Study of Matter

YEAR +

2017

INSTITUTION +

Made Program
Accademia di Belle Arti Rosario Gagliardi link

LOCATION +

Syracuse - Ragusa | Italy

Study of Matter
Design course - lectures and prototypes

A theoretical and practical course focusing on manufacturing techniques, production and political, economic and social dynamics related to wood, an essential material in human history that conveys profound meanings in the relationship between man and the environment.

The course develops in two phases: the first one is dedicated to theoretical preparation structured in frontal lessons, analysis of the characteristics of the material and the state of the art, debates, and comparisons between teachers, students, and clients. The second part consists of a practical workshop held at the Baglio Magnì in Marina di Ragusa - a facility that hosts three social cooperatives: a woodworking workshop, an agricultural enterprise, and a construction company.

Starting from the exploitation of the reference context and the materiality of wood, students will be asked to propose a concept inspired by the theme of the local market and will be guided in the elaboration of a project development process based on repeated cycles of conceptualization, prototyping, and feedback.

During the workshop, students will focus on the development of the concepts that will take the form of prototypes thanks to the materials and tools made available by Architetti Senza Frontiere and with their production support. Through reviews with the professors, moments of collective discussion, and confronting both the possibilities and limits of the reference context, students will have to search for suitable solutions or alternative ones to the realization of their projects and will be encouraged to define their daily work to make it efficient and programmatic.

Students will also practice in documenting the progress of their work, to collect and share all the stages of their design process.