School for Living Ruins: An Alternative Pedagogy for Heritage and Public Engagement | Masters Design Project

Site Context

With its entire historic center named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980, Rome is recognized as a site of “global heritage.” Contemporary developments are few and far between and often delayed when archaeological discoveries are stumbled upon in the process of ground-breaking. In more severe situations, Rome’s heritage issue may even make reconstruction more difficult after a disaster. Which raises the question: what can we do with valuable but abandoned built heritage?

By using Donna Haraway’s concept of “naturecultures,” it is possible to view historic relics that have become stagnant parts of Rome’s natural environment as instruments to support the heritage-building process. By doing this, we hope to develop a heritage strategy of “care without conservation,” which responds to ruin in a way that goes beyond mere preservation.

This strategy is implemented in the Baths of Titus, which date back to 80 AD and are among the oldest imperial Roman baths. The project starts with an in-depth study of the ruin. By mapping and preserving the facing bricks above the deteriorated core, the collapse risk is eliminated and material research and reuse are made possible.

Design Process

The proposal challenges conventional tourist and heritage care systems by proposing a combined visitor center and conservation research school that engages in the brick harvesting process. The structure replaces the existing perimeter fence and serves as a mediator between the tourist and the ruin. The circulation consists of the ‘front of house’ visitor entrance, with clear views of the ruin as well as a visual connection to the Colosseum, and the ‘back of house’ school entrance. Additional sources of access are provided by existing site features from previous excavations.

Referencing the language of heritage care infrastructure, the design takes a lightweight, temporary approach that contrasts with the heavy ruin. Rather than using large amounts of steel scaffolding, the building looks towards coppiced timber as a more sustainable alternative. The structure intends to complement current local sweet chestnut supply chains in order to improve forest management and provide socioeconomic help to underserved areas of Italy. Therefore, overcoming the limitations of using coppiced timber as the main structural element is the main goal of the material and structural strategies.

Final Outcome

The building functions independently from the ruin while having a close relationship to it, assuming the role of a ‘caretaker’ that gradually assimilates salvaged parts of the ruin into its fabric. Instead of requiring substantial scaffolding support, the ruin harvester is designed to be a mobile structure that moves slowly along the wall to gather fragments where needed.

Like a “gallery” of contemporary heritage care, the structure becomes a site of continuous movement, deconstruction, and assembly, showcasing innovative developments in the field of heritage conservation. The structure is expected to be in use for 50 years, with a minimum operation period of 6 years, which is the amount of time needed to harvest 30,000 bricks.

Its temporary nature as heritage care infrastructure makes its end-of-life stage an important consideration. Following decommissioning, the building will be disassembled and repurposed for future conservation initiatives, leaving only new and fragmented masonry as artifacts of the heritage process. 

Conclusion: All in all, the school for living ruins follows the approach of care without conservation to facilitate the cultural process of heritage, proposing an alternative system of heritage care in Rome.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]