Enel power plant is situated in the municipality of Alessandria and the site of the power plant is surrounded by farmland. This area is active in the agricultural sector amounting to 22.3%. The project aims to transform the site into an Agricultural Scientific Research Center (mainly devoted to the creation of a seed bank, where you can select and preserve native seeds of valuable plant species) the production of local varieties and consumption at zero km of local products. The site is therefore divided into three principal functions: south and west placed spaces for the research / reporting of the agricultural center activities (including laboratories, offices, greenhouse-vertical farm), the center is dedicated to the exhibition and auditorium, while, north of the site, are settled spaces for catering and market, dedicated to the sale and consumption of local products, the products which are cultivated there, and the residence for the researchers.

My goal for the design of this project was to create a structure that would give back to the community while also blending into surrounding landscape. Its roof functions as an archaeological park with topography that becomes both a resting and active place (green roof agriculture), where the site does not require a high clearance, the roof selectively lowers, which allows connection to the roof from the pedestrian promenade.

The project integrates some interesting existing structures, a site industrial identity memory (including ex-tanks, the former hot water treatment, and a gas turbine). One of the ex-tanks are transformed to a vertical farming greenhouse. The basic idea of cultivation system is to grow vegetables in pots. The pots are then put into trays, which are transported around the growing helix where the cultivation takes place.

Reliable and validated software like Rhinoceros 5, Diva for Rhino, and Ecotect, CPCalc have been used to produce different analysis and studies to obtain verifiable results to identify locations with solar energy conversion potential or areas in need of shading due to excessive solar exposure.