Presentation of architecture studio projects

FILIPPO CAPRIOGLIO, ALBERTO FRANCINI, PAOLA GIACONIA, ANDREA PONSI

The area of study of the Architecture Design Studio is the relationship between a building and its context. In particular, students were challenged with the task of understanding the role and place of contemporary architecture in the historic city center of Florence. They learnt to recognize and interpret the special character and quality of the historic environment; they understood the significance of the place; and they proposed new projects that, while speaking the language of their time, considered the authenticity and integrity of the local urban heritage.

In Fall 2019 the Architecture Studios - led by professors Alberto Francini and Paola Giaconia - dealt with the design of a community center and a park in the San Frediano district of Florence. The site, located by the Torrino di Santa Rosa, will become a place for social and cultural engagement, where users may recognize the value of the Arno river as an urban asset and a place where biodiversity may thrive.

In Spring 2020, under the guidance of professors Filippo Caprioglio, Alberto Francini, Paola Giaconia and Andrea Ponsi, the students worked on the redesign of Piazza dei Ciompi where a multi-program urban building yields unexpected synergies to revitalize the neighborhood.

The project sites and their programs offered the students an opportunity to focus their attention on issues related to construction in historical contexts as dealt with by contemporary architectural culture. Also both are architectural interventions that bear significant urban implications, especially relevant for the city of Florence at this time.