The Atelier/Workshop represents a fundamental multi-disciplinary design experience for the student at the first year of Master course. Therefore, the combination of the three disciplines marking the Workshop is meant to offer the student the possibility of increasing her/his knowledge and understanding on sustainable design issues, and developing a tutorial project where concepts and learnings are consistently applied.

The expected learning goals mainly concern:
- theory of architecture and urban planning;
- theory and practice of sustainable architecture and planning;
- tools and methods of the sustainable design disciplines;
- eco-friendly building materials and requirements.
The main teaching tools are the lectures, supplemented by seminars and hands-on trainings, coordinated between various modules of the different disciplines.
The student will achieve the following capabilities:
- be able to face planning and design with both theoretical and practical tools;
- be able to carry out design activities with an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach;
- be able to analyse significant aspects of the planning sites, in their historical, urban and environmental contexts;
- be able to develop project ideas, consistent with the dominant character of the area under study;
- be able to solve complex problems from a multidisciplinary perspective. In particular, the transformation of the natural or built environment, and the quality of architecture in relation to the environmental and building sciences.

The basic knowledge of architectural and urban design, as well as the fundamentals of architectural technology and technical physics are considered to be already attained. The essential knowledge of design and representation tools, methods, codes (2D and 3D) is also required.

Low-carbon building in a low-carbon city
link between the urban and the building scale in the perspective of smart and adaptive planning

The Atelier/Workshop provides the student with an understanding of the sustainable building processes in urban areas. It integrates urban and architectural design, environmental technology, technical physics, both at the masterplan and at the building design level.
The lessons, dealing with the concepts of smart cities and sustainable building, will deepen the innovative aspects, through the experiences of some renown international cities, and through the direct testimony of academics, designers, industries engaged on these topics.
The workshop aims at providing students with the basics of the current debate and practice on smart and low-carbon cities and buildings, bringing them into the up-to-date research domain of the team of tutors.
The practical training will facilitate the student in the implementation of innovative solutions, by designing and evaluating their effectiveness and performances.

The activities are both theoretical and practical: from the analysis and planning to design implementation and assessment.
The hands-on design involves a common framework for all design steps:
- all activities will result in a clearly identified product (text or graphical work);
- the outcome of each activity can be considered a milestone in the development of the overall final design;
- at each milestone, design strategies or products are presented to all Workshop' members (tutors and students): these collective discussions and debates are first-stage evaluations, that will end with the final examination.
The ability to clearly illustrate and effectively discuss the design products is considered an important Workshop outcome, since accurate presentations are fundamental components in current urban programs (consultation and negotiation processes).

The design activity will be carried out by students organized in small groups.
The Atelier will follow two major modules, based on short duration workshops, with tangible results for both modules.
Each module is structured in two stages:
- Teaching (learning), through the lessons by the team of lecturers and the direct contribution of academics, designers, companies engaged in international smart and low-carbon city projects; each "teaching session" has a duration of 1,5 hrs;
- Working (practicing), through the practical design work, translating concepts learned during the teaching sessions into design models.

1) Low Carbon City Workshop
One square kilometer of a new international low-carbon city expansion is chosen. This 1 km2 is part of a wider new area of an existing city on which low-carbon city guidelines are given. The Workshop must provide innovative planning solutions for the selected new urban area, with the application of smart and low-carbon city concepts: low carbon energy, low carbon mobility, accessibility and urban security, low carbon building, temporary uses, incremental strategies.
The first introductory lesson offers international guests, coordinators of Low-Carbon Cities programs.
Planned sessions: 8
Forecasted completion: 13 November 2015.

2) Low Carbon Building Workshop
After outlining the design and technological guidelines of buildings for the 1 km2 area, the workshop will develop advanced, sustainable architectural design on one single block by each individual project team. Topics to be handled include: the relationship between building site and microclimate, the exploitation of renewable energy sources, the design of building-system integration, the hybridizations between new architecture and existing urban fabric or built environment.
The first introductory lesson offers international guests, coordinators of "smart buiding" projects in Europe.
Planned sessions: 12
Forecasted completion: 22 January 2016.

Several international studies and researches offer a reference framework for the Atelier/Workshop activities (WWF report Reinventing the City 2010, Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change 2006), and some plans and programs as well - PlaNYC 2030 (Bloomberg’s plan) and Chicago Climate Action Plan.
Further bibliographic references will be provided during the course.
In addition, useful books to support the student in theoretical aspects of the course are listed below:

• Matteoli L., Pagani R., "CITYFUTURES, Architettura Design Tecnologia per il futuro delle città", Hoepli Milano 2010
• Chiesa G., "Biomimetica, tecnologia e innovazione per l'architettura", Celid Torino 2010
• Butera F.M., Dalla caverna alla casa ecologica. Storia del comfort e dell'energia, Edizioni Ambiente, 2007
• AA.VV. "A Green Vitruvius, Principles and Practice of Sustainable Architectural Design", James&James Publisher, London 1999
• Marianella Sclavi (Ed.), Iolanda Romano, Sergio Guercio, Andrea Pillon, Matteo Robiglio, Isabelle Toussaint “Avventure Urbane. Progettare la città con gli abitanti” Eleuthera, Milano 2014 (2)
• Robiglio M.; Durbiano G. “Paesaggio e Architettura nell'Italia Contemporanea” Donzelli, Roma 2003
• M. Baum, K. Christiaanse (ed.), “City as a Loft. Adaptive Reuse as a resource for sustainable urban development”, gta Verlag, Zurich 2012.
• Stefanutti L., Impianti di climatizzazione, Milano, Tecniche Nuove, 2011
• Stefanutti L. Impianti per gli edifici sostenibili, Milano, Tecniche Nuove 2009
• ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, Air conditioning Engineers) handbooks: Fundamentals and HVAC Applications.
• Haines, R.W., Wilson, C. L., HVAC systems design handbook - 5rd ed. (McGraw-Hill) New York
• Watson, D., editor (1993). The Energy Design Handbook. AIA Press, Washington, DC, USA.

The Atelier/Workshop implies a regular participation that will lead to an individual judgment. The activities will be monitored through interim evaluations, with the participation of all tutors. These interim assessments will concur in the final grade, complementing the presentation and discussion of final design product. Atelier activities are carried out by students in groups, but the judgment for each student will be an individual one (expressed with one score), that takes account interim evaluations (written, oral, graphical) and mono-disciplinary seminars, evaluation of presentations and discussions, individual participation in all working steps.
In order to pass the exam the student must prove the achievement of a positive result in all disciplines belonging to the Atelier/Workshop.