Hortus conclusus. The seed of a new architectural typology

New technological advances in science and architecture have enabled us to reach new limits in the field of urban agriculture, introducing new concepts as vertical farming, that are showing a great promise in terms of providing a more economic and efficient source of nutrition inside cities, but are yet far from being energy efficient compared to traditional farming. Historically, the food production was strictly related to cities identity and culture, people lost the initial relationship with the most important industry related to our survival, agriculture. The contemporary consumerism has detached us city dwellers, especially the youth from the possibility to choose and grow their own food. However, the lifestyle adaptability of a young mind is our greatest asset. Having a long term goal to modify the habits of the city inhabitants towards viable nutrition, the aim of this master thesis is to reconnect the culture dating from historical archetype, “Hortus Conclusus” with our present busy urban life, establishing the future model of “CIVITATIS HORTI” that would set a new understanding of our overall lifestyle modification, towards the future of urban agriculture lifestyle, by aggregating, at the first glance the two incompatible processes of present urban residential use and urban agriculture. The first part of this thesis will introduce the new model and methodology, followed up by an example of applying this model on the Ex-Expo site in Milan, with an introvert bottom-up strategy, passing through three primary phases; the residence, the community and the city. Focusing primarily on the first phase, A Student residence building located in the Ex-expo site in Milan.