Dolomiti Hub
Basic information
Project Title
Dolomiti Hub
Full project title
Dolomiti Lab S.r.l Impresa sociale
Category
Prioritising the places and people that need it the most
Project Description
Dolomiti Hub is a multipurpose space born from the urban regeneration of a commercial building in an industrial area in a depopulating territory. There is a coworking space, a bistrot, a theater/cinema, smaller rooms for activities, private offices, a guesthouse. Managed by a social enterprise established in 2019, it offers events and services for all generations, aiming to promote aggregation, personal and collective growth, local welfare, valorization of the territory and its human resources.
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Fonzaso (BL) is a town located in the foothills of Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, at the end of a valley crossed by the river Piave.
Solomiti Hub is 10 km far from the next biggest town, Feltre, and it serves an area of a radius of 35 km., Italy
Solomiti Hub is 10 km far from the next biggest town, Feltre, and it serves an area of a radius of 35 km., Italy
Urban or rural issues
Mainly rural
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
Dolomiti Hub (DH) is located in an industrial area in a valley between Belluno’s Dolomites National Park and the MaB Unesco Monte Grappa. In a context poor in opportunities and services, DH attempts to implement local welfare and promote talents and resources of the territory. Its mission is to fight the depopulation of the area by generating opportunities in terms of valorisation of territorial resources, employment prospects, personal development, community cohesion, welfare services, inclusion and integration, intergenerational dialogue, information on current issues.
Its targets are wide and every one is recipients of specific actions.
Families: a listening desk with experts in parenting and relationships, free services for children guaranteed by sponsorships and specific shows,creative workshops, homework support, summer camps for the kids.
Young adults: aids to their cultural, formative and entrepreneurial initiatives, training courses, opportunities for volunteer civil service.
Elderly: a meeting point to do activities together.
Strangers: a multiethnic and multicultural milieu, where proposing ideas.
Creatives: exhibits, a stage to perform and promotion support.
Associations: availability of rooms and of the hall for their events.
Schools: availability for practicums and demonstrations.
Public entities: assistance in the application for public tenders as PNRR and in building networks.
Managed by a non-profit social enterprise, DH can count on a wide network of “hubbers”. In fact, the term Hub indicates the vocation for networking between figures with complementary skills, both local and national and even international.
As a result, DH was awarded by Legambiente as “Bandiera Verde 2023-Carovana delle Alpi” for the cultural and social projects developed, the result of a regeneration process with the aim of fighting the ongoing depopulation and the dispersion of young people from Belluno’s mountains.
Its targets are wide and every one is recipients of specific actions.
Families: a listening desk with experts in parenting and relationships, free services for children guaranteed by sponsorships and specific shows,creative workshops, homework support, summer camps for the kids.
Young adults: aids to their cultural, formative and entrepreneurial initiatives, training courses, opportunities for volunteer civil service.
Elderly: a meeting point to do activities together.
Strangers: a multiethnic and multicultural milieu, where proposing ideas.
Creatives: exhibits, a stage to perform and promotion support.
Associations: availability of rooms and of the hall for their events.
Schools: availability for practicums and demonstrations.
Public entities: assistance in the application for public tenders as PNRR and in building networks.
Managed by a non-profit social enterprise, DH can count on a wide network of “hubbers”. In fact, the term Hub indicates the vocation for networking between figures with complementary skills, both local and national and even international.
As a result, DH was awarded by Legambiente as “Bandiera Verde 2023-Carovana delle Alpi” for the cultural and social projects developed, the result of a regeneration process with the aim of fighting the ongoing depopulation and the dispersion of young people from Belluno’s mountains.
Key objectives for sustainability
The regeneration of the building has complied with energy saving criteria requested by the Italian government in order to benefit from incentives. DH won one of the Italian PNRR tender (TOCC Action 2) to promote innovation and eco-friendly design and a tender by Foundation Cariverona for the regeneration of the space. The following have been installed: new generation condensing boiler, cooling system, underfloor heating, zero transmittance windows, insulating coat; upcoming: built photovoltaic system and storage batteries.
