonument to architecture\u201d, embodying the fulfilment of the discipline with a more universal character. <\/p>\n

The symbolic value of the work, underlined by the fact that it is isolated in the middle of a lake and therefore inaccessible to direct use by its builders (humans), becomes a stimulus for a broader reflection on the possibility of forgoing the construction of new architecture and rethinking the use of pre-existing buildings (or of the land on which they were built) in a new way and with simple projects, aimed at reconstituting an area\u2019s typical landscape and the conservation of biodiversity.<\/p>\n

” content_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

The house has always been synonymous with construction, and therefore intimately tied to the human will and skill to create an environment suited to people\u2019s needs.
Many other animal species have also mastered the ability to \u201cbuild a shelter\u201d, modifying a certain environmental situation according to their needs, so much so that it is often possible to identify the specific species that created a nest, den or lair from the type of construction built. In humans, this act has also acquired symbolic value over time due to all the affective associations that the concept of \u201chome\u201d evokes. The form and type of this intervention recall the notion of \u201chouse\u201d and revisit it in a broader context by referring to other species as well.<\/p>\n

The artwork is placed at the centre of the new work-site of Lake Prataccio, created through the large-scale excavation and remodelling of this vast area.
The work focuses on a small pre-existing structure consisting of a single room, which had been lying in a state of neglect for many years and was now unsafe. In the past, it was probably used as an agricultural tool shed. Furthermore, it was evident that the building had undergone several changes over the years (such as poor-quality additions of extraneous materials in the walls). In this state, the building was of little architectural interest and it would even have been possible to demolish it when the new lake basin was built. <\/p>\n

However, the small structure closely matched that typical, albeit basic image of a \u201chouse\u201d that is so deeply rooted in our imagination, of the kind that a child might draw when asked to depict a simple dwelling: a small building with a sloping roof, a door and two small windows.
When designing the new lake, the decision was therefore made to keep the house on a small island. As it was badly damaged, however, it was thoroughly surveyed before being dismantled and then rebuilt from scratch \u2013 in the same position and with the same dimensions, and replacing the extraneous materials with local ones that respected its original characteristics. The stones and bricks used for the reconstruction originated from the ruins of old farmhouses in the area (thanks to donations from the owners). In this way, the small building has symbolically brought together the \u201chistorical imprint of building\u201d typical of the plain. Once the reconstruction was complete, the work proceeded to isolate the structure on a small island, which was modelled by excavating the ground all around it. <\/p>\n

The new large lake basin encompassing the structure is an immense man-made architectural work conceived to meet the needs of thousands of living beings, from the smallest, almost invisible, to the largest. All of them can now find their \u201chome\u201d there.
In a radical change of perspective, architecture has for the first time shifted its focus from humans to other species. As a symbol of this shift thanks to its essential form as a house, the small building has become a \u201cmonument to architecture\u201d, embodying the fulfilment of the discipline with a more universal character. <\/p>\n

The symbolic value of the work, underlined by the fact that it is isolated in the middle of a lake and therefore inaccessible to direct use by its builders (humans), becomes a stimulus for a broader reflection on the possibility of forgoing the construction of new architecture and rethinking the use of pre-existing buildings (or of the land on which they were built) in a new way and with simple projects, aimed at reconstituting an area\u2019s typical landscape and the conservation of biodiversity.<\/p>\n

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Other Interventions<\/h3>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||60px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_text_color=”#666666″ text_font_size=”14px” text_line_height=”1.8em” custom_margin=”|0px||0px|false|false” custom_padding=”|0px||12px|false|false” custom_css_free_form=”\/* unvisited link *\/||a:link {|| color: black;||}||||\/* visited link *\/||a:visited {|| color: black;||}||||\/* mouse over link *\/||a:hover {|| color: #34b1eb;||}||||\/* selected link *\/||a:active {|| color: black;||}” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Plinths for Living Statues<\/a>
Birdwatching?<\/a>
Enclosing with Water<\/a>
Coleps<\/a>
Ecotones<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_text_color=”#666666″ text_font_size=”14px” text_line_height=”1.8em” custom_margin=”|0px||0px|false|false” custom_padding=”|0px||12px|false|false” custom_css_free_form=”\/* unvisited link *\/||a:link {|| color: black;||}||||\/* visited link *\/||a:visited {|| color: black;||}||||\/* mouse over link *\/||a:hover {|| color: #34b1eb;||}||||\/* selected link *\/||a:active {|| color: black;||}” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Linear Habitat<\/a>
Habitat (R)Evolution, from Amphibians to Birds<\/a>
The House
The New \u201cBandita\u201d<\/a>
Throwing the First Stone<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text disabled_on=”on|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||||||||” text_text_color=”#666666″ text_font_size=”14px” text_line_height=”1.8em” custom_margin=”|0px||0px|false|false” custom_padding=”|0px||12px|false|false” custom_css_free_form=”\/* unvisited link *\/||a:link {|| color: black;||}||||\/* visited link *\/||a:visited {|| color: black;||}||||\/* mouse over link *\/||a:hover {|| color: #34b1eb;||}||||\/* selected link *\/||a:active {|| color: black;||}” global_colors_info=”{}”]The Sluice Gates<\/a>
\nBeyond Agnes Denes (tribute to)<\/a>
\nObservatory \u2013 Cobble Habitat<\/a>
\nStepping stone<\/a>
\nToponym<\/a>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The House 2016

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<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>ANTE OPERAM
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\"\"<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>IN PROGRESS
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\"\"<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>CATEGORYWork-element AREA OF INTERVENTION Protected area of the wwF Oasis Stagni di Focognano, Campi Bisenzio (Florence). The area is located within the Site of Community Importance (SCI), Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Area (SPA) of the Stagni della Piana Fiorentina e Pratese (Natura 2000 code IT5140011). STATUS BEFORE INTERVENTION Arable land cultivated with intensive farming methods, also with the presence of vegetable gardens and illegally constructed sheds, often used for the storage of building materials. TYPE OF INTERVENTION Small building: external dimensions 3.50 x 3.80 x 2.70 m (at roof summit); empty interior volume. Rebuilt with old recovered building materials (bricks and local raw stone). The main feature of this intervention is the involvement of volunteers in the construction of the entire structure (social art intervention). In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-27774","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artlands.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artlands.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artlands.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artlands.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artlands.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27774"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.artlands.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28328,"href":"https:\/\/www.artlands.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27774\/revisions\/28328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artlands.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}