UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS_RESEARCH AREAS AND LINES

The educational project, by integrating contributions from multiple disciplines, aims to study the relationships between environment, information, and users, and vice versa, the influence of cultural, social, and political contexts on design choices. The program presents itself as a virtual multi-scalar laboratory designed to foster transversal thinking.

The objectives of the ADD program focus on acquiring a proactive and critical perspective on the theme of contemporary design, in all its complexity, through cross-disciplinary scientific inputs and internationally-oriented theoretical and applied research.

The basic structure of the ADD PhD program is defined by a flexible framework based on four major thematic areas, characterized by an inter-scalar approach and overlap:

1. New Urban and Territorial Strategies, Policies and Perspectives

   Focused on research addressing new scenarios and geographies, this area includes concepts such as multi-city (or multi-territory), smart city, resilient contexts, and advanced landscapes.

2. Theory of Design

   This area focuses on building a new theoretical-critical basis for analysis, revolving around concepts such as cognitive taxonomy and a historical-holistic gaze.

3. Strategies and Technologies for Sustainability and Systemic Design

   Dedicated to more operational approaches, this area investigates topics that combine technological, material, and productive innovation with ecological sensitivity, including heritage/innovage, environmental techniques and operational strategies, or interactive technologies.

4. Visual Languages and Communication

   This area explores new domains of registration and expression, where concepts like digital infographics, n-mapping, or networked spaces are particularly relevant.

Each thematic area includes a set of research lines, forming a detailed thematic map:

• Area 1: Urban restructuring, coastal development, urban recycling, public space, flexible planning. Keywords: multi-city, med.net coast & complex coast, re-citying, co-cities & t-cities, land-links, advanced landscapes, resilient contexts, new planning, new habitats.

• Area 2: Theory, epistemology, taxonomy, historical interpretation. Keywords: cognitive sciences, advanced knowledge, contemporary criticism, design structures, epistemology.

• Area 3: Industrial processes, eco-productive systems, environmental and digital technologies, interactive tools. Keywords: heritage/innovage, operational strategies, eco-matters & reactive matters, digital interfaces, active sustainability, social design.

• Area 4: Network connectivity, new forms of (real and virtual) representation and simulation. Keywords: n-maps, multilayering records, network collectivities, real-time data, net.com, (ex)changes.

ONE UNIVERSITY-FUNDED SCHOLARSHIP

University research project dedicated to the study and development of the Manuel Gausa Archive

1 SCHOLARSHIP
Research supervisors: Prof. Nicola Valentino Canessa, Prof. Massimiliano Giberti, Dr. Roberta Lucentini

Title

Thought as Project. A Critical Study of the Manuel Gausa Archive: Journals, Publishing, Projects and Visions for the Multilevel City and Advanced Architecture

General Objectives of the Project

The research project aims to study, catalogue, and enhance the archival collection of Manuel Gausa—one of the most influential architects, theorists, and publishers in European architectural culture over the last thirty years—recently acquired by the University of Genoa. The primary objective is to build a critical and documentary framework capable of conveying the complexity and coherence of Gausa’s thought by investigating the deep relationships between his theoretical, editorial, and design activities, while contributing to the definition of a replicable model for the scientific treatment of contemporary architects’ archives.

Specific Objectives

1. Cataloguing and digitising the Manuel Gausa archival collection in collaboration with the University of Genoa Library System (SBA), through the critical analysis of the materials and the definition of archival categories suited to the hybrid nature of the collection (projects, publications, editorial materials, and library holdings).
2. Developing a descriptive and interpretative model of Gausa’s theoretical and design production, structured around the thematic nuclei of “advanced culture,” the multilevel city (Multi-City, n-cities), and design as an instrument of thought.
3. Conducting a critical study of the editorial production curated or directed by Gausa, with particular reference to:
   • Quaderns d’Arquitectura i Urbanisme (editor-in-chief, 1990–2000);
   • Manuel Gausa’s publications, particularly those issued by ACTAR, founded together with Ramon Prat;
   • the projects of the “Metapolis” collective, and especially the Diccionario Metápolis de Arquitectura Avanzada (2001).
4. Analysing and critically interpreting the architectural projects contained in the archive—including unbuilt projects—as practical manifestations of the theoretical concepts developed by Gausa, with particular attention to their contribution to debates on architecture and the contemporary city.
5. Positioning the research within the international landscape of studies on archives of late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century architects through comparison with analogous experiences of cataloguing, research, and enhancement of architectural archives across Europe.

