Project Number: FC V01I THE REUTILIZATION OF THE MINOR ISLANDS OF THE VENETIAN LAGOON An Interactive Qualifying Project Report submitted to the Faculty of WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science by ___________________________________ __________________________________ Nicole K. Buzzell Amanda M. Connor ___________________________________ __________________________________ Seth T. Merkel Christopher M. O’Malley 31 July 2001 Venice Project Center ____________________________ Fabio Carrera, Advisor ____________________________ John Zeugner, Advisor I. ABSTRACT The Reutilization of the Minor Islands of the Venetian Lagoon project, sponsored by the Environmental Department of the City of Venice, examined thirty-two small islands within the lagoon. Through the collection of previously existing information and the integration of data collected in the field, the project team compiled extensive records with respect to the islands. Reutilization plans were developed through the analysis of architectural surveys, mapped ecosystems, previous proposals, and zoning and environmental policies, while maintaining the total sustainability of the Venetian lagoon. Recommended island reutilizations include medical facilities, agricultural lands, and recreational parks. 2 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Isole Minori represent an unique aspect of the Venetian culture due to their rich history and their potential to benefit the Venetian society. The minor islands are thirty-two small, uninhabited islands that are spread throughout the lagoon. In the past, they were used for various reasons including military defense islands, monasteries, and hospitals. Now, all that remains of these once proud islands are the overgrown branches of shrubs, which conceal the decrepit buildings and trash filled shores. Rejuvenated, these islands could provide economical benefits, while at the same time preserving the culture and history that is Venice. The Environment Department of the City of Venice gave the project team the task of creating possible plans for reutilizing the minor islands. The goal of the project was not only aimed at island reutilization, but also at the preservation of the culture and history of these islands and the protection of environmental balance within the lagoon. Through the collection of previously existing information and the integration of newly collected data, reutilization plans and strategies of preservation were developed for the Isole Minori. The concept of Sustainability is a relatively new idea that seeks to maintain the balance between all of the interrelated aspects of society. When a change occurs to one feature of society, it invariably affects the other aspects of the linked society. The minor islands are a major part of the Venetian society and their reuse would most certainly have an impact on several facets of the community. Any plans of reutilization must take into account not only the direct benefits of a plan, but also the indirect effects in order to turn these islands into a sustainable resource for future generations. This project uses the 3 concept of sustainability as a guide to the development of acceptable reutilizations while maintaining an ecological balance, economic stability, and the preservation of cultural heritage. The process of data collection and information integration occurred in three major steps. All of the information collected both on and off site was entered into a comprehensive database. The first step involved collecting information with respect to the minor islands that previously existed, beginning with information regarding the islands’ histories. That information was compiled into a section of a database that contained the complete island histories and brief chronological summary. Artistic renditions of the islands and other iconography were also added to the database. The second step involved collection of information regarding the reutilization of the minor islands. The two main focuses of this data collection were the zoning regulations, which involved the reconstruction of buildings in the lagoon, and environmental policy, which involved the protection of ecotopes as recommended by the European Union. In short, the current laws in the lagoon require that no new buildings are constructed and that all buildings that exist now need be restored in the same condition and have the same use as it did in the past. The environmental directive, called Natura 2000, recommends that small ecosystems within the lagoon, known as ecotopes, are not destroyed. Finally, island visits were conducted where the ecotopes were mapped using a Global Positioning System, and the buildings and structures were surveyed for the possibility of preservation and reuse. The final step of the project entailed the development of reutilization strategies for the minor islands. All available previous plans for reuse were researched including 4 the plans of the regional level of Italian government. The municipal plan was unavailable due to the fact that it is currently under consideration and has not been approved by the city council as of yet. Possible reutilization strategies were also extrapolated from a similar project conducted with the islands of Boston Harbor. The steps of the Methodology yielded a great deal of results with respect to the minor islands history, architecture, and environment. The complete record of all information exists within a comprehensive database with six sections: history, general information, building data, structure data, environmental data, and photo documentation. The first of the six sections is comprised of a historical database with the complete island histories and chronologies, as well as iconography. The next section outlines general information about the islands such as ownership and topography, which includes all physical properties of the islands such as land contour and surface area. Separate sections outlining information with respect to buildings and structures are present. The data collected in the field concerning building reusability and structure state of conservation are located in these two sections of the database. More specifically, the building and structure surveys yielded data on every building’s utilities and infrastructure and the specifics are located in the database. The mapped ecosystems were extrapolated to maps that detail the areas and locations of all of the ecotopes on each island. The final section of the database contains the extensive visual documentation conducted on each island. Throughout the island visits and off site information collection, detailed photography was taken of the buildings, structures, and ecotopes. Photographs of the buildings, structures, and ecotopes are cataloged within the database. 5 Merging the information of all six sections of the database created an extensive catalog of information as one of the project deliverables. Analysis of this data took place in a matrix created to relate reutilization strategies with the probability of implementing them in the lagoon. This matrix, known as the Feasibility Rating Matrix, took all of the data collected in the field and all of the histories, laws, and regulations and rated them on a numerical scale in order to provide an accurate representation of island reutilizations. The analysis, by way of the Feasibility Rating Matrix, took place in two major steps. The first step of the Feasibility Rating Matrix was to numerically rate certain criteria from the various tables of the comprehensive database. A total of seven criteria were used in the matrix. Island Ownership, Surface Area, Distance and Direction from Venice, Island Accessibility, Overall Reusability of Buildings, Overall State of Conservation of Structures, and Percent Ecotope were the fields rated within the matrix. Prior to running the matrix, the data from the ten islands currently in use or under renovations were removed. Ratings were based on a scale from 1 to 10. A simple mathematical average represented an island’s feasibility rating. Reutilization plans were also rated after requirements were developed. Each reutilization plan was given a range for the seven criteria in the matrix. The final step of the Feasibility Rating Matrix was to cross-reference the reutilization plans with the islands that best fit the requirements. The matrix compared the ranges from the strategies to the numerical ratings of the islands and simply matched them up. A Reutilization Viability Factor was given to each plan and island. The factor 6 was based on the number of criteria falling within the range out of the total possible number of criteria met. From there, reutilization plans were extrapolated. The conclusions and recommendations of this project mainly touch upon the general island reutilizations and the continued preservation of the Isole Minori. We have recommended to the Environmental Department of Venice to confirm all of the data that we have collected due to some discrepancies with the buildings and structures, as well as mapping difficulties with the ecotopes. We further recommended that public transportation be increased to the minor islands for the purposes of tours of the lagoon that should include visits to the minor islands, thus preserving their heritage and encouraging their reuse. Finally, we recommended to the sponsor that the islands be preserved above all. One possible reutilization plan for an island is to leave it as it is. The total sustainability