︎︎︎ Platlands — Housing Geographies
A self-initiated and self-funded playful research project
Platlands is a space made up of self-built houses. There is no urban zoning, there are no typologies nor rules to follow, and there are no average needs or families among its inhabitants. In Platlands, you can find houses flattened to one dimension or houses you can peek inside; houses so grand they resemble castles, or houses with only one room. In Platlands, you can find a little white space to draw your dream house︎︎︎.
Platlands is a website which aims to encourage the debate around housing quality. Website visitors are asked 11 questions which relate to their immediate living environment; as they provide their answers, they are prompted to draw their dream house. They can either start from a blank canvas, or contribute to a house that another person who has taken the survey has drawn.
The project's name has a few references. There's 'Plat', a map of a piece of land with proposed features; 'Plotlands', small pieces of land laid out in regular plots on which some self-built settlements were established in the south-east of England; and 'Flatland: A romance of many dimensions'︎︎︎, E. A. Abbot's masterpiece of science and mathematical fiction.
Platlands ultimately resulted in a publication showcasing the drawings and the insights gathered from survey respondents.
2015 | Research and Design | Concept • Naming • Digital and Print Design • Project Management • Campaign | In collaboration with Luana Iuliani, Daniele Piccone, Marco Rizzetto | Independent Practice