New registration center for asylum seekers in Ticino

The wide range of stay periods of asylum seekers (1 day – 3 months) and the demand of prompt solutions to manage the migration issue, were the main leading topics our design process. Modular and economic building system allowed us to define an architecture storytelling, that helps in the best way the temporary residents, avoiding big technical issues.
ALPHABET – An abacus of modules, a way to control the smaller detail in order to maximize the prefabrication effort.
WORDS – A small group of modules made with the right ‘letters’ (bedrooms, restrooms, kitchen, living room) guarantees that everybody has access in a short distance to all the primaries services.
SENTENCES – Pragmatic needs of ages, genders and ethnicity separation are fundamental in such fragile environments. Sentences are homogenous micro-communities that can be connected or separated depending on the needs.
CHAPTERS – They are the floors of our building. The stories are also great tools to control density, natural light and the right operation of the whole system.
STORY – Is the final result of putting one letter after the other in a right way. Our story is the story of a new beginning thru a new architecture.

Balerna-Novazzano, Ticino – CH

University project at Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio / FS17

professor: Diébédo Francis Kéré
teaching assistants: Alberto Pottenghi, Gaëlle Verrier