Road through fields and woods

The insertion of a road into the landscape means creating a dialogue between the two elements. First of all, the road, along with all associated structures, must follow the topography. The interaction between the changing landscape and the as-straight-as-possible alignment must be carefully optimized. The road and the engineering works have their own internal logic that must be expressed. The principles of landscape and engineering works each require their own autonomy, clearly separated yet coordinated with one another. From a design perspective, it involves conceiving the resulting elements—such as embankments, retaining walls, bridges, underpasses, portals, and tunnels—as successive components treated as a unified whole, as a continuum. The landscape and structures must coexist in a serene and simple way. There should be a clear distinction between green areas (natural or artificial, geometric embankments) and constructions. The resources used should be minimized. First, the horizontal and vertical alignment must be optimized so that the resulting structures can be designed harmoniously and in line with their function. Along the entire alignment, the design should be characterized by a geometric formal language and uniform materialization, using a single material: concrete. Terrain modifications must be managed very carefully; in some areas, grassed embankments are planned, appearing as geometric surfaces distinct from the natural ground. A geometric formal language based on the “polygonal–diagonal” principle offers multiple possibilities for designing structures, allowing them to adapt to both structural and landscape conditions.