General intention of the Architectural & Urban Design Studio (A&UD) is to develop individual awareness of the design process, focusing on the analytical aspects, the technical skills and the cultural background. The Studio challenges students to deal with the high level of complexity typical in the human-built urban environment systems through a practical experience. The "design project" is used as a means of discovery: students are encouraged to explore ways of working and to establish their individual work method in the architectural design practice. Studio tasks will train students to consider the interdisciplinary approach as a way to drive technical solutions to a cultural complex decision making process as the architectural project is.

The Design Studio is an immediate full immersion into the complexity of the architectural and urban analysis and design. The aim of the course is to professionalize students with theories and techniques for designing within an urban site characterized by an average level of functional complexity. The goal is to mature students' reading skills and proposition design of the "new" additions of the city, in places characterized by historical pre-existences to deal with.
Knowledge to be acquired:
- action strategies in urban sites
- housing typologies
- composition and quality of built spaces
- theoretical and methodological approaches
- interrelation among space, function and structure
Skills to be developed:
- analysis of urban structure and design of occupy methods thru graphics, models and appropriate language
- identification of spatial standards and their measuring
- correct use of distribution and architectural elements

There are no restrictions to attend the Design Studio.
More generally, the students will demonstrate to be able to understand and describe forms in space, using the basic knowledge of building models and the graphic representation techniques in a correct way, both by hand and computer. Further, the students will be asked to actively participate in the collective architectural debate through reading, discussing and making questions, talking, thinking, searching and designing together, learning by both students and teachers who will promote the classroom dialogue.

• Introduction to design, architectural design, "learning by doing" pedagogy, studio course work
The Design Studio, in its complete articulation, explores the relations between the contemporary architecture and the historical city. The student is supposed to develop an architectural design in an urban site thru a whole comprehension of the urban characteristic.
During the lessons and the design reviews, the following topics will be discussed:
- methods of composition of shapes and volumes: contemporary techniques and main theories
- materials of architecture: light, color, texture
- building for the city: the concept of place
- memory and invention: the connection with the tradition
- morphological structures of the historical city: phases and changes
- functional diagrams and distribution
- planning and housing requirements/standards
- basics of building typology
- basics of structures and technical elements
- basics of representation
Students are supposed to produce drawings and models in the appropriate scale, representing architectural concepts and relations set up with the city and the environment, developing the main elements up to basic technical details.

The didactic works within the laboratory are organized through:
- lectures (by teachers and if possible guest lecturers. As by schedule)
- reviews (carried on by teachers, following the development of the projects)
- seminar presentations (students, collectively)
- mid-term and/or final-critic (by teacher and if possible by Visiting Critic. As by schedule)
- exercises ex-tempore (students, in classroom)
The design activities are carried on in small groups during the class hours (2-3 students per group), to enhance the social and interpersonal skills of the students and their attitudes to discussion. On the contrary, exercises will be executed individually.
Survey is hardly suggested, but not mandatory.

Fundamental:
_Hertzberger H., Lezioni di architettura, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 1996 (available in English as Lessons for Students in Architecture, Uitgeverij 010 Publisher, Rotterdam 1991).
Suggested:
_Banerjee T., Southworth M. (eds.), City sense and city design: writings and projects of Kevin Lynch, MIT, Cambridge-London 1990.
_Carmona M. (et al.), Public places-urban spaces: the dimensions of urban design, Elsevier, Amsterdam 2010.
_Curtis J. R. W., Conclusione: modernità, tradizione, autenticità, in Id., L’architettura moderna del Novecento, Bruno Mondatori, Milano 1999, pp. 685-689 (available in English as Modern Architecture Since 1900, Phaidon, London 1982. Only the final chapter).
_Farina M., Spazi e figure dell’abitare, Quodlibet, Macerata 2012 (ITA only).
_Gausa M. et al., The Metapolis Dictionary of Advanced Architecture, Actar, Barcelona 2003 (ENG only).
_Gresleri J., Cohousing. Esperienze internazionali di abitare condiviso, Plug_in, Busalla 2015 (ITA only).
_Home & Communities Agency, Urban Design Compendium 1 & 2, London, https://udc.homesandcommunities.co.uk/urban-design-compendium?page_id=&page=1
_Leupen B., Mooij H., Housing Desing, NAi PublisherRotterdam 2011 (ENG only).
_Lynch K., L'immagine della città, Marsilio, Venezia 1964 (available in English as The Image of the City, MIT 1960)
_Moneo R., The Solitude of Buildings, in Rafael Moneo 1967-2004, El Croquis 2004, p. 608-15.
_Schittich C. (ed.), High-Density Housing, Birkhäuser edition Detail, Basel-Berlin-Boston 2007.
_Schittich C. (ed.), Housing for People of All Ages, Birkhäuser edition Detail, Basel-Berlin-Boston 2007.
_Távora F., Organizzare lo spazio, in "Casabella", LXV (2001), n. 693, pp. 46-49 (ITA/ENG).
_Tonkiss F., Cities by design: the social life of urban form, Polity, Cambridge 2013.
_Zumthor P., Pensare architettura, Electa, Milano, 2004 (ITA only).
Further, "Basics" Handbooks printed by Birkhäuser, particularly:
_Bielefeld B., Skiba I., Technical Drawings, Birkhäuser,.
_Bürklin T., Peterek M., Urban Building Blocks, Birkhäuser, Basel-Berlin-Boston 2008.
_Exner U., Pressel D., Spatial Design, Basel-Berlin-Boston 2009.
_Krebs J., Design and Living, Birkhäuser, Basel-Berlin-Boston 2007.
_Schwalbach G., Urban Analysis, Birkhäuser, Basel-Berlin-Boston 2009.
Further appropriate texts could be reported from time to time in relation to the topics discussed in classroom.

As the design process is followed for all the course long through weekly reviews, meetings and group discussions, the assessment will consider the theoretical and technical proficiency of the students. Midterm critics and exercises will provide the teacher further elements for the evaluation of the single student.
The final examination will verify the knowledge and the achieved skills of the student, and consists in an oral discussion to evaluate the architectural process carried on during the semester and the designs outcomes. Adopted urban strategies, architectural quality and consistency of the building choices will be analyzed for the final assessment.