Methodology

The research is envisaged as being structured according to the following methodological framework, which may naturally evolve according to the selected candidate and the progress of the doctoral thesis:

• Survey and inventory of the collection: preliminary classification of archival materials (drawings, models, texts, publications, library holdings) in close collaboration with the University of Genoa Library System (SBA), following international archival standards and the model adopted by SBA for the DOGE platform.
• Systematic digitisation: high-resolution digital acquisition of design and documentary materials, including structured metadata creation and the development of an accessible and interoperable digital archive.
• Critical and historical-architectural analysis: cross-reading of archival materials in relation to published theoretical production in order to reconstruct the genesis and evolution of Gausa’s thought.
• Comparative study: comparison with the archives and productions of contemporary architects and theorists (e.g. Rem Koolhaas/OMA-AMO, Winy Maas, FOA), as well as with European editorial experiences of the 1990s and 2000s that redefined architectural discourse.
• Preparation of critical apparatuses: project records, thematic essays, critical chronology, and bibliographical tools as instruments for scientific dissemination and interpretation.

Planned Activities

• Active collaboration with the University of Genoa Library System (SBA) during the phases of arrangement, inventory, and digitisation of the collection, with regular attendance at the University’s library and archival facilities.
• Participation in the activities of the Doctoral Programme, including seminars, workshops, conferences, and training activities.
• Research stays at Italian and international institutions, with particular reference to documentation centres and architectural archives (COAC – Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya, Barcelona; CCA – Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal; MAXXI Architecture, Rome; RIBA, London), for comparison with established archival methodologies and for a deeper understanding of the cultural context in which Gausa’s work developed.
• Scientific dissemination activities, including participation in academic conferences and the preparation of contributions for scholarly journals.
• Writing of the doctoral dissertation as a structured critical document presenting the research process, the archival framework developed, and the critical interpretations produced. The dissertation will nevertheless require a personal and original perspective on the materials.

Expected Outcomes

• An inventory and the initial development of a digital archive of the Manuel Gausa collection, created in collaboration with the University of Genoa Library System (SBA) and accessible to the international scholarly community.
• A critical dissertation not necessarily focused solely on Manuel Gausa’s theoretical and design work, but rather reconstructing the relationship between thought and project within the intellectual production of the 1990s and early 2000s through the critical lens provided by the archive.
• An annotated catalogue of the architectural projects contained in the archive, accompanied by critical records highlighting their contribution to the definition of advanced culture and the multilevel city model.
• A methodological contribution to the scientific treatment of contemporary architects’ archives, with applications transferable to other archives of a similar nature.
• Scholarly outputs (articles, essays, conference papers) recognised for their academic value at both national and international levels.

Expected Qualifications of the Ideal Candidate

• Master’s degree in Architecture, Planning, Building Engineering-Architecture, Product Design, or related disciplines.
• Interest in European architectural culture of the 1990s and 2000s and in theoretical debates on contemporary design and archival studies.
• At least a basic reading knowledge of Spanish, necessary for the interpretation of materials within the collection.
• Strong skills in critical analysis, academic writing, and interdisciplinary research.

ONE SCHOLARSHIP CO-FUNDED BY DAD

Research supervisor: Prof. Valter Scelsi

Title

Signs and Styles of the Contemporary. The Development of Modern Architectural Rhetorics: The Framework of a Civilization that Observes and Represents Itself through the City

Research Objectives

The research starts from the recognition of the social and political character of architectural rhetoric and aims to explore the consequences of architecture when it becomes a page. Situated within this dimension, architecture, like every page, transforms words into facts and facts back into words. It is a dual and opposing perspectival mechanism: architecture exists in the future with respect to the project and predominantly in the past with respect to those who inhabit it. More precisely, the signs of the project are destined to become architectural facts, which in turn become words that surround architecture.

More broadly, this research intends to investigate discourse about architecture and the consequences that such discourse can generate. It develops from the hypothesis that architecture is consumed through its instability, allowing itself to be shaped by the discourse that narrates it, conforming to that discourse and ultimately becoming a mirror for the reflection that society projects onto it.

Methodology

While architectural discourse seeks an audience, architecture itself is self-compositional, in the sense that it becomes more clearly defined through its historical development, increasing the complexity of basic issues that can nonetheless be recalled at any time by discourse and found intact and essential, as they were before manipulation.

In other words, the constituent elements of architecture appear incompressible and continually available, and discourse may refer to them at any moment without the risk of seeming naïve. This is because architecture’s metaphorical components are not consumable; rather, they declare their precise poetic nature and, like poetry itself, are not exhausted through use.

Furthermore, architectural composition—as the generative instrument of architecture—does not follow a linear path. It may be conceived as the progression from premises to consequences according to rules or axioms, but also as a form of resonance: a progressive refinement that engages matter and orders it, guiding it toward the objective of the architectural product.

