The Department focuses on developing basic technical skills and introducing students to subjects such as Architectural Studio (at various levels), planning and design processes, and the way human and physical contexts influence building forms.
3 semester credits. This course combines an architectural and historical approach to explore Florence’s iconic palaces. The course aims to delve deep into the palazzi’s structural conformations, artistic properties, and private and collective uses. Emphasis will be placed on the genealogy of families who have inhabited these palaces, in order to understand how the palaces assumed specific shapes and positions. Starting from the Middle Ages, the course will focus on the Renaissance while also assessing the present-day nature of such structures. Students will acquire an architectural and historical lexicon, and the capacity to critically interlink the two disciplines. The approach of this course is based on experiencing the city of Florence as an academic space for learning and engagement. Classes will not be held in a traditional, frontal-style setting; each lesson is carefully mapped for curricular content and featured locations: lectures, observations, exercises, analysis, and reflections on presented topics are held in relevant sites that are accounted for in the academic planning, syllabus, and related course material. Coursework and submissions will be regularly assessed on the MyAUF platform through daily assignments in addition to exams, papers, and projects. Learning through the on-site classroom approach fosters a deeper understanding of the cultural environment of Florence and how it is related to the subject of study examined by the course, and allows for an overall experience which contributes to the students' academic and personal enrichment.