03869 - Architecture and Architectural Composition I (B)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, through the study of the theme of the house/dwelling, students will acquire the principles and techniques of architectural composition and design through a series of exercises.

As a preliminary step towards developing an individual architectural composition, students will gain an initial understanding of design techniques through the description, survey and representation of selected case studies that have marked different periods in architectural history.

Through the design of a simple architectural organism—the human dwelling—developed within the design studio, students will become familiar with the methodological tools required to acquire the fundamentals of architectural composition and architectural design.

Course contents

The Architectural Design Studio I (Integrated Course, 14 ECTS credits, 180 hours) consists of the core course Architecture and Architectural Composition I (8 ECTS credits, 120 hours), the module Building Typology and Spatial Organisation I (4 ECTS credits, 40 hours), and the module Drawing the City and the Landscape (2 ECTS credits, 20 hours).

The course Architecture and Architectural Composition I, considering architecture as the synthesis of a cultural process based on the enduring value of certain “archetypal forms”, is founded on the conviction that architectural design requires a process of knowledge acquisition and analysis.

The relationship between forms and meanings is not established mechanically, but develops through a gradual historical process that differs from place to place and which, precisely because of its enduring character, makes it possible to work, within a given cultural context, with a vocabulary of identifiable and describable figures that can therefore be reinterpreted.

Within the design process, it is therefore considered necessary to refer to what has “already been built”, understood both as a unified whole and as a set of parts that can be analysed according to their constituent elements and the order governing their composition.

Architectural design is understood as a process in which constructional, technical and expressive elements converge and are organised within a coherent system. Within this framework, particular attention will be devoted to issues concerning the logical definition of the compositional process.

The activities of the Studio emphasise typological and formal aspects, focusing on the analysis of architectural space and defining their cultural framework through the study of theories of architectural composition and selected works of particular disciplinary relevance. Lectures, seminars and exercises will contribute to investigating the different aspects of the architectural phenomenon.

The main subject of study is the **single-family house**, understood as a place in which to “dwell”: a space connected to a specific function, but also to a culture of inhabitation and to the general principles on which such a culture is based.

The Studio is divided into a theoretical component and a practical component.

The theoretical component consists of a series of lectures and seminars aimed at exploring the logical principles of architectural composition through the presentation and discussion of architectural projects, with particular emphasis on the relationship between design theory and practice and on the theme of dwelling in the work of selected masters of modern architecture.

With regard to the practical component, Studio activities are divided into two phases: a first, predominantly analytical phase (September–December), and a second phase (February–May) devoted to the design of a small residential building.

During the first phase, supported by teaching and bibliographical materials provided by the instructors, students will study a number of significant examples of residential architecture drawn from architectural history, representing them through analytical redrawing and three-dimensional reconstruction.

By identifying the constituent parts and elements of the selected works and retracing the design choices that led to their definition, students will investigate the transition from principles to architectural language, recognising the design project as a significant moment within theoretical construction.

The acquisition of grammatical and syntactic elements—understood not so much as the learning of rules, but rather as the acquisition of methods—will enable students, during the second phase of the course, to exercise compositional control over the elements defining the architectural organism as a whole.

The design project, understood as the outcome of a complex process, will be addressed through the interaction between factors of knowledge—history, place, memory and techniques—and the composition of such knowledge, namely its translation into architectural figures. The process will seek a dimension that does not admit a single “solution”, but rather a patient investigation of the materials and forms from which the design proposal will emerge.

Readings/Bibliography

Required Reading

Carlos Martí Arís, Le variazioni dell'identità. Il tipo in architettura, CLUP, Milan, 1990.

Francesco Venezia, Che cosa è l'architettura, Electa, Milan, 2013.

Recommended Reading

Livio Vacchini, Capolavori, Libria, Melfi, 2017.

Further bibliographical references for the in-depth study of the topics addressed in class will be provided during the course.

Teaching methods

The Studio consists of a theoretical component, delivered through classroom lectures, and a practical component carried out through studio activities.

The theoretical component is intended to introduce students to the study of architectural composition through an understanding of the ideas of selected masters and significant works of architecture.

The practical component, organised in study groups, is aimed at developing design skills through a structured series of interconnected exercises. It includes periodic design reviews and collective seminars devoted to discussing the progress of the work.

The design proposals developed by students will be presented using the representational tools and techniques indicated by the instructor.

The architectural model will be used as a primary working tool in both the analytical and design phases.

Assessment methods

The Architectural Design Studio I (Integrated Course, 14 ECTS credits, 180 hours) consists of the core course Architecture and Architectural Composition I (8 ECTS credits, 120 hours), the module Building Typology and Spatial Organisation I (4 ECTS credits, 40 hours), and the module Drawing the City and the Landscape (2 ECTS credits, 20 hours).

The final examination assesses the learning outcomes of all the courses and modules comprising the Integrated Studio and is conducted as a single examination.

Assessment is based on the evaluation of the design work, the exercises completed during the academic year, and the student’s knowledge of the theoretical issues addressed within the different courses and modules.

Final Grade Criteria

18–20: Very limited depth of analysis and description of the case studies; barely satisfactory quality of graphic work, physical models and freehand drawings; ability to justify design choices in a sufficiently logical manner.

21–25: Limited depth of analysis and description of the case studies; fair quality of graphic work, physical models and freehand drawings; ability to justify design choices coherently.

26–29: Extensive analysis and description of the case studies; good quality of graphic work, physical models and freehand drawings; ability to justify design choices coherently and with an appropriate level of awareness.

30–30 with honours: Comprehensive and thorough analysis and description of the case studies; excellent quality of graphic work, physical models and freehand drawings; ability to justify design choices coherently and with full awareness, while also demonstrating an individual and original level of investigation.

Artificial Intelligence may be a useful tool to support individual study through further investigation, summarisation and self-assessment activities. With regard to assessment, limited, declared and non-substantive use of AI is permitted for supporting activities such as summarisation and rephrasing. Substantive use of AI for completing parts of the examination or assessment tasks is not permitted.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs) or temporary or permanent disabilities are advised to contact the relevant University office well in advance:

[https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it](https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it)

The office will propose any appropriate accommodations for the students concerned. Such accommodations must in any case be submitted to the instructor for approval at least 15 days in advance. The instructor will assess their appropriateness also in relation to the learning outcomes of the course.

Teaching tools

The thematic bibliographies provided throughout the course will constitute the main reference source for obtaining the information required for the development of the analytical and design work.

Teaching materials presented during lectures will be made available electronically through the digital platform reserved for students enrolled in the Degree Programme.

Audiovisual materials will be used, and thematic seminars will also be organised.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Mucelli