Indeed, most of the interior and outdoor furnishings had been realized by Camposaz, a wood self-construction workshop with the ambition to promote interaction between disciplines and practitioners (architects, designers, carpenters) between 18 and 35 years of age. During the four workshops, living in close contact, they had designed and concretly realized almost all the wooden particles present in the building, aiming at enhancing the landscape.
DH promotes events dedicated to objects to reuse or derived from recycling, to climate change, new challenges in land maintenance, eco-friendly development, led by experts, researchers and journalists. It leads “Montagne bellunesi/ Belluno’s mountains”, a roped of 50 producers, in order to host showcases of local products (Lamon bean, cheese, honey, wine, flour “sponcio”, f.e.) and to offer them as menu ingredients, enhancing biodiversity. It is proposed as an information and valorisation point for the territory, supporting the slow tourism.
DH is partner of the MaB Unesco governance network and it hosts round tables on the cultural field. It collaborates also with the contemporary eco-art park Artesella (Borgo Valsugana, TN) as for the ongoing project, “Barch Art”, designed by the international artist Ivan Tresoldi: an idea to redevelop the Fonzaso plain by enhancing the rural artifacts of the area, underlining historical roots, stories and biographies.
Indeed, most of the interior and outdoor furnishings had been realized by Camposaz, a wood self-construction workshop with the ambition to promote interaction between disciplines and practitioners (architects, designers, carpenters) between 18 and 35 years of age. During the four workshops, living in close contact, they had designed and concretly realized almost all the wooden particles present in the building, aiming at enhancing the landscape.
DH promotes events dedicated to objects to reuse or derived from recycling, to climate change, new challenges in land maintenance, eco-friendly development, led by experts, researchers and journalists. It leads “Montagne bellunesi/ Belluno’s mountains”, a roped of 50 producers, in order to host showcases of local products (Lamon bean, cheese, honey, wine, flour “sponcio”, f.e.) and to offer them as menu ingredients, enhancing biodiversity. It is proposed as an information and valorisation point for the territory, supporting the slow tourism.
DH is partner of the MaB Unesco governance network and it hosts round tables on the cultural field. It collaborates also with the contemporary eco-art park Artesella (Borgo Valsugana, TN) as for the ongoing project, “Barch Art”, designed by the international artist Ivan Tresoldi: an idea to redevelop the Fonzaso plain by enhancing the rural artifacts of the area, underlining historical roots, stories and biographies.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Dolomiti Hub faces the challenge of preserving heritage and at the same time welcoming contemporary forms of expression.
The ongoing project, "Barch Art", conceived in collaboration with the international artist Ivan Tresoldi, aims to enhance the rural artifacts of the area, underline their historical roots, the stories and biographies of the owners. The construction of this path is involving citizens in the rediscovery of their place of belonging, its traditions and its stories; at the same time, it is indicating new meanings and new potential to be attributed to the legacy of the past.
The DH building is furnished in the name of beauty: most of the interiors and exteriors have been designed by craftsmen and artists to give the environment a contemporary charm inspired by the mountain landscape.
DH hosts theater shows, film screenings, concerts, training courses in the various arts, artistic residencies. Plus you can have a coffee and bring a book from the library or leave yours in exchange for another (bookcrossing) or even buy one from the "Blind date with a book" space. This project gives new life to second-hand books still in excellent condition writing little information on the package concealing the identity of the author and the title of the book.
The ongoing project, "Barch Art", conceived in collaboration with the international artist Ivan Tresoldi, aims to enhance the rural artifacts of the area, underline their historical roots, the stories and biographies of the owners. The construction of this path is involving citizens in the rediscovery of their place of belonging, its traditions and its stories; at the same time, it is indicating new meanings and new potential to be attributed to the legacy of the past.
The DH building is furnished in the name of beauty: most of the interiors and exteriors have been designed by craftsmen and artists to give the environment a contemporary charm inspired by the mountain landscape.
