Learning from Bologna

Abstract

The first semester begins with a field trip to Bologna. Collectively we develop a survey of selected examples through inspired drawings. During the second half of the semester we engage with the project of student accommodation. The selected case studies become the objects of intervention: different strategies of adaptive reuse are explored and confronted with the condition of the city at large.

Objective

Master the analysis and portrayal of historical case studies through reasearch and drawings. Foster a multifaceted interpretation of architectural principles and characteristics, while developing an environmentally aware approach to design, addressing climate issues on a typological level. Cultivate an understanding of the topic in relation to contemporary issues. Learn to study and approach existing and historical buildings, their context and construction principles. Investigate adaptive resue strategies and develop an architectural intervention with a clear formal and tectonic language.

Content

Design Studio III: The architecture of the city is not only the title of one of the most important publications in recent architectural history, it is also the center around which our teaching and research revolve: the collective architectural work, the large, often anonymous mass of buildings that we call the city. It is the typical, which can be described in principles and structures – typology – but also the monuments, the infrastructure buildings and all the institutions of urban life, which we make the subject of our work. This semester we start our studio with an excursion to Bologna, our ideal city. Bologna is a social city, red for its bricks but also for its communist history. The city was carefully renewed in the 1970s and 1980s, but the famous arcades, which line almost all the streets in the large historic city center, were retained, renewed and even rebuilt during the 20th century. They embody the social, collective space more beautifully than almost any other architectural element. The arcades of Bologna stand for the shared property that we call public space. Based on selected examples of both anonymous structures and famous buildings, we study the urban architecture of Bologna. We start our common journey of discovery with an analysis - open and experimental, but also systematic and critical. Together we discover, examine and document each case study, discuss and develop criteria and categories. As a studio we collectively develop a culture of representation where multi-layered drawings and models, as well as the handling of historical references, will form the methodological basis for the design. Playfully and at the same time systematically, we work on a shared vocabulary of the architecture of the city. However, the city is never finished; it is subject to constant change. The economy of a city changes, and with it the social fabric and therefore the demands people place on their city and their homes. Bologna is a university city. One of the oldest universities in the western world is located here. Today, almost 100000 students study and live in Bologna, but the city is dealing with a dramatic housing shortage. Therefore, we propose to convert all our Bolognese case studies into student housing! The design strategies can range from conversion, addition, or internal densification to completely new buildings made from the old existing building material. Only if we keep reinventing and renewing the city its architecture can become Ideal Architecture. Lecture "Construction III": The overall topic of the lecture series is “Construction – Elements of Architecture”. The lecture series gives the students an insight into different construction and design methods. The lectures are held by four different professorships in a block of 5 lectures in a row and showcasing their individual approach on design and architecture in general.

Resources