Colonize Abandonded Areas: Reappropriation Trials In The Unused Industrial Heritage In Favor Of New Social Living

The new demands relevant to the changes in our society (the increase of single-parent families, the massive migration processes, the working nomadism, the impoverishment), combined with the need to repair the damage of urban speculation, the increasing gentrification (the rehabilitation of workingclass and derelict built heritage and the consequent transformation of an area into a middle-class neighbourhood) of the urban centres and phasing out of existing built heritage, have led the inclusion of “Re-inhabit” as a concept of living. A new concept that is compatible with the contemporary design of cities and capable of reactivating disused spaces within the urban fabric. The abandoned industrial heritage represents a great opportunity because of its strategic location, spatial quality and strong identity. Re-inhabiting these spaces with experimental, social, temporary residences meets social inclusion policies and allows the ransom planning and the asset building. So far the reuse of industrial heritage has tended to a musealization of these spaces oriented towards a luxury and contemporary taste, denying, most of the time, the old values of these buildings, related to the activities and community life of the working class. Consequently, the urban regeneration, carried out in recent years, has radically altered the socioeconomic reality of entire neighbourhoods, triggering strong processes of gentrification of the city that seem to presage the risks described by Rem Koolhaas in the Generic City. It is essential to preserve the values of the industrial heritage and propose its re-activation in order to meet the social demands. The recovery of abandoned industrial buildings, for the implementation of sustainable social activities, not only preserves valuable memories, but also contributes to the protection of cultural diversity, as a form of enrichment and social harmony in the development of the future of cities. This research explores the alternative architectural strategy of the colonization as a tool of regeneration of industrial heritage in a period of social and urban crisis. It is a conversion strategy that considers the existing building as a mere structural skeleton in which to insert new housing volumes. What initially may seem a disadvantage (the existing structure) allows architects to employ a dynamic process of creation and freedom of expression to give life to new forms of living that lead to a rediscovery of a sense of community and participatory life, increasingly in demand by contemporary society. The paper starts with a brief theoretical exploration of the social role of industrial heritage in the contemporary society. Then, based on the understanding of some experimental projects, this paper sets out a framework for considering how industrial heritage might contribute to a new model of social housing. In this sense the paper consists of qualitative interviews and document analysis on two main projects: Casazera of Tra Srl studio in Turin and Bamboo Micro Housing of Affect-T in Hong Kong. The characteristics related to the experimentation and innovation that this design strategy involves (reversibility, energy efficiency, flexibility, selfconstruction, etc.) are examinated. From these considerations, conclusions seeks to start a debate on diagnosing the absorption capacity, management, economic sustainability, integration, hybridization of uses, of this new strategy in the abandoned industrial areas of the city.