La Biga - The Upper Valley Bakery
Master Thesis @Politecnico di Milano, 2022/2023. Advisor: Daniela SelloniHOW CAN WE PROPOSE A NEW NARRATIVE FOR REMOTE AREAS, NOW SIMBOL OF DECAY AND ABANDONMENT? AND HOW CAN WE BRING LOCAL COMMUNITIES BACK AT THE CENTER OF DEBATE AND DECISION MAKING?
HOW CAN WE PROPOSE A NEW NARRATIVE FOR REMOTE AREAS, NOW SIMBOL OF DECAY AND ABANDONMENT? AND HOW CAN WE BRING LOCAL COMMUNITIES BACK AT THE CENTER OF DEBATE AND DECISION MAKING?
La Biga is a Bakery who also represents a multipurpose center located in the Alta Valle Stura di Demonte, a montanous area lacking of essential services and suffering from depopulation fenomena.
Thus, the bakery offers a diverse but complementary range of proximity services essential to village life. In addition to serving as a shop for basic necessities, it undertakes a relevant role as a cultural and social hub, inviting residents and tourists to share social moments and engage in active community building.
The participation of individual stakeholders in the management and organization of the bakery is strongly encouraged, fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility.
Illustration of Pietraporzio’s Bakery. Illustration by Madeleine Beltrandi
Urbanisation vs Rural Depopulation
According to the UN report (2018), 99% of the earth’s surface is rural, remote and wild land, and only about 1% of the global territory is defined as built-up area. Yet in the future, only 19% of the population will live in rural areas (UN, 2018). Indeed, today more than 4.3 billion people live in cities.
Rural-Urban population data in 1950 and 2050. Source: OWID based on UN World Urbanization Prospects (2018) & Historical OurWorldInData.org/urbanization 
For most of human history, most people in the world have lived in small communities. In recent centuries, and especially in recent decades, the situation has changed dramatically. There has been a mass migration of populations from rural to urban areas. These data show us how nowadays we live in ways that are unsustainable, both for our own well-being and for that of the planet we live on. And at the same time, how necessary it is to regenerate these areas, and enable everyone to live a quality life in the future. It is a huge and perhaps impossible challenge for rural areas to compete with urban areas. Nevertheless, this remains a crucial objective.
The Stura Valley of Demonte
Starting from the lower valley, municipalities in the lower section of the valley from Borgo San Dalmazzo to Moiola are considered belt areas. The municipalities from Demonte to Vinadio, on the other hand, fall within the Intermediate areas, and finally the municipalities of Sambuco, Pietraporzio, and Argentera are defined as peripheral since they have a travel time between 40 and 75 minutes to reach the nearest hub, which is Cuneo.
Inner areas classification of the Stura Valley. Source: SNAI, Dossier regionale Regione Piemonte Programma 2021-2027. Design by the author
Precisely because of their suburban index, these last ones are the study areas of this thesis. Considering this fact, the focus of the project has been on the three municipalities of the Upper Valley: Sambuco, Pietraporzio and Argentera.
Demographic Data on January 2023. Source: Municipality of Sambuco, Pietraporzio and Argentera. And map of the upper Stura Valley Source: CTR (Carta Tecnica Regionale) 1:10.000 (1991-1995) - GEOSERVIZIO WMSCo-design Sessions
A preliminary concept was shared with the local community through 4 co-design workshops, held with: residents, holidaymakers, potential short-term tourists and local government representatives. The involvement of the participants was possible thanks to a community-centered approach that saw the designer as an integrated and active member of the community during these months of research.
Co-design invitation: (from left to right) Co-design with Residents, Co-design with Turists, Co-design with Administrations. Design and Illustrations by the author
The primary goal was to evolve the concept of the Pietraporzio bakery into a central social and service hub, addressing local needs for communal spaces and essential services like childcare and health, while also accommodating tourists.
Some pictures from the co-design sessions in person
Crucially, the sessions facilitated a refined proposal for the bakery, suggesting the inclusion of a cultural mediator to bridge gaps within the community, ensuring inclusivity and fostering a cooperative environment. Challenges in workshop organization underscored the need for flexibility and strategic planning in community-engaged design projects.
A New Bakery - Final Product Service System
The meaning of its name, La Biga, comes from sourdough, which allows the bread to rise and reach its final form. The Bakery in the same way seeks to stand as a starter of territorial regeneration and a catalyst for a living and growing community.
La Biga - The Upper Valley Bakery represents a multifunctional center located in the Upper Stura Valley of Demonte, offering a diverse but complementary range of essential services crucial to village life. Its identity is rooted in the local area and the people who inhabit it. In addition to serving as a store for essential goods, it assumes a relevant role as a cultural and social hub, inviting residents and tourists to share social moments and engage in building an active community. The participation of individuals in the management and organization of the Bakery is strongly encouraged, fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility.
Axonometry showing the services offered by La Biga. Illustration by the author
Specifically, within the Bakery we can find 3 macro-services: the Essential shop, emporium of the upper valley; the Chit-Chat House, a cultural and aggregation center available to the local community; the Service Mini-hub, a multifunctional hub offering various proximity services to improve the quality of life of local residents.
The Essential Shop
The Essential Shop offer some basic necessities such as a grocery store, newsstand, hardware store, and tobacco shop can be found in the store. As well as a parcel pick-up service and a home delivery service.
The Chit Chat House
The Chit-Chat House is a community hub offering cultural events, learning classes, and workshops to foster shared experiences and strengthen community bonds.
The Service Mini-Hub
The Service Mini-hub, provides a diverse range of proximity services to meet the needs of the local community. The space is designed to provide crucial services in a variety of fields, thus helping to improve the quality of life for residents.
The “Mani in Pasta” Association
Finally, the aims of the Bakery are to promote an active participation of the local community, who through the fictional association "mani in pasta" can actively engage in the functioning of the bakery.
In return they get discounts on certain services available at the bakery.
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