In the Course students read, interpret and re-elaborate the specific value of Spatial Design, investigating the vast open field of project research related to the deepest and most variable characteristics of living, intended in all its extensions, that are at the origin of urban modifications. Over time, this research road has had a constant matrix in the development, in various forms, perspectives and places, of the concept of “enhancement” of indoor and outdoor spaces, in a frame of “genetic development of the urban metabolism”. It is a project vision based on the analysis and critical reading of the contemporary (and near future) conditions of living in the flow of urban transformations.

Students:
- know and understand the processes, methods and instruments needed to interpret, in a critical manner, the project themes connected with the Spatial Design sphere;
- know how to analyse the reference context and elaborate complex projects for space enhancement;
- autonomously and in a group, make and report on the design choices made, developing an aptitude for negotiation, team building, the acceptance of leadership and conflict management.

The course is based on the "open neighborhood" line of research, a topic of study that began ten years ago and which has seen the development of interior design workshops projects introduced within various contexts, such as the Milan Expo area, Castello Ducale in Vigevano, the railway link and the magazzini raccordati (rail-linked warehouses) in Milan. All of these are united by an intention to redevelop and regenerate the urban fabric to restore cultural, social and economic life to the area affected by the project.

The theme of the workshop will be driven by the aim to redevelop culture in all its forms, with specific providers (museums, theaters, foundations) identified as regenerative pivots for a given area. In this delicate historical moment, culture is assuming a fundamental role for society. It can become a tool for shared well-being and new forms of public can give strength to the sense of community that is currently weakened by the lockdown.

This project aims to create new and concrete uses of art. Social distancing and limited spaces must be transformed from constraints to become design stimuli for a renaissance of "in between" urban spaces. Cultural spaces will expand towards new places, where the border between inside and outside will become increasingly unstable and, together with new forms of services that may/must also be commercial in nature, they will regenerate areas in a "blurred" way by connecting places of art to the city. 

Students will be asked to design in four dimensions: time has become variable in our daily lives, and is a fundamental component of design. They will also have to look carefully at new technologies and their application in the use of art and beyond. The project must therefore take into account a fundamental change associated with the post lockdown period, namely proximity. Tourism will be less global and more local, which means there will be cultural offerings with fewer "mainstream" names of international appeal and more "intimate" events that exploit local strengths and archives in a more sustainable way. 

There are no pre-requisites for attendance.