Orizzontale is a collective of architects based in Rome. They are my favourite architects, not only because they have been at the forefront of several themes in Italy, but above all because their architecture also functions as civic education. They have developed numerous projects together with the people who were going to use them, empowering communities and unlocking the potential of previously abandoned spaces.

I have been involved as a participant in ZAC – Costruire Largo Milano and Florence Impact Hub, and as an organiser in Waark. In 2021, I started my PhD, and Orizzontale became a case study within Glocal Tools. In this context, I participated as a researcher/assistant in LuOgo, Cento Workshop, Civico Civico 2, and Spaziature Comuni.

Ceci n’est pas un projet is a paper about their project Prossima Apertura, considered the first project of incremental urbanism in Italy.

The photographs portray the Cento Workshop in Rome.