DH hosts theater shows, film screenings, concerts, training courses in the various arts, artistic residencies. Plus you can have a coffee and bring a book from the library or leave yours in exchange for another (bookcrossing) or even buy one from the "Blind date with a book" space. This project gives new life to second-hand books still in excellent condition writing little information on the package concealing the identity of the author and the title of the book.
Key objectives for inclusion
Dolomiti Hub is free from architectural barriers, it has a bathroom for disabled people and for children with the space for a changing table. It hosted the “Museum of Empathy”, an interactive path designed by the deaf artist Diana Anselmi in order to make able-bodied people identify with people with disabilities. One of the artistic residency put on a theatrical show (“Due di una”) about mental distress.
DH welcomes associations dealing with people with Down syndrome, disabling diseases, psychiatric disorders, hosting their events and charity campaigns.
Among the 8 workers, there are people of foreign origins, young mothers and women, some of them were people out of the job market. Beyond the cultural character of the activities, the bistrot itself was conceived as a community center, the construction of a community academy, a site of contamination and socialization between different social classes and different origins. Even different generations find this area as a meeting point, so the final results it’s a multicultural and multiethnic environment open to everyone who’s interested.
DH is sensitive to all topics affected by the weakest groups, like gender equality and families' economic difficulties in fact hosts initiatives against violence towards women and supports needy families by providing some free services guaranteed by sponsorships or other funds.
All the contents of the events are chosen by their relevance for the area, in order to involve as many targets of the population as possible and to mix them to create a place where the citizens can find what they like and what they need.
DH welcomes associations dealing with people with Down syndrome, disabling diseases, psychiatric disorders, hosting their events and charity campaigns.
Among the 8 workers, there are people of foreign origins, young mothers and women, some of them were people out of the job market. Beyond the cultural character of the activities, the bistrot itself was conceived as a community center, the construction of a community academy, a site of contamination and socialization between different social classes and different origins. Even different generations find this area as a meeting point, so the final results it’s a multicultural and multiethnic environment open to everyone who’s interested.
DH is sensitive to all topics affected by the weakest groups, like gender equality and families' economic difficulties in fact hosts initiatives against violence towards women and supports needy families by providing some free services guaranteed by sponsorships or other funds.
All the contents of the events are chosen by their relevance for the area, in order to involve as many targets of the population as possible and to mix them to create a place where the citizens can find what they like and what they need.
Results in relation to category
Since 2019 to 2022, 1400 square meters were redeveloped. Since 2019, more than 100 events have been organized, more than 5000 people have taken part at proposals, more than 200 families have been involved in social and educational activities, totally more than 24000 people. In 3 years, DH has won 3 prizes concerning social innovation:
1. “Bandiera Verde 2023-Carovana delle Alpi” by Legambiente, for the cultural and social projects developed
2. PNRR tender (TOCC Action 2) for the provision of non-repayable contributions to non-profit entities operating in the cultural and creative sectors to promote innovation and eco-friendly design;
3. first award for social innovation and sustainable development, by Camera di Commercio (Chamber of Commerce) of Treviso-Belluno.
Debora Nicoletto, one of the founders, won a special mention at the award "Woman of the year" by Innovation Future School.
The DH model is studied by the review “Animazione Sociale” and already present in the publication "Internal areas and communities, chronicles in the heart of Italy" (PRiNT Collective, contributions by Ida Curti and Antonio De Rossi).
1. “Bandiera Verde 2023-Carovana delle Alpi” by Legambiente, for the cultural and social projects developed
2. PNRR tender (TOCC Action 2) for the provision of non-repayable contributions to non-profit entities operating in the cultural and creative sectors to promote innovation and eco-friendly design;
3. first award for social innovation and sustainable development, by Camera di Commercio (Chamber of Commerce) of Treviso-Belluno.
Debora Nicoletto, one of the founders, won a special mention at the award "Woman of the year" by Innovation Future School.
