Il Laboratorio di Progettazione Finale intende fornire un'esperienza progettuale complessa e multidisciplinare, accompagnata da un momento di apertura problematica verso gli orizzonti al centro della pratica, della cultura, del dibattito architettonico contemporaneo. Attraverso una differenziata sperimentazione progettuale affrontata alle diverse scale del progetto, obiettivo del laboratorio è sviluppare un'azione di sintesi capace di coniugare ai contenuti teorici del tema proposto un'attività applicata in grado di mettere in pratica le nozioni progettuali acquisite nelle precedenti esperienze laboratoriali. Il laboratorio è caratterizzato dalla centralità dell'esperienza nel progetto, fondata sull'integrazione e la sintesi delle discipline, promuovendo la sinergia fra le medesime, siano esse tecnico-scientifiche, umanistiche e artistiche, al fine di integrare e arricchire gli ambiti di conoscenza progettuale sia dal punto di vista tecno-tipologica sia da quello costruttivo.

The course is a mix of these disciplines: Urban planning - Landscape design and Interior design.

Some key words describe our point of view: plan as a process, that involves inhabitants; relationship between landscape and nature; art and public installations.

We will start from the TOPIC of MILAN and the Secret Waters.

Historically, Milan has always had a strong relationship with water. Or le acque, the waters: different qualities of waters and different place where they show themselves.

Nowadays, it could not be so immediate to perceive the presence of Water in the city. But Milan, as a matter of fact, is a city of Water. Water can be discovered underground (a big "secret river" crosses the city in many directions); or in some basins (quarry ...), often in natural areas (as in North Park, Mines Park and others); in Hydroscale, a big artificial lake, or in splendid risorgive (natural sources) and in Navigli, artificial and old canals.

Also the ancient symbol of Milan - a snake with a child in its mouth - gives us some hints about water, landscape and society. We will tell about this.

Milan in Latin is "Mediolanum": we can say it means 'in the middle'. In the middle of what? Surely, between two rivers: in fact Milan even if it doesn’t have a mains stream, it's located between some couples of rivers as: - Ticino/Adda - Olona / Lambro - Seveso and Little River from Groane

We think Water Water as a source of innovation in planning.

We think also Art and Nature are two important elements that can offer focus points  to work on to create or improve places. 

With regard to urban planning (Pietro Lembi), we will analyze the historical evolution of territory and the different ways of representing it and waters. We will analyze how planners and the public agencies plan and manage (urban) transformations: we will talk about tools, plane, processes, different methods to involve the inhabitants.

With regard to Landscape Design (Angelo Dal Sasso), we will take a look at the following topics:

- Nature, component of urban daily life;

- Natural eco-systems in the city.

- Sustainable stormwater strategies; Sustainable urbanism; 

- Vegetation and water; Architecture and vegetation, Architecture of vegetation;  

- Visual and perception quality of open spaces; 

We will consider Interior Design (Matteo Pirola) as a close point of view from human approach to spaces, that have to be defined: searching for architectural facts that involve people in an open interior. Looking at exhibition design, installation of situations, works of art: from furniture to sculpture. Contemporary art will be taken as a stimulation for understanding and developing active project in public spaces

We will ask you to make a project related to specific sites.

Project and organization

We will ask students to make a project related to specific sites.

Working on the relationships between places, secret rivers, art and nature will be way to achieve our goals.

Students will use all the typical tools of the Architect, to work on this theme: sketches, drawings, maquettes, 3D rendering, reports, ...

By a series of surveys, we will get directly in touch with these aims, and we will train our senses to catch the “soul of the places‿ (genius loci) and learn how to improve and transform the city landscape.

(We are considering some places to go. For example: Chiaravalle, the countryside, the old Abbey and Nosedo Waste Water Treatment Plant; Villa Panza, one of the most important contemporary art collection in the world; Basilea, as example of modern city able to improve with Urban Water sensitive planning, could be some of our study trips destinations).

Body mind consciousness can drive us towards an inner journey that will envolve as well the outward journey in the places of the project. We will experiment in class and in open air the language of the body and the relationship between people and places.

The course will be in English. At the beginning we will spend time to understand how to organize lessons and groups. And we will show how different languages allow to come out many different aspects of reality.

The assessment will test the following skills:

1 knowledge and understanding

2 applying knowledge and understanding

3 making judgements

4 communication skills

5 learning skills 

Exam provides:

- oral part (questions about course topics and links with disciplines and with other courses and experiences 

- evaluation (group and individual) of report

- evauation (group and individua) of project

The group's projects will  be  evaluated  according  to  the  following aspects: quality  of  the  idea  in  accordance  with  the  principles  and  methods  proposed; ability  of  argumentation  and  representation;  quality  of  products  and  their  formalization,  such  as  drawings,  models,  movies; learning  ability and group collaboration.