Kent State University, Florence Program | CAED - Most Inspiring Students' Projects (Spring 2015)

9 788890 889738

KSU FLORENCE \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Most Inspiring Students’ Projects - SPRING 2015 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

ISBN 978-88-908897-3-8

KSU FLORENCE

Most Inspiring Students’ Projects SPRING 2015

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY | FLORENCE PROGRAM \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Š 2015 KSU Florence Press. All rights reserved KSU Florence Press vicolo dei Cerchi 1 - 50122 Firenze, Italy info@ksuflorencecaed.net www.ksuflorencecaed.net Printed in Italy ISBN 978-88-908897-3-8

KSU FLORENCE

Most Inspiring Students’ Projects SPRING 2015

Most Inspiring Students’ Projects

Index Introduction . 06 (Fabrizio Ricciardelli and Paola Giaconia) Presentation of architecture studio projects . 12 (Filippo Caprioglio, Enzo Fontana, Alberto Francini, Paola Giaconia, Andrea Ponsi) Emily Appelbaum, Visual Links . 18 Adam DeChant, Cultura Crescente . 20 Hayden Erdman, Reclaim . 22 Jonathan Large, Modularity . 24 Evan Mason, Volumetric Voids . 26 Kurt Nelson, Centro Civico . 28 Alex Petruso, Manipulating Perceptions .

Cayla Walter, Split in Two . 32

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Presentation of interior design studio projects .

(Federico Grazzini) Aparna Avasarala, Fiber . 40 Sarah Leininger, Speeding through the Past .

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Most Inspiring Students’ Projects

Introduction

FABRIZIO RICCIARDELLI, KSU-FLORENCE DIRECTOR

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I am happy to see the production of the Architecture and of the Interior Design studios this Spring 2015 semester, and I am pleased with this publication, which collects the works and, in the course of the years, will provide important documentation of the activity of KSU-Florence Program in Architecture and in Interior Design.

The studio projects were quite challenging for our students, both sites being so relevant for Florentines: º Ë 5 5 É 9 ã8 8 6 8

Architecture studios) has the potential to become one of the most lively public spaces in the city, its proximity to Piazza del Duomo and to the Ospedale degli Innocenti providing true assets for its future development; Âş Ă‹5 5 6 * 9 $ 69 ĂŁ8 8 6 8 Ă 98 6 Design studios) is a very grand prototype of medieval architecture and was the seat of the City Council in the decade when Florence was capital of Italy.

As director of the school, I am also very intrigued seeing students’ explorations and design proposals for our city. Their restless explorations result in lively discussions on the occasion of midterm and final reviews.

I especially commend the students whose project is featured in these pages. They all

demonstrated high commitment to their work. I am sure that absorbing the vitality of Florence’s art and culture during this semester has been especially beneficial for them all.

Finally, I congratulate their professors (prof.

Filippo Caprioglio, prof. Enzo Fontana, prof.

Alberto Francini, prof. Paola Giaconia, prof.

Andrea Ponsi and prof. Federico Grazzini), whose intellectual and artistic abilities I am very aware of. I know well what each of them had to offer to our younger generation of designers. A special note goes to Professor Paola Giaconia, whose work as coordinator of the KSU-Florence Program in Architecture and Interior Design is invaluable.

Thank you all for your intense work!

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This booklet collects the studio projects of the students awarded in the “Most Inspiring Student Project� competition that launched in the Spring 2015 semester. This is a recognition that, as coordinator for the Architecture and Interior Design program at KSU Florence, I deem especially important.

First, because it constantly documents the growth and evolution of our didactic program. Secondly, because it enhances a dialogue among students and challenges them individually, while also reminding them of the experiences and abilities of their own colleagues.

In particular, the competition was open to all students of Architecture and Interior Design studios of Kent State University, Florence Program. It celebrated emerging student talent by awarding the top student work. We evaluated a very varied array of design proposals (on two different sites - Piazza Brunelleschi and Palazzo Spini Feroni- and with different design programs - a humanistic library and a museum for the visual arts) which represent, overall, a testimony of this semester’s activity.

A jury composed by KSU-Florence design studio faculty and invited KSU faculty (prof.

Jonathan Fleming, prof. Kelly Stinson, prof.

David Thal, prof. Jon Yoder) from the main campus selected two projects per studio as the winners. The top projects were selected based on: Âş 5 8 6 8 6 8ĂŞ Âş 8 Ă? 9 6 8 9858 69ç 8 merit awards were issued to these Architecture students: Âş # ĂŒ5 Âş 5 ĂŠ 598 Âş &5 9 # 59 Âş 76958 59 Ăˆ5 Âş #Ă?59 N5 69 Âş ' 8 - 69 Âş ĂŽ Ă‹ 8 6 Âş 5 5 ;5 8 2 merit awards were issued to these Interior Design students: Âş 5 95 Ă?5 5 5 5 Âş *5 5 Ăˆ 9 9 A commencement ceremony was held at Palazzo Cerchi on Thursday May 7, 2015, on

PAOLA GIACONIA, KSU-F ARCHITECTURE AND I.D. PROGRAM COORDINATOR

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the occasion of the end-of-semester school reception.

