60
Interior Architecture and Venue Design
REGGIO DI CALABRIA
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The course aims to provide students with the conceptual and operational tools to address the challenges of contemporary design, with a focus on sustainability, innovation and the social dimension of furniture.
The objective is to experiment with furniture design as a cultural and relational project, combining theory, history and practical experimentation.
With reference to the theme of the year, “Minimal Forms for Encounter”, the theoretical and design aspects will be developed through a series of teaching modules:
Assignment 1_ PRECEDENT Furniture as text
Analysis of iconic case studies (tables and benches) and interpretative drawings to understand compositional and constructive relationships.
Planned activities: lectures, seminars, classroom workshops
Required work: printed portfolio + PowerPoint presentation
Assignment 2_ FOCUS Furniture as material and technique
Focus on materials, technologies and innovations applied to domestic tables and urban benches. Design hypotheses and concept design.
Planned activities: seminars, classroom exercises, rapid prototyping.
Required work: printed book + presentation.
Assignment 3_ Furniture as form and device
Design experimentation: design of a table and bench as relational devices.
Planned activities: design workshop, final workshop
Required deliverables: printed book + presentation + scale prototype
Complete table and bench design with technical drawings, renderings, three-dimensional model/prototype.
Course Prerequisites
No particular prerequisites are required.
Teaching Methods
1. TYPE OF TRAINING ACTIVITIES:
The course consists of lectures, seminars and days dedicated to in-depth study of theoretical topics and classroom laboratory activities, as well as assignments to assess students' progress.
Enrolment must be formalised via the course mailing list no later than the second week of lessons and on Teams.
Attendance is compulsory, as per the course regulations, and students with less than 70% attendance will not be admitted to the exam.
Lectures (hours/year in the classroom): 30 hours/semester
Exercises (hours/year in the classroom): 20 hours/semester
Practical activities (hours/year in the classroom): 30 hours/semester
Calendar of training activities with reference to the teaching calendar:
Assignment 1_PRECEDENT (in groups of 4/5):
weeks 1-2-3
Planned activities: lectures, seminars, group exercises.
Assignment 2_FOCUS (in groups of 4/5):
weeks 4-5-6
Planned activities: seminars, field surveys and classroom laboratory activities.
Assignment 3_FINAL PROJECT (in groups of 2):
weeks 7-8-9 + final workshop
Planned activities: seminars, classroom laboratory activities, workshops
2. STUDENT INDEPENDENT WORK
Explain the methods, content and timing of the work that students must complete independently outside of classroom teaching hours (to complete the hours/credits).
1 credit = 25 hours (10 hours classroom teaching/15 hours independent study*)
- In-depth study/study of bibliography (theoretical part) -35
- Preparation for each assignment (project experimentation) - 40
- Exam preparation – 45
Assessment Methods
Learning assessments are planned for each module (Assignment).
These assessments are carried out through compulsory assignments on the dates and in the manner that will be communicated by the teaching staff from time to time (reports, tables, PowerPoint presentations, etc.).
In particular, the following are planned:
Assignment 1
1_ mid-term assessment on lectures and seminars, analysis and interpretation of assigned case studies.
Assignment 2
2_ mid-term assessment on project experimentation
Assignment 3
3 _ Workshop and final assessment – Final Review
Examination procedure: Theory/Practical
Examinations will be conducted as follows:
• Interview on the theoretical topics covered during lectures.
• Presentation and discussion of the work produced during laboratory activities.
The final examination must be taken at the end of the entire training course, including verification of the contents of this programme. It will be taken by candidates individually and will focus on the discussion of both the project proposal developed and the theoretical principles and bibliographical references.
The mark will be based on assessment criteria relating to: attendance; ability to express oneself appropriately and critically rework the various topics; quality and relevance of the proposed project content; graphic quality; presentation and organisation of the work.
Texts
- Boelen, J., & Huybrechts, L. (2020). Social matter, social design: For good or bad, all design is social. Valiz.
- Calvino, I. (1988). Lezioni americane: Sei proposte per il prossimo millennio. Milano: Garzanti.
- Dardi, D. (2019). Manuale di storia del design. Laterza.
- Fiell, C., & Fiell, P. (2023). 1000 chairs (Updated ed.). Taschen. (Riferimenti teorici generali sul Furniture Design)
- Tornatora, M. (2016). 100+100 Learning from Pavilion, Gangemi Editore.
- VVAA (2019). Il design come bene culturale. MD Journal: Rivista scientifica di design, (8), 1–10.
Contents
1_DESCRIPTION
The course aims to provide students attending the third year of the Degree Course in Design (LM-4) with advanced knowledge of Furniture Design as a complex discipline, focusing on the relationship between form, function, materials and social behaviour.
In particular, the course aims to investigate:
>the typological dimension, the historical and cultural evolution of furniture as an everyday object and symbolic artefact;
>the technical and material dimension, with a focus on experimenting with innovative and sustainable solutions, the tactile and perceptual qualities of materials, their transformability and durability;
>the spatial and relational dimension, which considers furniture not as an isolated element but as part of larger systems (domestic, urban, collective) capable of structuring practices of encounter, dialogue and sharing;
>the narrative and aesthetic dimension, in which furniture design becomes a medium for contemporary languages, a tool for representing cultural memory and a field for symbolic experimentation.
The teaching approach aims to develop critical awareness in students, enabling them to combine theoretical knowledge, technical skills and design sensitivity, promoting a learning process that oscillates between conceptual reflection and practical application, between research and experimentation, between individual design and collaborative dynamics.
2_COURSE PROGRAMME
The Furnishings Design course will explore the theme ‘Minimal Forms for Encounter,’ a theoretical and practical investigation into how furniture acts as a mediator between body, space and society.
This course takes Italo Calvino's American Lectures as its compass, transforming literary themes into guiding principles for the project.
The design experimentation will focus in particular on two key pieces of furniture that serve as actual devices for encounter:
- The table (a domestic element of conviviality)
- The bench (a public element of socialisation).
The experimentation will follow the creative process of the project in its figurative, constructive, functional and communicative meaning through drawing, 3D modelling, prototyping and storytelling.
The course will focus on integrating the theoretical and practical aspects underlying the project, divided into modules, each comprising:
- Theoretical lessons
- Lessons exploring the concept of public space with reference to case studies
- Design experimentation developed in workshop form through classroom exercises and a final workshop.
3_EXPECTED RESULTS
Knowledge and understanding
• Understanding of the theoretical and methodological foundations of Furniture Design.
• Ability to interpret furniture as social and cultural devices, as well as functional ones.
Applying knowledge and understanding
• Development of domestic and urban furniture projects through correct analysis, concept and prototyping processes.
Making judgements
• Ability to critically evaluate materials, techniques and usage scenarios, integrating knowledge and complexity.
Communication skills
• Mastery of graphic, technical and narrative languages to communicate design ideas and projects.
Learning skills
Ability to pursue advanced studies and research with a high degree of autonomy.
More information
Further information will be provided during the academic year via the Teams platform.