Following on the first year experience, the City and Territory Studio enriches the student's personal toolbox with additional reasoning on design references, the basic competence in regulatory techniques, and skills in defining spatial layouts at different dimensions and in different scales. The expected learning outcomes concern specifically the ability to work, individually and in teams, developing: - an integrated approach to spatial design and programmes: how urban agglomerations may be critically analyzed and interpreted with reference to broader understanding of the contemporary city and urbanization processes; - multifaceted competences in the morphological analysis of settlements: how to critically understand settlement’s functioning and spatial models, instrumental to elaboration and discussion of design ideas; - skills in handling quantitative tools to understand design opportunities: how to use statistical-quantitative indicators and operate critically with any parameters incorporated in the existing regulations (such as density and conventional urban standards), instrumental to urban design; - skills in recognizing, by means of design, the relationships between topography and the constituent elements of landscape; - an attitude to synthesize critical reasoning through urban design, intended as a moment of reconfiguration of what exists.

The studio builds upon the skills that students gained in the first year "Instructions" programme. In particular, the studio assumes that students have acquired: the basic critical understanding and design knowledge of the first year Architecture Design Studio; the analytical tools to understand and elaborate on the contemporary city developed in the first year Urban Planning course, together with the knowledge of elements of urban planning technique. The studio also requires that students possess the fundamentals of linear algebra, differential and integral calculus acquired during the Calculus course.

Key topics: - exploring alternative scenarios for underutilized sites within the existing urban fabric. - mapping, defining, and addressing urban/territorial challenges. - investigating urban scenarios for the “adaptive city” (i.e., that can react and adapt to continuous changing of socio-economic and environmental conditions). The City and Territory Design Studio B explores re-urbanization strategies for cities that undergo multiple and simultaneous transitions (environmental, social, technological, etc.). With more than 2.5 billion people expected to live in urban and metropolitan areas by 2050 amid climate concerns and increasing levels of resource consumption, cities are expected to identify strategies to make the most out of the existing infrastructures (green, blue, and grey), building stocks, and open urban spaces. Regenerating vacant or underutilized spaces within the urban fabric, and reusing abandoned structures and brownfield areas could be driving forces for redefining cities’ structure on the local scale, reducing soil consumption. The Design Studio provides a framework for students to address these critical issues using Torino as an open and flexible laboratory. Students will experiment with regeneration-oriented approaches for the post-industrial city, working on vibrant and emerging neighborhoods that are facing simultaneous challenges (e.g., market pressure, gentrification, changes in demographics, etc.). The aim of the Studio is threefold: 1) to explore a design process specific to existing urban environments; 2) to critically approach sites and strategies with particular attention to context and emerging needs and challenges; 3) to experiment with flexible urban patterns for the “adaptive city”, capable of responding and adapting to continuous changes in socio-economic and environmental conditions. Throughout the Studio, students will gain the competencies and critical tools required for addressing urban design proposals. This includes interpreting the existing agglomerations of activities and inhabitants, handling and using quantitative data, visualizing and communicating coherent spatial layouts, and exploring tensions between prescriptive visions based on land uses and morphological codes. Through the integration of Architectural and Urban Design, Urban Planning, and Probability and Statistics, students will gain practical experience in the interplay between qualitative and quantitative tools in urban design practice.

