Waste, in Ascoli Piceno the composting plant imagined by Stefano Boeri

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In Ascoli Piceno the project of a waste composting plant signed by the archistar Stefano Boeri. Re+, wanted by the mayor Marco Fioravanti and which Ascoli Servizi Comunali has entrusted to the Stefano Boeri Architetti studio, was presented on 19 June. The study developed a vision for the redevelopment of the landfill’s composting plant, with the aim of offering citizens a functional waste recovery plant harmoniously integrated into the environmental context, as well as an opportunity for development for the area.

The material factory

The Re+ project presents itself as a park where it will be possible to carry out research and experimentation on the entire waste cycle, conceived as a “materials factory”. It includes an area for the mechanical biological waste treatment plant and the production of secondary solid fuel; an area for the composting one for the production of compost and biodegradable pots for flower nurseries and an area for a biomethane plant. Furthermore, the construction of a photovoltaic energy production field of 12,368 square meters is planned and the establishment of an energy community, which could benefit the neighboring municipalities.

The plant is also characterized by an important artistic vocation and by the enhancement of the natural system. The territories of the old landfill, characterized by a strong anthropomorphization of the landscape, see in fact a renaturalization of the territory (previously waterproofed) to host botanical gardens and spaces for artistic production and expression. A real open-air museum designed to welcome, through a curatorship project, a selection of permanent and temporary works.

Biomethane plant

Specifically, the project develops around the biomethane extraction center, designed with the aim of minimizing the visual impact of the structure. An approach based on sustainability is adopted on the existing structure, covered with a new wooden roof and, on the sloping surfaces facing south, with photovoltaic panels. Together with the wood, the current structures are transformed through the implementation of a perforated metal mesh cladding, which forms an ideal surface for climbing plants, and allows natural light to penetrate the structure, reducing the need for artificial lighting and saving energy. The same structure in wood and wire mesh also covers the composting plant.

Among other elements of the project, the educational greenhouse, designed as a hub for artists and creatives, includes areas for workshops and laboratories, together with common areas for working, meeting and collaborating. There is also an amphitheater, a collective meeting place for events, cultural activities and open-air shows and finally the “forest of regeneration”: designed with a network of usable paths and walkways, it offers visitors an immersive experience in the local wood .