OVERVIEW

The aim of the module is to introduce the issues related to furniture design and its placement within an organic layout, considering the set of relational components that come into play between individuals and living spaces. Particular attention will be given to furniture elements as carriers of well-being in environments, through materials and surface treatments, color and light.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Expected learning outcomes:

- Be able to read the space of environments in relation to human dimensions and understand and manage space, aimed at developing an interior design project and its representative drawings (plans, sections, elevations).

- Be able to functionally organize living spaces.

- Understand the characterizing elements of furnishing objects in living spaces.

- Be able to read critically the profiles and strategies of actors in the furniture market.

- Be able to evaluate the impact of colors, materials and textiles on defining the well-being of the interior environment.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Furniture Design is the discipline that gives environments identity and atmosphere through the manipulation of specific elements such as furnishings and surface finishes, i.e., by means that require limited structural changes and generally have an ephemeral character.

The Product Design for Furnishing module introduces the student to the complex world of well-being in living environments and guides them toward understanding the cultural, methodological and technical-instrumental elements that underlie the culture of interior design.

The elements on which the student must acquire competencies are: furnishings, their arrangement in space, proportions between occupied and free space, the role of color and interaction with light, finishes, materials, textiles, floor and wall coverings with their tactile and material qualities — as elements of a specific language able to influence how we live in spaces and to represent spaces with very different purposes.

TEACHING METHODS

The course is organized in two different modes: one module reserved for frontal lectures with theoretical in-depth study, and another reserved for in-class activities for research, exercise development and reviews.

Attendance and participation in the proposed learning activities (lectures and group exercises), together with individual study of the recommended texts, will allow the student to:

- know and engage with topics of contemporary interior design;

- acquire skills useful for reading and defining primary living spaces;

- be able to apply acquired knowledge and use the necessary tools for designing a living space in minute detail, taking into account light control, the role of color, material characteristics, ergonomic form, sustainability and well-being.

Classroom work is considered an essential training moment. Students are required to acquire specific skills for group work. Project groups must consist of a maximum of 2–3 people. Students will be repeatedly asked during activities to discuss their work both in individual reviews and in collective reviews in which they will present and argue their work before the entire class.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The curriculum for future designers starts from theoretical insights into the evolution of contemporary living analyzed by thematic strands: space, functional environments, light, color, textures, interior furniture elements, materials and their representation.

Practically, there are two group project exercises, plus an individually chosen thematic report to be completed and presented at the final exam:

1) The first exercise allows students to deepen the design of a specific habitable space down to the smallest details, combining all its different components: dimensions, objects arranged in the space, custom furniture, lighting, color choices, etc. Elements that characterize the environment both functionally and aesthetically/formally.

2) The second exercise is aimed at staging an environment through its characterizing and furnishing elements, experimenting with the essentiality of living and the relationship between humans, space and objects. The exercise includes a research process supporting the project through analysis of contemporary furnishing products and the use of appropriate materials and finishes.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

- Coccia, E. (2021). Philosophy of the Home. Domestic Space and Happiness. Turin: Einaudi.

- De Fusco, R. (2004). History of Furnishings. From the 1400s to the 1900s. Milan: FrancoAngeli.

- Tangaz, Tomris (2007). Interior Design: From Ideation to Project. Hoepli, Milan.

- Vitta, M. (2008). On Dwelling: Bodies, Spaces, Objects, Images. Turin: Einaudi.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Second semester

Class schedule

The timetable for this course can be consulted at: Portale EasyAcademy

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of reworking the assignments given during the course and presenting them on both printed and digital media.

Students must demonstrate the ability to apply their knowledge and understanding to show a professional approach to their work and possess adequate skills both to conceive and argue ideas and to solve problems in their field of study.

Students will be evaluated based on the quality of exercises and projects completed during the course.

There will be 4 exam sessions available for the summer session (June, July and September) and 2 exam sessions for the winter session (mid-January – February). Extraordinary sessions outside the periods indicated in the Study Program regulations will not be granted, except for out-of-course students.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The assessment of competencies acquired during the course will relate to:

- demonstrating operational knowledge of skills useful for reading and defining primary living spaces from dimensional and functional viewpoints;

- using the necessary tools for designing a living space, from scale factors and dimensioning of living spaces to the representation of those spaces;

- acquiring knowledge on light control, the role of color, material characteristics, ergonomic forms, sustainability and well-being.