The Design Studio is structured to allow students to engage in diverse design practices, encompassing individual exercises, collaborative on-site work in small teams, and participation in thematic teams to discuss project performativity. To achieve this, the Design Studio is structured into three parts. 1) Part One: Foundation (October) In this initial part, the Studio introduces students to fundamental topics they will delve into during the course. The first part spans one month and is organized into three thematic weeks, each dedicated to a specific theme: a) Urbanization Models; b) Accessibility and Urban Infrastructure; c) Environmental Challenges for Adaptive Cities. Each week is designed as a workshop, balancing theory-based lectures with individual design exercises. At the end of this phase, students will select one of the three themes as the focus of their individual study for the remainder of the Design Studio. 2) Part Two: Site-Specific Project (November) The second part of the Studio is based on collaborative work, with students organized into teams of three to tackle a site-specific project. Activities are structured around studio work that involves design tasks and collective reviews in class with the guidance of tutors. The design process in this phase unfolds as follows: - Exploration of the Work Area: At the beginning of this phase, students are introduced to their project sites. They undergo comprehensive familiarization through in-class lectures, on-site exploration, and analytical exercises focused on both the site itself and its surroundings. - Urban Analysis: students acquire skills in mapping and visualizing the main urban/environmental structures. - Definition of Urban Scenarios: in this stage, students co-create scenarios by applying a co-design-based approach. This activity incorporates scenario visioning tools, role-play, and decision-making instruments. - Progressive Development of Architectural and Urban Design Proposal: This stage focuses on the definition of design strategies for the work area, with particular emphasis on the spatial articulation, the interplay between built and open spaces, as well as the aggregation of functions as outlined in the program. - Discussion of Design Proposal: This part concludes with a final daily workshop where students will discuss their design proposals, exploring projects’ performativity in alignment with the three main themes of urbanization models, accessibility and urban infrastructure, and environmental challenges for adaptive cities, all at the neighborhood scale. 3) Part Three: Finalization and Representation (December) In the third and final part, students focus on the finalization and representation of their urban design projects. This section involves collaborative design activities within teams and incorporates practical tutorials to guide students in experimenting with methods for visually and spatially articulating their urban and architectural proposals. Studio work will be carried out by integrating contributions of three disciplines (Architectural and Urban Design, Urban Planning, and Probability and Statistics) with joint reviews between teachers and tutors. Moreover, intermediate and final results will be discussed in collective revisions and presentations, which will include the participation of external critics.

The following list includes fundamental bibliographical references for the course. Further readings will be recommended during the Studio. Students are required to explore critically and independently prominent international architectural and urban journals and magazines (many of them available for consultation at the Architectural Central Library - BCA). • Hertzberger, H., 2016. Lessons for students in architecture. Rotterdam: nai010. • Sim D., 2019, Soft City. Building Density for Everyday Life: Island Press. • Bergevoet, T., Maarten Van T., 2016, The Flexible City: Sustainable Solutions for a Europe in Transition: Nai010 Publishers. • Kropf, K., 2017. The Handbook of Urban Morphology, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons. • Mumford, L., 1966, The City in History: Its Origins and Transformations, and its Prospects: Harcourt, Brace and World.

Lecture slides; Lecture notes; Multimedia materials;

Exam: Compulsory oral exam; Individual graphic design project; Group graphic design project; Individual project; Group project;

1. Throughout the Design Studio, students’ progress will be continuously monitored. Exercises, such as drawings and models, will be reviewed and corrected both individually and in public sessions during classes by the Studio supervisors and external critics. Therefore, regular attendance at lectures and seminars is highly recommended, complemented by active participation in tutorials, individual assignments, and teamwork. 2. The final evaluation of the Studio is one mark to which all three disciplines (Architectural and Urban Design, Urban Planning, and Probability and Statistics) contribute proportionally. The evaluation of each student combines: - individual and team exercises and projects. - oral discussion (during the final exam) to assess the competence of each student in bridging the issues addressed in the Studio. If a student is not adequately prepared, supervisors may address supplementary questions regarding the contents of one or more of the disciplines’ coursework during the oral discussion. Insufficient performance in just one of the three disciplines precludes the possibility of passing the entire exam. Students’ capacity to explain their ideas and proposals, even in verbal form, matters to the overall evaluation. 3. The evaluation will consider the following aspects, assessed on the basis of individual and teamwork outputs, (intermediate and final), weighed in the final evaluation as follows: - critical analysis and interpretation of urban agglomerations with reference to broader understanding of the contemporary city and urbanization processes (30%); - multifaceted competences in the morphological analysis of settlements (20%); - skills in handling quantitative tools to understand design opportunities (20%); - skills in establishing relationships, by means of design, between project proposals and their contexts (10%); - attitude to synthesize critical reasoning through urban design, intended as a moment of reconfiguration of what exists (10%); - clarity and quality of deliverables, with emphasis on correct representation and correct choice of technical terms (10%). 4. Praise will be granted when the highest score is achieved, and a consensus is reached among the teachers from all three disciplines.

In addition to the message sent by the online system, students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are invited to directly inform the professor in charge of the course about the special arrangements for the exam that have been agreed with the Special Needs Unit. The professor has to be informed at least one week before the beginning of the examination session in order to provide students with the most suitable arrangements for each specific type of exam.