Street Chandeliers of Rome

As our cities get hotter, our infrastructure struggle to catch. up and evolve to the changing environment. Cities like Rome are prime examples of places that serve as time capsules for architecture that worked for a specific period in time. As the Romans work hard to preserve their history, they must also take into account that the climate is changing and so should the architecture. The Street Chandeliers of Rome Project was held during the University of Washington Master’s program, conducted by then Head of the Landscape Department Ken Yocom. This in-fewild study aims to show landscape architecture can help prepare prepare us and our homes for a changing climate and world.

Walking around Rome as a plant lover is exciting and dissapointing at the same time. The streets are narrow and the storefronts and home have no space for front yards, so to counter that, the residents take to roof gardens and interior courtyards. The roof gardens tell so much who lives there and, in my opinion , adds so much more character to the city. I found myself looking for places that to eat that has a trellis growing above or a roof garden to admire. When prompted to then think about how to combat a future where Rome’s temperatures continue to rise, roof gardens immediately came to mind.

The trellises, whether intentional or not, cool the streets by adding shade and naturally reflecting solar head. They act as mini corridor canopies and with that thought, came the idea of stretching the blueprint of these trellises into into hanging structure that encourage even more growth.