The DH model is studied by the review “Animazione Sociale” and already present in the publication "Internal areas and communities, chronicles in the heart of Italy" (PRiNT Collective, contributions by Ida Curti and Antonio De Rossi).
How Citizens benefit
DH bases the research and creation of its projects on responding to the needs and desires of the citizens of nearby localities, in the foothills, often lacking of opportunities. Collaboration is one of the key element for DH: in fact it counts on the planning of various events with different public institutions, associations, professionals. The second key element creating services and activities is the community involvement: we always aim for active participation both in the co-planning and in the fruition.
Since 2019, more than 100 events have been organized, more than 5000 people have taken part at proposals, more than 200 families have been involved in social and educational activities, totally more than 24000 people. Particularly DH is developing the “family hub”, services dedicated to parents and children, mainly financed by public tenders and sponsorships, to offer them free of charge. Among them, from 3 years DH has been organizing summer camps for children, carrying out a public contract from the municipality of Fonzaso. A special project financially supported by Feltre’s company for personal service allows to realize a summer camp for Ukrainian children in 2022. The same supported meetings on equal opportunities.
The local citizenship, particularly the elderly, is involved in the project Barch Art, contributing with their own and familiar memories. Local producers find showcases. Creatives have visibility. Entrepreneurs find synergies.
Everyone can propose an idea to build together.
Involved local associations: Tutti in campo (for psychiatric diseases), Mano amica (for palliative care), Portaperta (social cooperative), Belluno Donna (against violence towards women), Consult for women's rights at work, Libera (against the mafias), Emergency, Dafne (for children's rights), Camposaz (for eco-friendly self-built interiors), Haarpar (videomakers involving teenagers), UniSono (music school), Slow Cinema, CAI (for mountain protection and hiking).
Since 2019, more than 100 events have been organized, more than 5000 people have taken part at proposals, more than 200 families have been involved in social and educational activities, totally more than 24000 people. Particularly DH is developing the “family hub”, services dedicated to parents and children, mainly financed by public tenders and sponsorships, to offer them free of charge. Among them, from 3 years DH has been organizing summer camps for children, carrying out a public contract from the municipality of Fonzaso. A special project financially supported by Feltre’s company for personal service allows to realize a summer camp for Ukrainian children in 2022. The same supported meetings on equal opportunities.
The local citizenship, particularly the elderly, is involved in the project Barch Art, contributing with their own and familiar memories. Local producers find showcases. Creatives have visibility. Entrepreneurs find synergies.
Everyone can propose an idea to build together.
Involved local associations: Tutti in campo (for psychiatric diseases), Mano amica (for palliative care), Portaperta (social cooperative), Belluno Donna (against violence towards women), Consult for women's rights at work, Libera (against the mafias), Emergency, Dafne (for children's rights), Camposaz (for eco-friendly self-built interiors), Haarpar (videomakers involving teenagers), UniSono (music school), Slow Cinema, CAI (for mountain protection and hiking).
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Innovative character
DH restored a building probably destined for abandonment, at best for another commercial or industrial profit company. Instead it comes a center for a whole and wide community where the main aim is to benefit the civil society and to pursue and inspire positive and ethical values.
DH is not simply a cultural center or a restaurant. It takes care of different targets and their needs, proposing itself as complementary to public policies; it creates synergy with stakeholders, active citizens, national networks, individual professionals, sharing the planning; it appreciates local human resources and put them in contact with figures coming from other contexts; it pursues the direction of innovation, respecting and valorizing natural environment, local specificities, historical heritage.
The whole is led without for-profit private purposes but only of economic sustainability and decent work.
DH is not simply a cultural center or a restaurant. It takes care of different targets and their needs, proposing itself as complementary to public policies; it creates synergy with stakeholders, active citizens, national networks, individual professionals, sharing the planning; it appreciates local human resources and put them in contact with figures coming from other contexts; it pursues the direction of innovation, respecting and valorizing natural environment, local specificities, historical heritage.
