Francesca Martino

Like many artists, I always felt in nature a driving force of creative inspiration. I believe that this inspiration comes from the inherent bond that we have with it. Nature inspires us, energises us and soothes us for a reason; it is our root and our home. From my memories as a child to my travels around the world, my passion for nature has led me to express and use natural elements in all my designs. 

In this time of ecological and climate instability, it has become a necessity to rethink the way we approach design to come up with sustainable solutions. I sense it is my responsibility as a designer to restore this fragile ecological balance. 

Through the Habit-up project, I endeavoured to combine my love for nature and my interest in alternative ways of living to tackle current society’s issues. Habit-up concept is to shape residential architecture around nature in a non-intrusive way and to create a symbiotic coexistence between inhabitants and the exterior environment. The aim of the design is to improve users’ lifestyle by drawing their focus towards the exterior views and leading them to live in a daily state of mindfulness.

This project proposes a low-density housing typology that uses clusters of tree houses as an alternative option to the city expansion. This design solution holistically addresses issues of biodiversity, sustainability, land use, social interactions, and mental health.