Brief
Architects have always been asked to breathe new life into ancient architectures inherited from the past or into historical – often monumental – artefacts that no longer respond to the customs and needs of contemporary society.
Nevertheless, the ancient architectures tell our story and 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 architectures and thus 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 analyse 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.
Course info
15 In person
5 Online
Bologna
7.9.2026 - 6.11.2026
3 days/weekNovember 2026 - February 2027
3200 + VAT
Online9700 + VAT
In personTeaching modules & Workshops
Case history
Successful examples of restoration of historical architecturesMultimedia for heritage
New digital languages for the enhancement of historical heritageIndustrial architecture
From the object to the project: restoration strategiesAncient is sustainable
Principles of environmental sustainability for historical architectureSeismic upgrading of historic architecture
Mehod, solutions and technologies for seismic optimization of the historic heritageDesigning on existing architecture
Compositional approach to historic architectureHistorical non-monumental architecture
Meanings and specificities of vernacular architectureTypological research and restoration
Theoretical considerations and possible approaches in restorationSuburban scenarios
Urban reactivation and enhancement of the recent pastArt and ruins
Artistic languages as a tool to enhance historical architecturesThe new frontier of survey
Standard and cutting-edge techniques of architectural surveySite Visits
Medieval Bologna
Industrial Architecture of Lazio
Vulci Castle
Special lectures and critiques
Radicality of active conservation: Hill House Box
Behind the scenes in Piazza San Marco: Procuratie Vecchie
Monastery of Santa Maria Alcobaça: contemporaneity and transcendence
Bocconi University: transforming the city between opacity and transparency
The regeneration of the heart of Basel: the refurbishment of Stadtcasino
Ireland, between ancient and contemporary: Trinity College, Rush Library and Kilkenny Museum
Yangshuo Sugarhouse Hotel: landscapes and eastern industrial heritage
The restoration of Novara Castle: material and formal stratifications
New visitor center for Vulci Castle
Design workshop
Giuseppe Zampieri / David Chipperfield Architects Milano
The workshop will represent an opportunity for practical synthesis through which students will test all the notions provided through the other teaching modules, guaranteeing strategic solutions regarding a real project. Conducted in collaboration with David Chipperfield Architects - under the guidance of Giuseppe Zampieri, director of the Milan office - the workshop will focus on the design of a visitor centre at Castello di Vulci, at the heart of one of the most significant archaeological contexts in central Italy.
The project will be required to engage with a complex system in which architecture, landscape, and historical stratification are inextricably intertwined. Within this framework, the visitor centre will not be conceived as a mere service space, but as a device capable of mediating the relationship between the site and the public, guiding flows, constructing a narrative, and making the site’s historical depth accessible. Participants will therefore be invited to reflect on the role of contemporary architecture within protected contexts, engaging with themes such as integration within the landscape, dialogue with existing structures, and the construction of new interpretative layers of heritage.
Through the project, architecture will be called upon to operate as a tool for interpretation and enhancement, capable of restoring meaning and continuity to a site of extraordinary significance, translating functional, narrative, and cultural requirements into a coherent, measured, and critically aware proposal.
Construction workshop
Construction is a fundamental step in architecture. For this reason, YACademy offers its students the opportunity to participate in the process of producing their own ideas. Thus, the students will gain practical experience on construction sites and, above all, the authorship of projects built for excellent commissions, destined for a major media echo and capable of defining a turning point in their professional career.
Placement
At the end of teaching modules and workshop, YACademy’s Placement office will guarantee every student an internship or collaboration proposal in one of our partner studios.
Teachers
Admission
Requirements
Students or graduates in Architecture/Design can apply to the course. The commission, based on the assessment of the application, may admit students with different qualifications.
Registration
To apply, it is necessary to register online and submit a Curriculum Vitae, a Portfolio, and a Motivational Letter. Moreover, it is necessary to pay the administration fee (60€ + VAT). The best 20 candidates will be admitted to the course according to the rules.
The administration fee payment does not bind the student to purchase the course.
Timeline
Complying with deadlines is a fundamental requirement to take part in the course. All students are encouraged to pay the utmost attention to the timeline and to complete each phase in advance.