The whole is led without for-profit private purposes but only of economic sustainability and decent work.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
The participation of over 50 different professions from all over Italy from architects, engineers, anthropologists, art experts, communicators, surveyors, artists etc. have contaminated the work of Dolomiti Hub of building a collaborative dialectic and a sharedwork approach from the beginning which has allowed us to create a project with multidisciplinary areas having for each of them very high level skills mixed with different languages of communication.
During the COVID-19 period, DH created dozens of webinars where the previously mentioned figures, the “hubbers”, collaborated in the creation of our ecosystem. Once completed, the project resulted, also, in the signing of an ethical code which places the theme of mutuality, collaboration and giving as an essential value.
Following the opening of the space, the maturation of bonds also became physical and allowed all people to interact with each other in collective contexts rather than in specific working groups that are divided into areas of intervention of different services .
In fact, Dolomiti Hub has resources that specifically deal with planning, communication and educational aspects, family policies, services to public administrations, services to businesses as well as the cultural platform that DH is for the entire community.
During the COVID-19 period, DH created dozens of webinars where the previously mentioned figures, the “hubbers”, collaborated in the creation of our ecosystem. Once completed, the project resulted, also, in the signing of an ethical code which places the theme of mutuality, collaboration and giving as an essential value.
Following the opening of the space, the maturation of bonds also became physical and allowed all people to interact with each other in collective contexts rather than in specific working groups that are divided into areas of intervention of different services .
In fact, Dolomiti Hub has resources that specifically deal with planning, communication and educational aspects, family policies, services to public administrations, services to businesses as well as the cultural platform that DH is for the entire community.
Methodology used
The methodology used is the development of a community which moves from listening to local communities to set up situations for an open and plural dialogue, to stimulate collective intelligence through the motto 'no one knows everything, everyone knows something', to facilitate inclusive and generative meetings in order to grasp the effectiveness inherent in the situation.
We proceed by imagining the change and by building the right network, developing scenarios and concerting joint actions.
Through narration that generates alternatives we intend to transform the problems together.
We proceed by imagining the change and by building the right network, developing scenarios and concerting joint actions.
Through narration that generates alternatives we intend to transform the problems together.
How stakeholders are engaged
DH bases the creation of its projects on collaboration and sharing responsibility with different stakeholders.
The regeneration of the building was made possible by advice of Riusiamo l’Italia (Foundation for redevelopment and regeneration) and by the first tender provided by Fondazione Cariparo.
Many services for civic society, also outside of DH, have been planning together with municipality of Fonzaso:
- two regeneration projects of the nursery and primary schools of a fraction, by means of a participatory process in collaboration with the collaborative co-design platform Mosaic
- three editions of summer camps
- activities in schools on environmental education supported by the Cariverona Foundation
Inside DH, it have taken place:
- the implementation of the tender of the Council of Ministers “EduCare” for cultural projects, as partners and implementers of BIM (Consortium of Municipalities of Belluno’s province)
- making young people proactive by involving them in the many activities inside DH, thanks to the support of the Ebbene Foundation.
Many other activities are financed by partners who recognize the added value of our proposals: the bank Cassa Rurale Valsugana e Tesino, the chain Coop 3.0 Alleanza, the insurance company Generali, the trade union Spi CGIL; or by other private ventures.
Another important contribution comes from cultural subjects able to offer qualified contents, such as Combinazioni Festival (cultural enterprise), Artesella (eco-art park), Lago Film Festival.
In the end, the agency Impact Hub structured DH's co-working, by training DH’s staff and co-workers.
The regeneration of the building was made possible by advice of Riusiamo l’Italia (Foundation for redevelopment and regeneration) and by the first tender provided by Fondazione Cariparo.
Many services for civic society, also outside of DH, have been planning together with municipality of Fonzaso:
- two regeneration projects of the nursery and primary schools of a fraction, by means of a participatory process in collaboration with the collaborative co-design platform Mosaic
- three editions of summer camps
- activities in schools on environmental education supported by the Cariverona Foundation
Inside DH, it have taken place:
- the implementation of the tender of the Council of Ministers “EduCare” for cultural projects, as partners and implementers of BIM (Consortium of Municipalities of Belluno’s province)
- making young people proactive by involving them in the many activities inside DH, thanks to the support of the Ebbene Foundation.
