TALEA LAB

This project focused on the renovation of an old school in Gonengo, Monferrato. During the design process, the team conducted a thorough analysis of the Monferrato area, examining both the landscape and the local population. We were assigned National Geographic as a sponsor for the renovation, a renowned organization dedicated to publishing, photography, and documentaries, promoting exploration and maintaining a strong connection to science and research. After analyzing various study cases, the team identified trends useful for the redevelopment project as return to traditions, smart working detox, and travel through bartering. By envisioning a future where Gonengo thrives as a repopulated village through the exchange of knowledge across cultures, we arrived at the claim emphasizing both educational and relational purposes: "Love learning, exchanging love." The future structure is named Talea Lab, combining the idea of rebirth inherent in the term "talea" (rooth) with "lab," underscoring its educational purpose.

Talea Lab aims to create a space that merges a large common area for educational activities, smart working, and workshops on the ground floor, with rooms for overnight stays on the first floor. The structure will host workshops during the summer and provide hospitality for small groups in the winter, maintaining its educational focus. The design of the common area aligns with National Geographic's core objectives: promoting research and disseminating culture, which are also central to our redevelopment concept. The design of the three different types of rooms on the first floor focuses on the three fundamental principles of National Geographic: Sparking curiosity, Encouraging exploration, Inspiring change. The project aims to combine the goal of enhancing research with cultural dissemination by providing a common space, the laboratory, for workshops involving both local and foreign populations.