Up to 25 students from UNITEC Auckland, New Zealand, will refurbish a structure to be found in the area and make it as much as energy-neutral as possible. This work will be supported by lectures held in the administrative offices of the Municipality of Magliano Sabina. COURSE DESCRIPTION
The program is designed to initiate international students in architecture to the heightened value of sustainable building and sustainable living. In the three weeks stay, the course will introduce the vigorous art and architecture offered by Rome and its surroundings, with a series of 12 lectures on Roman Architecture that will be discussed directly with dedicated site visits to the City itself and to the most significant archaeological Roman sites, of which amongst others Ostia Antica. Students will discover the wonders of Renaissance and Baroque Rome and experience how the city has transformed itself through times with good and bad examples of built form such as, the interesting social housing project of Garbatella or the alienating periphery of Rome. There will be visits to the most fascinating areas of the Sabina region, including discoveries of the Etruscan civilization. No less value will be given to the natural regional beauties, with field trips devoted to the best practices in sustainable building, such as the straw-bale house in Rome built by BAG officinamobile, and a practical workshop on natural materials. During the first week, the course focuses on a full immersion workshop at the Parc for Renewable Energies (P.E.R.), where with the help of Alessandro Ronca, expert in renewable technologies, students will refurbish an artefact found on the site area and try to make it energy-neutral. The students will design the project from scratch and then will built it. At the end of this week the students are required to present their work graphically and the marks awarded will contribute 35% of their final grade. During the next two weeks the students will undertake cultural visits to finest examples of architecture selected in Rome and will be asked to draw what they will see in a provided sketchbook. The marks will count as 35% of their final grade. Furthermore, a series of lectures will introduce them to the principles of sustainable architecture and present certified construction materials. One of the lectures will be given by professor Laura Salvini, Independent Scholar in English Literature, on the subject of "A reading of High-rise by J.G. Ballard, as a thought experiment on the influence of architecture on social behavior". The students will read the book and discuss it with Laura Salvini and will prepare an end of course essay by July 30th. The essay, limited to 1,000 words will be a response paper presenting their impressions on the differences between living in the borough, in the metropolis, in the high rise and in the city sprawl . In their response the students will describe and explain how their understanding of society is influenced by the built works. This essay will provide 30% of the final mark. In addition to these essential practical experiences, the course provides our future architects with a series of culturally enriching experiences, such as living in what was once a medieval city and learning what sustainable agriculture is, with experiences of working in an organic garden, exercises in Italian cooking classes and the practical application of ecologically sustainable principles. The Municipality of Magliano Sabina will host us as special guests and many recreational activities will be organized during the stay. Today it is essential to appreciate the commitment to areas such as alternative energy, energy conservation and ecologically and socially sustainable architectural design. Through coursework and hands-on field visits around Rome, the program offers a broad understanding of the links and tensions between environmental challenges and sustainable solutions, and a Sustainable perspective on best practices within urban development and transportation, alternative energy sources and energy conservation, and waste management.
