Architecture

The current structure of the EU Architecture Degree Course includes, in the second semester of the third year of study, the fundamental teaching of the ‘Technological Design Laboratory’, an examination of the disciplinary area of ‘Architectural Technology’. This course is designed as an experience in the applied design of systems and construction elements for a building, considered as a ‘system’ in its entirety and in its individual parts, organised and integrated in a holistic manner. The Laboratory also introduces the themes of energy efficiency in architectural design, which are part of the ‘environmental technology’ course of study. Particular attention will be paid to criteria, methods and tools geared towards the integrated design of solutions aimed at improving the functionality/usability, safety, comfort, flexibility and environmental sustainability of the project. The design process is organised into levels of definition progressively aimed at the executive development of technological and construction solutions. In the Laboratory, the in-depth design of the technological and construction aspects of an architectural structure is aimed at understanding and experimenting with the correct use of technological systems, innovative components and materials, energy-saving techniques and the improvement of bioclimatic comfort. The Laboratory places the project at the centre of teaching activities; for this reason, theoretical and practical activities are designed to be integrated and synchronised throughout the semester. In particular, theoretical knowledge concerns the design of construction systems and related elements, according to performance logic aimed at the quality of the architectural structure, which is reflected in the design in the use of traditional and/or innovative technologies, in relation to the principles of environmental sustainability. The teaching staff will provide the teaching material for the purpose of preparing the exam papers in the form of digitised files. During the semester, there will be three intermediate assignments and classroom exercises. The three assignments will concern the definition, according to gradual levels of detail, of the redevelopment interventions to be specified according to the identified design strategies and to be implemented The three assignments will concern the definition, according to gradual levels of detail, of the design interventions to be explained according to the design strategies identified and to be implemented with dry/hybrid construction systems and technologies, to be chosen from among those of wood, steel, prefabricated concrete and composite elements. The exercises will concern design activities on the application theme. They are divided into: - 6 exercises with support from the lecturer and tutors and will be structured in such a way as to constitute stages of progress in the development of the final project. The 6 exercises can be carried out in groups of 3|4 students. The first must be carried out individually.

At the beginning of the Studio the student will have to have acquired knowledge and understanding, as well as skills that will support, from a theoretical-methodological point of view, the deployment of technological strategies learned in technology courses 1 and 2. The student also must have knowledge and understanding, aimed at solving problems related to the appropriate practice of material processes and technologies that oversee the executive project in architecture.

After each lesson, handouts in .pdf format are uploaded to the e-learning platform. Battisti, A. (2012), Technologies for Small Buildings, Alinea Editrice, Firenze; Battisti A. (2020), Scambio di saperi tecnologici. Percorsi, spazi e tempi per un'architettura partecipata, Editore FrancoAngeli, Milano;

According to the regulations, students are required to attend and actively participate in laboratory activities (lectures and practicals). Structured around a calendar, the laboratory includes 10 lectures and 4 practicals per semester. At the end of the course, students must produce 5 tables in vertical A1 format (4 in groups of 3 and one individual table).

Attendance is mandatory. Attendance will be checked by signing in and out.

At the end of the course the student will have to demonstrate the ability to acquire knowledge and experience, to evaluate them and to re-elaborate them for the purpose of forming an independent and original judgment. In particular, the student must demonstrate skills in the autonomous management of the necessary consideration and integration of the different technological and environmental factors interacting in the same formulation of the urban regeneration project program, the preventive evaluation of the intrinsic effects, direct and indirect, connected to the transformation, deriving from the processes of infrastructure / construction, in order to achieve,the detailed project of intervention, with the aim of returning technologically innovative and environmentally sustainable solutions.

Battisti, A. (2012), Technologies for Small Buildings, Alinea Editrice, Firenze; Battisti A. (2020), Scambio di saperi tecnologici. Percorsi, spazi e tempi per un'architettura partecipata, Editore FrancoAngeli, Milano; Campioli, A., Lavagna, M. (2013), Tecniche e architettura, CittàStudi, Novara; Persiani S., Battisti A. (2015). Componenti Innovativi in Argilla per l'Architettura Sostenibile: Elementi Massivi a Prestazioni Migliorate. p.1-167, Edizioni Accademiche Italiane; Tucci F. (2014), Involucro, Clima, Energia. Qualità bioclimatica ed efficienza energetica in architettura nel progetto tecnologico ambientale della pelle degli edifici, Altralinea, Firenze.

According to the regulations, students are required to attend and actively participate in laboratory activities (lectures and exercises). Structured around a calendar, the laboratory includes 10 lectures and 4 exercises during the semester + 1 impromptu classroom exercise on hand drawing of window/buffer space/Winter Garten details and a field workshop on the project area where climate measurements will be taken. At the end of the course, students will be required to produce 5 boards in vertical A1 format (4 in groups of 3 and one individual board).

