Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding:
Through this course, the student should learn how to critically read the various constituent parts of a building with particular attention to the contemporary public building. The student should also be able to understand the functional program and the main compositional characteristics of a museum building, a library and an auditorium of medium size.
The knowledge of the main graphic conventions for plan, section and elevation are equally requested by the course.
Main skills:
The student will be able to use the knowledge acquired during the lectures and the exercise of analysis of a public building, to define the functional program and the main characters, at a structural and composition level, of his personal project of a small museum, a small library and an auditorium of medium size, in a mountain setting, such as Vallezza (Fornovo Taro). The student should also be able to design his own building taking into account the constraints and potentials of the site, in accordance with his natural and architectural traces, and to propose a solution plausible and, in principle, achievable .
Autonomy in making judgments:
The student should be aware of the plurality of issues related to architectural phenomenon, and he should be able to critically evaluate, through his personal experience of design, the role of history and tradition, of place and the pre-existing, and of contemporary architecture.
Communication skills:
The student will be able to present, graphically, in writing or orally, his works of analysis and design made during the coursework. A particular attention to the techniques of representation, to the composition of panels and towards the realization of the models is also required.
Prerequisites
The student must have passed the exams of Architectural Composition I and Distributive features of buildings (First year).
A good knowledge of design programs (CAD) and image editing is strongly recommended.
Course unit content
The course is thought as a theoretical support and a design complement to the Architecture Design Studio IIB (Prof. Monica Bruzzone).
The course deepen some important theoretical issues:
• The notion of “type” in architecture. An historical overview.
• The design of contemporary public building. Form, programme, social and cultural expectations (libraries, museum buildings, collective and temporary housing, archives, university buildings and learning centers).
• The relation between form and site (designing in the city center, in suburbs or in the territory).
• The analysis of the city as a reference for the project.
• The design of contemporary public spaces (places, streets, parcs).
• The relation between public buildings and public spaces.
• Urban centralities and the territory. New forms of Centralità urbane e territorio. New forms of development, organization and enhancement of the territory.
• Data bases for scientific research.
• Tools for the representation of the project. Sketches, conceptual schemes, technical drawings, models (real and virtual), photography, collage.
It 'also provided a practical exercise to verify the theoretical issues discussed in the lectures. The theme concerns the analysis of a well-known building of modern or contemporary architecture. Are to be expected insights on:
• The composition of public building through the plan, the section and façade (relationships between every part of the building and the whole building, full / empty, heights and intersections of different levels, vertical lift systems) .
• The relationship between the public building and site.
• The study of the relationship (or not) between the design of public buildings and the design of public spaces.
• Typological characteristics: a functional definition. A survey on the evolution of building type, in terms of hosted functions, dimensional relationship between rooms, and requests made by law.
• Typological characteristics: an historical and cultural definition. A survey on the evolution of building type, in terms of historical development and social, cultural and symbolic role.
Full programme
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Bibliography
Essential bibliography.
ERNESTO N. ROGERS, Gli elementi del fenomeno architettonico, (1961), a cura di Cesare De Seta, Napoli, Guida, 1981; Milano, Marinotti, 2006.
CARLO AYMONINO, Origini e sviluppo della città moderna, Padova, Marsilio, (1965), 2009.
ALDO ROSSI, L'architettura della città, Padova, Marsilio, 1966; Milano, CittàStudi, 2006.
CARLOS MARTÌ ARÌS, Le variazioni dell’identità. Il tipo in architettura, Torino, CittàStudi, 1990.
ALDO ROSSI, Autobiografia scientifica, Parma, Pratiche, 1990; Milano, Il Saggiatore, 2009.
RAFAEL MONEO, La solitudine degli edifici e altri scritti, Torino, Allemandi, 1999.
During each lesson, it will also be reported some additional and specific texts.
Manuals for research and design
ERNST NEUFERT, Enciclopedia pratica per progettare e costruire, Milano, Hoepli, 1999 (ed. orig. ted. 1936).
MARIO RIDOLFI ET AL., Manuale dell’Architetto, Roma, C.N.R., 1953 (ristampa 1985)
UMBERTO ECO, Come si fa una tesi di laurea, Bompiani, Milano 1977
Teaching methods
The course includes:
• Lectures with projection of PowerPoint presentations. A moment of discussion with questions on the contents and projects presented, is also expected. The lessons include: analysis of theoretical contents (quotations, short abstracts of texts on architectural theory), presentation of case study examples (contests, projects, achievements).
• Analysis of a public building of modern or contemporary architecture, assigned by the teacher. Work in the classroom, teacher reviews, collective audits with presentations made by students.
• Study visits to buildings or significant urban projects in the province of Parma and other cities of Northern Italy (Genoa, Turin, Milan).
• A visit to the site of Vallezza.
Assessment methods and criteria
The Assessment is based on:
• Evaluation of the first practical exercise of analysis of a public building.
• Evaluation, with the teacher of the Architecture Design studio II, of the project for a museum park in Vallezza (Fornovo Taro).
NB: In both moments of verification, teachers could make questions on theoretical issues.
Other information
The attendance is mandatory (according to regulation of the degree course).
