AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course is to analyse and reflect theoretically on the project in order to develop critical and self-critical capacity and to contribute to the student's personal development and to the general development of the discipline.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The theoretical module of Studio 4 — “Architectural Theory 4” [AT4], titled “Exquisite Corpse,” aims to provide theoretical and operative tools for designing with the body and for the body. Through references to everyday practices of spatial use, atmospheric perception, and the sensory, gestural, and relational dimensions of bodily experience, the course investigates architecture as lived space, integrating scientific literature, technical regulations, and in-class ex tempore assignments.

By the end of the AT4 module, students will be able to:
[1] Define the main theoretical concepts concerning the relationship between body and space, starting from an essential vocabulary that includes the notions of embodiment, affordance, atmosphere, and affectivity.
[2] Analyze how the body inhabits, perceives, measures, and transforms space in everyday life.
[3] Apply theoretical principles, scientific references, and regulatory guidelines to the critical reading and architectural design of real spatial situations.
[4] Evaluate design hypotheses, using comfort, accessibility, perceptual quality, and the capacity of environments to accommodate bodily and relational practices as criteria.
[5] Communicate design processes and choices clearly, consciously, and effectively through verbal and graphic tools suited to conveying the bodily, sensory, and atmospheric experience of space.

TEACHING METHODS

The course program, with a total duration of twenty hours distributed over the semester, is organized around lectures and ex tempore design assignments. The lectures, delivered by the course instructor, introduce the main theoretical topics and discuss their application through research and design case studies. The assignments, carried out individually and in groups, are intended to deepen students’ understanding of the topics addressed and to translate them into design hypotheses, while encouraging synthesis and creative immediacy. Intermediate presentations will take place in digital and/or printed format: they are conceived as opportunities for collective review and discussion, with the aim of fostering peer exchange, self-assessment sensibility, and effective oral presentation. As part of the program, internationally recognized guests, including researchers and professionals with expertise in the course’s topics, will contribute theoretical, bibliographic, and design-oriented input to the work of the students.

Teaching materials, including slides, assignments, and bibliographic sources, will be made available on the course Teams channel.
 

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Students with a valid certification of physical or learning disabilities, officially registered with the University, who wish to discuss potential accommodations or other aspects related to classes, coursework, or exams, are required to contact both the course instructor and the Disability Services Coordinator of the Department of Architecture and Design (https://architettura.unige.it/commissioni_e_referenti_dipartimento).

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course is organized around lectures and ex tempore assignments that explore the relationship between space and the body, design and perception.

The AT4 module includes the presentation and discussion of the following topics:
[1] Introduction to the course theme: designing with the body and for the body.
[2] Elements of atmospherology applied to architectural and urban spaces: definitions, theoretical references, experimental paradigms, and design implications.
[3] The body as a measure of space: proportions, gestures, postures, movements, proximity dynamics, ordinary uses, and non-ordinary practices.
[4] Comfort and accessibility: general principles and main regulatory references.
[5] Methods for observing and critically reading lived space.
[6] Translation of observations into design hypotheses.
[7] Communication of design processes and choices through verbal and graphic tools.
[8] Critical discussion of design outcomes and verification of the coherence between observation, interpretation, and proposal.

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In addition to the general course program, which will be presented before the start of the semester, each assignment will be accompanied by a specific brief clarifying its objectives, tools, and operative methods.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bloomer, K.C., & Moore, C.W., with Yudell, R.J. (1977). Body, Memory, and Architecture. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Canepa, E. (2022). Architecture is Atmosphere: Notes on Empathy, Emotions, Body, Brain, and Space. Atmospheric Spaces, 11. Milan & Udine: Mimesis International.

Forty, A. (2000). Words and Buildings: A Vocabulary of Modern Architecture. London: Thames & Hudson.

Neutra, R.J. (1954). Survival through Design. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Norberg-Schulz, C. (1971). Existence, Space, and Architecture. London: Studio Vista.

Pallasmaa, J. (2005). The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. London: Wiley.

Pérez-Gómez, A. (2016). Attunement: Architectural Meaning after the Crisis of Modern Science. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Tidwell, P. (Ed.). (2014). Architecture and Atmosphere. Espoo: Tapio Wirkkala–Rut Bryk Foundation.

Zevi, B. (1957). Architecture As Space: How to Look at Architecture. New York, NY: Horizon Press.

Zumthor, P. (2006). Atmospheres: Architectural Environments. Surrounding Objects. Basel: Birkhäuser.
 

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For further bibliographic references, please see the “Material” section of the AURA project website: “Affective Unities: A Site-Specific Research on Architectural Atmospheres” (https://aura.unige.it/material).

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The AT4 course will begin according to the Academic Calendar.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The final examination will consist of an oral exam on the topics addressed in the course program and will include a discussion of selected works produced as part of the ex tempore assignments carried out during the semester. The presentation should illustrate the process of analysis and representation developed by the students, with attention to the quality of visual communication, the appropriate use of language, and overall clarity. During the semester, intermediate submissions and critiques will be scheduled as opportunities for collective discussion, further development, and progress review. These activities will form an integral part of the overall learning process and will contribute to the final assessment.

The course and the final examination will be conducted in English.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Assessment of learning will be based on the entire body of work completed during the semester and on the outcomes presented at the final examination. The oral exam will assess students’ understanding of the topics addressed in the course program, their ability to adopt the course’s specialized vocabulary appropriately, and their capacity to critically discuss the activities of analysis, representation, and design developed as part of the ex tempore assignments. Particular attention will be given to coherence with the theoretical and regulatory references, the ability to observe and critically read space, awareness in the use of verbal and graphic tools, the quality of representation, and clarity of communication. The assessment will also take into account participation in teaching activities, continuity of attendance, and contribution to group work. The grades for the theoretical module “Architectural Theory 4” (code 106528) will be considered together with those obtained in the studio module “Architecture Studio 4” (code 106527), contributing to the final grade for course code 106529, expressed on a 30-point scale.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Please contact the instructor for any additional information not included in the course description.