ROBOTS, SHEEP, AND ARCHITECTURE

The landscape of the Classic Karst has been under continuous change. In the past two millennia, agriculture and the need for wood have led to deforestation, resulting in an almost treeless karst in the 19th century. Illustrated by the name given to the area, and subsequently the geological category, as karst means dry, stony land. The past 200 years have shown a turnaround, as the habsburgs actively intervened in the balance between the dry grasslands – resulting from deforestation and agriculture- and the forest. Now, as spontaneous forestation continues, mostly due to land abandonment, the karst is almost completely covered in forest. Without maintenance, the karst would be completely covered in a forest mostly consisting of non-indiginious species.

Roughly a hundred years after the habsburgs tree planting initiatives however, the outlook has changed. What was seen as a degraded landscape, is now valued differently. dry grasslands are now recognised as an endangered and declining habitat in europe. Specifically the dry grasslands of the classic Karst have been noted as a Natura 2000 habitat in 2004, and is one of most diverse dry grasslands of Europe. These are semi natural grasslands and human made forms such as the dry stone walls have become an integrated part of it, functioning as habitat for a variety of species, preventing soil erosion and supporting microclimatic conditions.

Furthermore, these grasslands, human altered dolines and dry stone walls constituted its landscape identity. The aesthetics of the deforested karst was what gave it its name in the first place. Although a forest might be preferred, as a mere wild backdrop for trieste, to give its residents a whiff of weekend nature within a half hour drive, the semi-natural grasslands are an just as important part of the karst landscape, and worth maintaining. The remnants of this past, roughly two millenia lasting ‘’dry grassland identity’’ should be preserved for future generations.

Acknowledging the grasslands as a vital habitat of the karst landscape and its identity, the project sets out an strategy to revitalize the area. Embracing the semi, of the semi natural, allows for an alternative that goes beyond the dualistic approach of nature and culture. through robots, sheep and architecture, the semi natural grasslands once so familiar of the Karst re emerges. With advanced technological developments,traditional techniques are revisited and improved, to alter and revitalise the territory, resulting in a more sustainable karst environment. Specifically the project focuses on a former practice terrain from the military. With the use of landscape robotics, small topographical changes and dry stone walls will be constructed to enable indiginious species to re-emerge in the area. The architecture to support this strategy, utilitarian buildings as a hangar, sheep stable and shelter are built from the material gained by the excavations, aiming for a balance between excavation and erection, dug out and built up.