The social housing buildings in Turchia str., located in the San Giusto neighbourhood, an urban area with a high population density and large green areas, is the second pilot area of the Prato Urban Jungle project. The complex in Turchia str., completed in 1994, consists of three blocks connected by a pedestrian square overlooked by two low buildings intended as cellars. There are a total of 102 social housing units.
The Turchia str., project has aimed to restore natural soils and give back the public space to the community, including trees, plants, and living nature, grafted onto existing buildings by reducing mineralized surfaces, absorbing numerous tons of CO2, and increasing the well-being of the inhabitants.
The project, conceived by Stefano Boeri Architetti for the buildings of the Pratese Public Building in Turchia street, has provided for the vegetation of the facades. Structures have been installed consisting of steel cables anchored to the blind elevations that have allowed the growth of climbing plants and the creation of innovative green sunscreen systems on the south-facing facades, capable of mitigating the temperature, cooling the surfaces of existing complexes and improving well-being of the inhabitants. One of the objectives of the project has been to irrigate the climbing species that have covered the facades mainly with recovered rainwater. The large vegetated surfaces have acted as new hubs of green connection in the ecological corridor system of the city. The intervention in via Turkey also has dealt with the creation of common social spaces dedicated to collective and recreational activities. A new pergola, covered with vines and furnished with seats, has been built at the entrance to the complex. Continuing, in the central space between the cellars, pools with vegetation and seats have been planned, creating a new access area to the area suitable for rest and socializing. The parking area has been affected by a demineralization of the soils that will transform the pavement into a permeable surface.