Introduction The Architectural Technological Design Laboratory is a third-year course within the single-cycle degree program in Architecture (CdL in Architettura c.u.). It falls under the disciplines of Architectural Technology (scientific-disciplinary sector ICAR/12) and involves a design experiment that integrates ideation, design, construction, and management as inseparable components. The course consolidates knowledge acquired in the first years of study regarding the technological culture of design, aiming to ensure control over the technical and morphological quality of a project at various scales while also anticipating the phases of construction and management of a building intervention. Aligned with fundamental knowledge of the construction process and particularly with its current conceptual evolutions and significant applications (complexity, circularity, evolving scenarios, etc.), the Laboratory seeks to provide an updated approach to methods and operational tools. These aim to foster the integrated conception of design solutions, targeting improvements in safety, usability, well-being, and flexibility while emphasizing sustainability and inclusivity. The design process emphasizes innovative technical solutions that are not predefined but are instead derived from an analysis of the needs to be met and a critical interpretation of potential solutions. These solutions leverage the performance capabilities of technological systems, innovative components and materials, and energy-saving techniques, all while considering the specificities of the intervention's context. The general objective of the Architectural Technological Design Laboratory is to guide students in developing integrated design solutions consistent with their specific constructive conception. These solutions will be evaluated for originality and technological innovation, focusing on environmental, social, and economic sustainability while maintaining technical and morphological quality. The specific objective is to transfer theoretical knowledge concerning the conception of building systems and their elements, adopting a performance-based logic aimed at the quality of the architectural artifact. This knowledge will be applied in developing a comprehensive project, addressed at the urban, architectural, and detailed scales. The project will explore the use of materials, technologies, construction systems, and implementation processes, evaluating alternative hypotheses in terms of sustainability in its various dimensions and anticipating all actions necessary for the full lifecycle of the intervention. Educational Content The Laboratory places the design process at the core of its teaching activities and is structured to establish a continuous relationship between theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline. To support the development of the design theme throughout the semester, theoretical in-depth studies (lectures and seminars) are included. These will introduce and apply theoretical concepts, methodological approaches, and design tools related to technological design, understood as "conscious design." This approach explores the sustainable and inclusive dimensions of the design in relation to the needs framework of the target users, the broader community, and contextual conditions. Theoretical lessons will delve into criteria, requirements, and design strategies regarding the sustainability of technological design at different levels: settlement/territorial, spatial/functional, technological/construction, and energy/environmental. Simultaneously, the design process will be conducted in stages, progressively focusing on the executive development of technological and construction solutions.

Disciplinary contents of the Architectural Technology courses of the first two years: knowledge on the technological culture of design, on the tools for managing the building process, on the criteria for selecting building materials and components and on the design of building systems and techniques. To take the Architectural Technological Design Laboratory it is necessary to have taken the second year Architectural Technology exam. It is strongly discouraged to attend the laboratory without having already acquired the knowledge and methodologies of the technological project object of the second year.

To attend the third-year Architectural Technological Design Laboratory, students must have acquired the theoretical knowledge and methodologies of technological design covered in the courses Technology of Architecture I and Technology of Architecture II, which are prerequisite exams. Access to the final exam is conditional upon obtaining a certificate of attendance, granted based on the following criteria: Attendance: Students must attend at least 70% of the total course hours. Attendance will be monitored through signatures upon entry and exit. Quality of Work: The level of work completed during the practical exercises (ex tempore). Knowledge of Topics: Knowledge of the subjects developed in the course, assessed through three intermediate submissions according to the activity schedule provided at the course's presentation. If the required thresholds for attendance and quality of work are not met, the student will need to retake the course in the following academic year. Conversely, if the student meets or exceeds the required thresholds, they will be admitted to the final exam. For the final exam, participation in all activities conducted during the semester is considered essential, along with familiarity with their procedures and adherence to the rules for preparing and submitting the required deliverables.

The examination consists of an oral interview on the topics covered during the course and the presentation of the developed project. The following aspects will be assessed during the final exam: The acquisition of cultural, theoretical, and methodological references specific to the discipline; The outcomes of the partial assignments completed at the end of the various operational phases of the semester, as well as the contribution made during seminar activities for the setup, development, and verification of applied works; The quality and disciplinary characterization of the required design outputs, with particular emphasis on the demonstrated ability to articulate and maintain a clear and coherent logical and operational structure in the application of processes, adopted techniques, and the formalization and communication of results. The exam is oral and individual, during which the student must demonstrate the ability to appropriately and consciously apply technological choices. This includes ensuring that the conception and design of fundamental technical elements, as well as their assembly, are executed with careful consideration of the contribution of materials, products, and construction processes to the architectural project. Such considerations must align with the user’s living needs and the long-term use of the building.

The Laboratory will consist of lectures, in-class exercises, midterm tests, revisions, and a final exam.