Architecture for Heritage

Brief

Architects have always been asked to breathe new life into ancient architectures inherited from the past or into historical – often monumental – artifacts that no longer respond to the customs and needs of the contemporary society.

Nevertheless, the ancient architectures tell our story, therefore deserve to be restored with interventions that bring along a hint of modernity and show the trace of the design activity.

The “Architecture for Heritage” course has been created on these premises. Its aim is training designers who will be able to understand and enhance the memory of historical architectures and take inspiration from them to carry out new interventions that both meet the new needs and are enriched by the link to the past. In a close dialogue between the ancient and the modern, between existing architectures and new interventions, it is possible to comprehend what has been and what is now, redesigning – through architecture – a historical line bound to be continued by future generations.

The students will learn about the most advanced survey strategies and redesign of historical architecture; therefore, they will be able to protect the ancient wonders without giving up on a contemporary approach to the project. They will acquire skills and experience in a field of design that is always present and offers continuous and valuable job opportunities.

The students will analyze the technical and compositional strategies to adopt in contexts that host outstanding existing architectures through the intervention on archaeological and industrial sites and focusing mainly on the accommodation and cultural use of historical buildings. The course will be made up of 80 hours of lessons, a 32-hour workshop, and multiple lectures by well-renowned professional architects. At the end of the course, YACademy Placement office will guarantee each student a proposal for an internship/collaboration within the partner studios.