The studio will focus on architectural design, the study of cultural productive landscapes and the way architectures can be designed for and integrated with these landscapes on multiple levels. Specific focus will be placed on use, spatial organization, material articulation and modulation of microclimates.

Today the vast amount of architectural effort is focused on urban environments and little attention is focused on rural and remote areas that have been cultivated for generations. As the latter are falling into disrepair invaluable resources, insights and knowledge is lost. A lot can be learned from the way such landscapes are traditionally articulated, such as the terracing of slopes and the choice of materials, so as to be able to yield produce that otherwise is not possible. The studio will seek to engage with this problematic and to engage post-urban rural recuperation through carefully designed architectural projects. In this context the studio will focus on architectural design, the study of cultural productive landscapes and the way architectures can be designed for and integrated with these landscapes on multiple levels. The design task comprises of an architectural project for a small visitor center with work / research facilities and accommodation for 6 staff members.

Primary question is how cultural landscapes may be understood in their capacity to be productive and how they can be augmented with clearly defined architectural projects. In turn the architectural designs are expected to employ local resources and materials and be strongly integrated in the landscape and utilize similar passive means for modulating micro-climate.

The project site and field of study will be a cultural landscape in Tuscany, Italy. The students will stay on site for a period of one month during which analysis will be conducted and data collected. Based on the findings projects will be formulated and designed for the site(s).

The studio will collaborate with Italian institutions and landowners on this project.
Talks have been initiated and agreements made with University of Florence: Department of Architecture, Department of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Systems and Laboratorio di Geomatica per l'ambiente e la conservazione dei beni culturali; and Paolo Socci, Fattoria di Lamole.

The field trip is initially planned to last one month. Norwegian students can apply to Lånekassen for non-refundable financial support.