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 more general development of the discipline.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The Architectural Theory course provides students with the intellectual tools to critically analyse, interpret, and articulate architecture as both a cultural product and a design process. Students will learn to assess the quality of built space at various scales and within specific contexts, and to translate theoretical concepts into informed design strategies.

Emphasis is placed on mastering both the compositional and conceptual dimensions of architecture, fostering the ability to move between critical reflection and creative practice. The course is designed to complement design studios by offering conceptual frameworks that can support either practical design investigations or purely theoretical inquiries. 

By the end of the course, students will be equipped to develop theoretical reasoning to support and fuel their design approach, strengthening their ability to act as thoughtful and context-aware designers.

TEACHING METHODS

The Architectural Theory course is based oral lessons presenting the critical reading of 42 emblematic architectural projects in the field of adaptive reuse. The projects will be presented within their historical, cultural, and geographical contexts, and the design choices will be clarified by exploring compositional strategies, spatial qualities, and the architectural forms and typologies employed. Particular attention will be devoted to understanding plans, sections, and elevations.

The 42 cases are articulated and divided in 7 thematic sessions; they are:

1.    Insertion & Contrast

2.    Transformation / Reprogramming

3.    Hybrid / Incremental Evolution

4.    Infrastructure & Utilitarian Conversions

5.    Facade Retention / Material Experimentation

6.    Monumentality & Civic Symbolism

7.    Machines for Living: Industry and Imagination

The course combines lectures, close readings, thematic seminars, and guided discussions in a learning environment that encourages critical thinking and active participation. Students are expected to respond through written reflections, oral presentations, and class debates. Teaching methods emphasizes dialogue, iteration, and integration between theory and design. The course creates a framework in which theoretical insights are not treated as abstract knowledge but as operative tools to be tested and translated into design thinking.

At the end of the seven lectures, and based on the 42 case studies presented throughout the course, each group of students will be asked to develop its own critical interpretation of adaptive reuse. The aim of the assignment is not to describe individual projects, but rather to identify recurring themes, design strategies, and approaches, ultimately constructing a theoretical reading of adaptive reuse as a contemporary architectural practice.

The assignment is articulated in two steps:

(1)  Reuse Atlas (1 A1 panel, portrait)

Groups are required to organize the 42 case studies within an original comparative map. The structure of the map is open and should be defined by each group. It may be based on interpretative axes, categories, gradients, clusters, or any other classification system considered appropriate.

The panel should clearly communicate the criteria used to construct the map and the relationships established among the projects.

(2)  Reuse Taxonomy (1 A1 panel, portrait)

Building upon the comparative map developed in Panel 1, each group will identify 4 to 6 families of intervention that they consider representative of contemporary adaptive reuse strategies.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Architectural Theory is conceived as an 2-credit course, strongly integrated with the core course Architecture Design Studio 2, that bridges architectural history, critical analysis, and design theory. It invites students to explore the conceptual foundations of architectural practice by engaging with key writings, movements, and design traditions that have shaped the discipline.

The course explores adaptive reuse as both a theoretical lens and a critical design practice in contemporary architecture. Through an in-depth study of over 42 seminal projects from the second half of the 20th century to the present, students will examine how architects transform existing buildings, infrastructures, and urban fragments into new spatial, cultural, and environmental opportunities.

The course is structured around seven key architectural strategies of reuse—ranging from transformation and insertion to minimal intervention and hybridization—revealing how design decisions negotiate memory, materiality, typology, and programmatic change. Readings in architectural theory, heritage discourse, and sustainability will be paired with comparative analysis of case studies including the Musée d’Orsay, Tate Modern, The Silo, Gemini Residences, FRAC of Dunkirk, and many others across diverse geographies and scales.

Through critical discussions, diagrammatic analysis, and theoretical writing, students will engage with adaptive reuse not as a technical fix or nostalgic gesture, but as a creative act of architectural imagination and critical urban agency in an era of climate urgency, social complexity, and resource constraints.

Architectural Theory explores architecture through four interrelated lenses:

1.    Historical-Critical Foundations
Students will study major theoretical positions from the 20th and 21st centuries, with a focus on architectural thought in post-war Europe. Readings will include seminal texts that interrogate form, function, typology, context, and the politics of space. These ideas will be examined through lectures and seminars, encouraging students to develop critical interpretations and contextual awareness.

2.    Architectural Composition and Design Thinking
The course will examine how theoretical principles influence spatial organization, material expression, and architectural language. Through compositional analysis and diagramming exercises, students will explore how theory informs design decisions—from concept to construction. Emphasis will be placed on the interrelation of form, scale, site, and meaning.

3.    Contemporary Relevance and Application
Beyond historical grounding, the course invites students to apply theoretical knowledge to current architectural challenges. Topics such as reuse, sustainability, identity, and the public realm will be discussed through contemporary case studies. Students will reflect on how architecture engages with the political, social, and environmental realities of today.

4.    Redrawing as a Tool
Redrawing is a fundamental tool for the critical understanding of exemplary architectures. By carefully reconstructing plans, sections, and elevations, students engage directly with the spatial logic, compositional strategies, and construction principles of significant buildings. This process goes beyond visual analysis: it reveals the underlying intentions of the architect, clarifies proportions and hierarchies, and fosters a deeper awareness of how architecture operates.

Ultimately, Architectural Theory prepares students to engage with architecture not only as a technical or aesthetic practice, but as an intellectual and cultural endeavour.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

SELECTED TEXTS

De Chiffre, L., Kitaev, A., Mair, E., Paschburg, K., & Putzer, K. (Eds.). (2025). Reuse in Teaching: The future of the architectural design studio (Ill. Lavinia Cianfarini). Triest Verlag. ISBN 978-3-03863-097-5.

Malterre-Barthes, C. (2025). A moratorium on new construction. Sternberg Press. ISBN 978-1-915609-00-7.

Malterre-Barthes, C. (Ed.). (2024). Non-Extractive Architecture: On Designing Without Depletion. Zurich: Lars Müller Publishers. ISBN 978-3-03778-761-8.

Murphy, D. (2020). The Architecture of Failure. Winchester: Zero Books. ISBN 978-1-78535-915-7.

Wong, L. (2017). Adaptive Reuse: Extending the Lives of Buildings. Basel: Birkhäuser. ISBN 978-3-0356-0890-0.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

According to the Academic Calendar.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will consist in the oral presentation and discussion of a final short paper or presentation.

The exam will be conducted in groups of two students.

Each group should deliver:

-      2 A1 boards in PDF and print format;

-      a 5-minute oral presentation per group.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Assessment will be based on active participation and a final short paper or presentation that demonstrates the student’s critical understanding of the chosen topic.

The final assessment will consider:

-      the ability to critically interpret the case studies;

-      the coherence and originality of the comparative map;

-      the quality and relevance of the proposed taxonomy;

-      the clarity and effectiveness of the graphic representation;

-      the ability to articulate and defend the proposed interpretation during the final presentation.