The Diocese of Rome, together with the Italian Episcopal Conference, has announced the launch of the “New Churches Programme” for the construction of five parish buildings, which will be located in the suburbs of the capital and Ostia, and which will be built in wood. Although the buildings do not yet exist, the saints to whom they will be dedicated are already known: santa Brigida di Svezia in Palmarola, san Giovanni Nepomuceno Neumann in Montespaccato, sant’Anselmo in Cecchignola, san Vincenzo de’ Paoli in Ostia Ponente, sant’Anna in Morena, which will be enlarged.
An “evangelical” choice aimed at providing often marginalised areas (in urban and social terms) with suitable and stable venues of worship, in contrast to the current arrangements which are often inadequate for spatial or functional reasons, but also “sustainable” because wood technology, thanks to the supply of material from renewable sources, and the use of prefabrication and dry assembly techniques, favours the reduction of the ecological and economic footprint of the construction, while maintaining high anti-seismic, insulating, hygroscopic, resistant and lightweight performance.
As reported in the project summary sheets published by the Roman Diocese: “Society is now focused on optimising the use of land and natural resources, on restoration rather than new construction. This programme is in line with general sustainability, responding to needs that have not diminished over the years, as we now find ourselves in a sort of community housing emergency, i.e. the place of community gathering par excellence”.
The process for the design and execution of the works is organised into several phases: after an invitation to express interest (open from 20 January to 20 February and addressed to professionals, artists and experts in liturgy), a competition phase will be launched to select the preliminary design, followed by the professional contract for the final design and the authorisation phase, while the executive design will be carried out as part of an “integrated tender” addressed to companies specialising in the wooden construction sector.
Opening image: Courtesy Unsplash