The BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN STUDIO focuses on enhancing the students’ environmental awareness, analytical capability and design skills related to regeneration projects where heritage and landscape values are  predominant, within the general assumption that making the best possible use of existing resources  represents a fundamental strategy for sustainability in all building activities. The  Studio assumes the built environment as the specific ecological system of the human species: humans build up their own settlements over time, modifying and adapting the physical environment according to their own needs,  giving shape to landscape in a continuous,   increasingly powerful process  which evolves together with human societies.

The Studio offers a strong sustainability approach to design and construction in architecture, based on renewable energy and the sensible  use of social, cultural and material resources.

The studio promotes a design approach focused on the relationships between the buildings, the multi-faceted qualities of the physical environment, and their inhabitants. It also promotes the a deep understanding of the relationship between environment, technology and design, and of the connections between the material/energy exchanges with the environment along the life cycle of buildings.

Main results will be related to the ability to implement appropriate environmental and technological analytical methods and design strategies in relation to urban regeneration projects entailing a variety of opportunities within a general conservation framework: from re-use and retrofitting to new, sensible additions to the existent fabric. Also, keen attention will be paid to providing the ability to assess the degree of compliance of design and technical solutions, with a strong accent on key requirements such as sustainability and resilience, comfort and delight.

With reference to the ministerial indications reported in the SUA form of this CdS, the verification method of the Studio will be the public evaluation of each group’s  reports and design deliverables at fixed deadlines (see Point 5). The positive evaluation of deliverables will require that all students demonstrate the following learning outcomes (see "Dublin descriptors"):

1 knowledge and understanding, which enhance those associated to their educational 1st cycle, thus providing a basis for originality in developing and applying ideas, also within a research context;

2 ability to apply knowledge and understanding and problem-solving abilities in new environment, within multidisciplinary design context;

3 ability of making judgments, being able to integrate knowledge and handle complex situations and also to reflect on social and ethical responsabilities connected with their own future profession;

4 communication skills, acquired and trained by frequent presentations of their work to different audience in a clear and consistent  way;

5 learning skills allowing them to continue their educational and professional progress in an autonomous way.

The three modules will contribute in providing knowledge to develop design activities, with a strong multi-disciplinary approach.

The Environmental Technology module will mainly deal with:

• performance appraisal of the built environment: open urban spaces and existent buildings as an actual resource embodying many different values;
• appraisal of the environmental quality of the morphological characters of the built environment (intermediate spaces, arcades, shade and sunlight, greenery, shading devices, natural ventilation and lighting) and of the “naturally” well-tempered architecture.
• life cycle assessment (life cycle thinking, general concepts and major steps of life cycle assessment).

The design for built landscape module will focus on:

• Built landscape resources and ecological questions
• Scenarios, tools and techniques of urban/rural regeneration/re-composition
• Context and contextual Architecture, urban and landscape design

The Built Heritage module will aim to:

• recognize the existing built environment as a resource for the sustainable development of design and construction in architecture, promoting the preservation and the transformation of this heritage;
• develop a deep knowledge process to consciously engage the complex relationship between architectural, urban and landscape design, and historical pre-existences (methodological approach to the built heritage through knowledge, conservation and project);
• discuss the theoretical and technical tools for the design of the existing built environment (indicators of vulnerability, theoretical implications and methodological questions for a responsible conservation and "re-use" project).
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web references

International charters for conservation and restoration, ICOMOS: http://openarchive.icomos.org/431/

 Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns, ICOMOS, 2008: http://www.icomos.org/publications/monuments_and_sites/15/pdf/Monuments_and_Sites_15_ISCS_Glossary_Stone.pdf

In order to fully benefit from the Studio attendance, students should possess a basic knowledge and understanding of basic Building Materials and Building Physics.  

Organisation

The core of the Studio is the workshop design activity: students shall work in groups (max 3 students per group), developing their design scheme under the teachers’ tutorship. Lectures and seminars specific to the workshop topics will be provided all along the workshop activity, as well as on-site visits.

Further indications and additional readings will be provided on the BeeP site.

The final evaluation will take place at the exam, which shall consist for each group in a formal presentation of all the deliverables required – according to further instruction that will be published in BeeP – followed by the discussion with each group.

Three deadline presentations during the Course will be established: all groups will be requested to attend each of them. The final deadline will be followed by a critique session and a mark will be proposed for the group work. ALL members of each group must know and be able to explain every part of the group work.

The final mark will be assigned at the exam. At the exam, in addition to the work group, each student will be required to submit a small, individual work, within the group project theme, which could increase the individual mark.

Each group and group member will be free either to accept the proposed mark, or to present the work in a following date of the same appeal, or again in the following two appeals.

PLEASE NOTE that in any case, NO FURTHER REVIEWS will be made after the end of the regular Studio term. We therefore recommend working as much as possible in the classroom and regularly attending the reviews  that will take place continuously during the term.

The Studio detailed  schedule and the characteristics of the presentations and deliverables will be given at the beginning of the Studio and published on the BeeP page of the Studio, as well as any further indications.

Compulsory attendance is required.

selected chapters - further indication BeeP

selected chapters

(selected chapters in English will be provided),