Tom Leggatt Y4

Generation Montagna. “The Mayor of London expects 25 per cent of the heat and power used in London to be generated through the use of localised decentralised energy systems by 2025”. This poses the question: are there means of reaching this forecast whilst avoiding heavy taxation? When siting energy production plants in London, planners need to take into account pre-defined standards. By employing Prince Charles’ controversial “10 Principles of Architecture”, new covert proposals arise, which fulfil the Mayor’s expectations whilst avoiding additional taxes. Through applying this decentralised methodology to Sicily, new modes for energy production and storage can benefit the population’s needs. Sicily is seen as a promising hub for sustainable energy, which the government have capitalised on through financial incentives. However, the Mafia have exploited this in the form of “eco-corruption”, producing fake or substandard energy plants to gain such incentives.

The project circumvents the corrupt interventions of the Mafia by creating a decentralised, self-sufficient energy network which disguises itself as sheltered accommodation for the Sicilian elderly. A typical Sicilian town is compressed into the building on the slopes of Mount Etna, thereby emphasising the capacity for architectural design to sustain traditional ways of life within a modern context.

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