Palazzo Bartolini-Baldelli in piazza Santa Croce.

Winners were given a certificate, in the presence of arch. Eva Parigi, Member of the Board of Directors at Fondazione Architetti Firenze; prof. Fabrizio Ricciardelli, director at KSU Florence; prof. Paola Giaconia, Architecture and Interior Design program coordinator at KSU Florence.

All of this brings great satisfaction to the school and we hope also a bit of encouragement to the students because they are increasingly aware of the need to grow with the experience and improve by comparison with colleagues.

Winners were awarded with the publication of their design in this booklet. Also, the winning entries were displayed on boards at the end-of-semester school reception.

All students’ projects were displayed on the occasion of the end of semester exhibition which was held on Thursday May 7, 2015 at

KSU

FLORENCE College of Architecture and Environmental Design

End of Semester Show Thursday May 7, 2015 from 9 am to 6 pm

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Most Inspiring Students’ Projects

Presentation of architecture studio projects

FILIPPO CAPRIOGLIO, ENZO FONTANA, ALBERTO FRANCINI, PAOLA GIACONIA, ANDREA PONSI

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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.

The Spring 2015 project dealt with the redesign of Piazza Brunelleschi and addition to an existing building complex. This is an architectural intervention that bears significant urban implications and one that is especially significant for our city at this time.

Under the guidance of professors Filippo Caprioglio, Enzo Fontana, Alberto Francini, Paola Giaconia and Andrea Ponsi, the students worked on the design of the new entrance facilities for the Humanities Library of the University of Florence and of the piazza. The addition accommodates a cafe of about 200 square meters, an exhibition area of about 400 square meters, two auditoriums (a large one for 300 seats and a small one for

100), a bookshop and free reading areas and study rooms, directly connected to the library.

Piazza Brunelleschi is located between two major piazzas of Florence (Piazza Duomo and Piazza SS. Annunziata) and is just one block southeast of one of the main axis of the historic city (via dei Servi). A historical building is facing Piazza Brunelleschi: the “Rotonda degli Angeli�, designed in 1427 by Filippo Brunelleschi. More to the southeast, but a bit away from the piazza, are the remnants of a XIII century convent (Santa Maria degli Angeli), which underwent various renovations and refurbishings over the centuries. Finally, on the southwest side of the piazza, is a residential building by Giovanni Michelucci, one of most renowned Florentine architects of the 20th century.

The project site and its program offered the students an opportunity to focus their attention on issues related to construction in historical contexts as dealt with by contemporary architectural culture.

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Students’ Projects Architecture

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Visual Links

EMILY APPELBAUM

prof. Filippo Caprioglio’s studio

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Cultura Crescente ADAM DECHANT

prof. Alberto Francini and Enzo Fontana’s studio

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Reclaim

HAYDEN ERDMAN

prof. Filippo Caprioglio’s studio

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Modularity

JONATHAN LARGE

prof. Andrea Ponsi’s studio

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Volumetric Voids EVAN MASON

prof. Alberto Francini and Enzo Fontana’s studio

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Centro Civico KURT NELSON

prof. Paola Giaconia’s studio

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Manipulating Perceptions ALEX PETRUSO

prof. Paola Giaconia’s studio

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Split in Two CAYLA WALTER

prof. Andrea Ponsi’s studio

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Most Inspiring Students’ Projects

Presentation of interior design studio projects

FEDERICO GRAZZINI

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The main Interior design project for the 2015 Spring semester has been centred on the adaptation of a historic Florentine Palace, Palazzo Spini-Feroni, into a Museum for the Visual Arts.

One important characteristic of this site is that the building is located within walking distance of the school and it’s fully accessible, at least in the parts which the students were asked to intervene on. During the first site visit students had the chance to experience and familiarise themselves with the typical features and irregular plan layout of the medieval/renaissance urban fabric of Florence’s city centre.

In the first two-staged research and analysis phase, students have tried to read out the plan of the building highlighting the various elements belonging to different epochs and comparing them with similar precedents.

Subsequently they have carried out a detailed analysis of at least three contemporary examples of museums located in a similar historical context.

During the Study Tours course, which runs in parallel to the Studio, students had also the chance to visit many other similar structures, both in Florence, Rome, Venice and other italian cities.

Besides the historical analysis, the definition of the collection of the museum has represented the other important part of the definition of their project. Defining their own theme and collection for the museum ensured that the museum’s spaces were designed around the selected artworks. This put the young designers in the special and interesting condition to be both the curator and the designer of their own museum.

The interplay of these two equally strong influences, the historical and the essentially contemporary nature of the museum as a cultural institution, has in a few cases led to very interesting results, but, what’s more important, has enabled all the students to elaborate a complex answer to the brief based on the threefold concepts of their instinctual reaction to the site, the historical analysis and their rational attitude as editors of their own path through the visual arts.

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Students’ Projects Interior Design

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Fiber

APARNA AVASARALA

prof. Federico Grazzini’s studio

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Speeding through the Past SARAH LEININGER

prof. Federico Grazzini’s studio