Children as Architects

"The child-and-adult-designed community of Coriandoline was conceptually born in 1990, when a construction co-op in the northern Italian town of Correggio made the radical decision to be for abianti (inhabitants) rather than for abitazioni (habitations)," reports Landscape Architecture (June 2009).

"Shifting to this philosophy meant getting input about housing development design from all members of the community — including children. Teachers collected ideas from 700 local kids, who spent time learning about architecture and drawing and building models. Their suggestions were published in 1999, in the Manifesto of Children's Living Needs. In 2006 the first residents turned their inspiration into brick and mortar and moved into Coriandoline, which now consists of 20 homes built around a central square.

"In describing their 'ideal' houses... the kids listed essential features ranging from 'transparent,' 'hard outside and soft inside,' to 'playful,' 'decorated,' and 'magical.' These insights clearly informed the neighborhood's final design. It's impossible to play around on Coriandoline's sprightly website and not crack a smile."

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