Many other activities are financed by partners who recognize the added value of our proposals: the bank Cassa Rurale Valsugana e Tesino, the chain Coop 3.0 Alleanza, the insurance company Generali, the trade union Spi CGIL; or by other private ventures.
Another important contribution comes from cultural subjects able to offer qualified contents, such as Combinazioni Festival (cultural enterprise), Artesella (eco-art park), Lago Film Festival.
In the end, the agency Impact Hub structured DH's co-working, by training DH’s staff and co-workers.
Global challenges
Most of the events are promoted with the aim of achieving, influenceìng political decision makers or raising awareness about some objectives of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
Dolomiti Hub itself, in its own management of the building and employed staff, works by pursuing:
- gender equality and empower all women and girls;
- sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth;
- full and productive employment and decent work;
- social and technological innovation;
- sustainable consumption;
- conservation of mountain ecosystems.
Moreover, its main actions point to:
- inclusive and equitable quality education;
- lifelong learning opportunities;
- foster innovation by supporting companies in the digital transition and start up;
- gender equality;
- resilient and cohesive community in order to face better and together various difficulties;
- conservation of mountain ecosystems;
- preservation of biological and cultural diversity from the natural and economic challenges;
- counter massification and isolation;
- counter the anonymity giving visibility to talents and other human resources.
Dolomiti Hub itself, in its own management of the building and employed staff, works by pursuing:
- gender equality and empower all women and girls;
- sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth;
- full and productive employment and decent work;
- social and technological innovation;
- sustainable consumption;
- conservation of mountain ecosystems.
Moreover, its main actions point to:
- inclusive and equitable quality education;
- lifelong learning opportunities;
- foster innovation by supporting companies in the digital transition and start up;
- gender equality;
- resilient and cohesive community in order to face better and together various difficulties;
- conservation of mountain ecosystems;
- preservation of biological and cultural diversity from the natural and economic challenges;
- counter massification and isolation;
- counter the anonymity giving visibility to talents and other human resources.
Learning transferred to other parties
The Dolomiti Hub business plan envisages the sustainability of the space through the balance between the commercial part and cultural events. The first one is basen on bistrot sellings and from provision of services for public and private entities, such as:
- communication services
- planning to compete for tenders such as PNRR
- planning and implementation of cultural and educational activities.
In fact, in addition to the collaboration with Fonzaso, DH has been chosen by other municipalities for:
- the redevelopment of the school in Canal San Bovo (BL)
- the redevelopment of a playground in Canal San Bovo, by the mean of a participatory project
- the co-planning with the municipality of Alano di Piave (BL) of the PNRR to carry out educational projects against youth hardship
- the project “Life” in Vigodarzene (PD).
The networking is the lifeblood to find quality and innovative proposals and solutions. To realize them, public and private funding is essential and it derives from concerting joint actions, shared narrations of constructive alternatives, valorization of all stakeholders. The collaboration with the agency WeEurope is determinating for tenders competions and participatory co-designed paths.
- communication services
- planning to compete for tenders such as PNRR
- planning and implementation of cultural and educational activities.
In fact, in addition to the collaboration with Fonzaso, DH has been chosen by other municipalities for:
- the redevelopment of the school in Canal San Bovo (BL)
- the redevelopment of a playground in Canal San Bovo, by the mean of a participatory project
- the co-planning with the municipality of Alano di Piave (BL) of the PNRR to carry out educational projects against youth hardship
- the project “Life” in Vigodarzene (PD).
The networking is the lifeblood to find quality and innovative proposals and solutions. To realize them, public and private funding is essential and it derives from concerting joint actions, shared narrations of constructive alternatives, valorization of all stakeholders. The collaboration with the agency WeEurope is determinating for tenders competions and participatory co-designed paths.
Keywords
Dolomiti
Hub
develops
opportunities
together