As a reflection of this non-linearity, the content of the research will organise its findings into thematic clusters—grouped according to tendencies that are sometimes explicit and at other times latent—which, through a circular process, continually generate questions such as: why do we speak about architecture?

This will be addressed through two fundamental lines of inquiry: the reasons why discourse about architecture is constructed and the ways in which such discourse is produced.

Planned Activities

• Participation in the training activities offered by the Doctoral Programme (seminars, workshops, conferences, lectures, and related initiatives).
• Development and enhancement of competencies through participation in conferences, forums, congresses, study days, and cultural events.
• Presentation of research developments through scientific articles in specialised journals and participation as a speaker at conferences, congresses, study days, assemblies, and cultural events.
• Study periods at Italian and international institutions and research centres.
• Preparation of the doctoral dissertation as a structured document presenting the entire research process, results, and operational proposals.
• Teaching support and tutoring activities.
• Networking activities through direct participation in and organisation of cultural events and programmes, the establishment of national and international cultural networks, and the dissemination of research outcomes.

Expected Outcomes

• A scientific output of both academic and operational value, capable of contributing to the advancement of disciplinary knowledge.
• Acquisition, throughout the doctoral training process, of the skills necessary for conducting highly qualified research activities, including critical thinking, analytical abilities, and organisational competence.

ONE SCHOLARSHIP CO-FUNDED BY UNIVERSITY AND DEPARTMENT (DAD) FUNDS AND BY AGREEMENT WITH CITY GREEN LIGHT S.P.A.

Research supervisor: Prof. Chiara Olivastri

Title

Lighting Design for Public Spaces: Light and Technology for Social Inclusion

General Objectives of the Project
The design of public spaces is often conceived for a “standard person” and does not fully take into account the needs of more vulnerable individuals, minorities, and women.
This research may contribute to the development of a design methodology for public space lighting in urban contexts aimed at mitigating such inequalities.

The overall objective of the project is to rethink the quality of urban lighting by integrating light and advanced technologies to create safer, more livable, and inclusive public environments. The project seeks to transform light into a social tool capable of strengthening the sense of community, encouraging nighttime mobility, and enhancing underused spaces through participatory urban regeneration initiatives.

Specific Objectives:
• Improve the perception of safety in public spaces during evening and nighttime hours
• Promote the active involvement of women and people with motor, hearing, and visual disabilities in the design of public space lighting
• Address urban areas perceived as “unsafe” through targeted lighting design interventions
• Integrate smart technologies (LEDs, motion sensors, smart lighting systems) to provide efficient and adaptive illumination
• Develop a replicable model of inclusive lighting design that is accessible to all and attentive to a gender-sensitive perspective
• Raise awareness among local administrations and citizens about the strategic role of lighting in fostering social inclusion

Methodology
The research project aims to adopt a multidisciplinary and participatory approach:

1. Analysis of urban perception at night: direct involvement of citizens, local administrations, and associations to collect data on perceptions of safety
2. Analysis of specific needs: assessment of the requirements of vulnerable users and women in the design of urban lighting systems
3. Participatory design: co-design of lighting solutions with particular attention to energy sustainability
4. Focus on technology and innovation: use of LED systems, motion sensors, and adaptive smart lighting solutions
5. Environmental sustainability: low-energy-impact solutions and enhancement of existing urban spaces

Planned Activities
• Qualitative interviews, with particular attention to the groups targeted by the research
• Local workshops involving citizens, architects, associations, lighting designers, and public administrations
• Surveying and mapping of urban areas perceived as unsafe (with a focus on women’s mobility routes)
• Technical analysis of existing lighting systems and their shortcomings
• Participatory co-design of lighting solutions for at least one pilot project within the study area
• Implementation of smart lighting prototypes using LEDs and sensors (in collaboration with industry partners)
• Monitoring and evaluation of the pilot project’s impact on nighttime behaviors and perceptions of safety
• Training and awareness-raising activities for local administrations and sector professionals

Expected Results

More Inclusive Cities, Better Lit and More Welcoming
This project contributes to the broader debate on the inclusive city: an urban environment that truly functions only when it is designed for everyone, starting from the social groups that are often overlooked in traditional planning and design processes.

Expected Qualifications and Skills of the Ideal Candidate
• Master’s degree in Architecture, Building Engineering–Architecture, Product Design, or related disciplines
• Professional experience in the fields of lighting design and social inclusion
• Strong skills in comparative analysis and interdisciplinary research
• Ability to coordinate large multidisciplinary teams
• Experience as a project manager