Dezeen School Shows: a project that turns urban wasteland into public gardens is included in this School Show by students at the University of Bologna in Italy.

Also included is an urban design scheme that aims to withstand the effects of extreme weather events caused by climate change and an adaptive reuse project that turns a derelict building into a community food hub.

University of Bologna

Institution: University of Bologna
School: School of Engineering and Architecture
Course: Architecture and Creative Practices for the City and Landscape (ACPCL)

School statement:

"The International Master's in Architecture and Creative Practices for the City and Landscape (ACPCL) aims to educate new professional architects who are able to cope with the forthcoming emerging topics on the global scene.

"Particularly, dealing with the challenges of climate change, cultural integration, circular development and population growth while preserving and evolving cities' identities.

"This calls for new skills, competencies and capacities mixed in a systemic vision attitude.

"Are you a creative, talented, passionate mind? ACPCL is a place to explore your limits and go beyond."

NEW fiERA by Kateřina Zapletalová, Irini Dionysonoulou, Christina Papathanasiou and Denis Işik

"NEW fiERA is inspired by Bologna Fiere, a familiar landmark in Bologna designed by Kenzo Tange that is characterised by its porticoes and towers.

"The building struggles to connect with the surrounding district life and infrastructures, as well as responding to climate resilience imperatives – it is a heat island with wide impermeable surfaces.

"NEW fiERA turns Fiera into a permeable system by redesigning its access pathways, valorising the porticoes at the ground floor, excavating the ground floor to transform its underground parking into a shaded piazza, adding, green roofs, air source heat pumps and rainwater harvesting, which all contribute to circularity and climate change mitigation."

Students: Kateřina Zapletalová, Irini Dionysonoulou, Christina Papathanasiou and Denis Işik
Course: Preserving Heritage and Shaping new Urban features Lab
Tutors: Professor Andrea Boeri, Andrea Borsari, Danila Longo, Marco Mari, Marco Pretelli, Leila Signorelli and teaching assistants Francesca Sabatini, Carlotta Trippa and Valentina Cafarotti
Emails: katerina.zapletalova[at]studio.unibo.it, eirini.dionysopoulou[at]studio.unibo.it, christ.papathanasio2[at]studio.unibo.it and deniz.isik[at]studio.unibo.it

Student housing and aparthotel by Ludovica Casalone, Noemie Cadiot, Bruna Maria Borzacchini Candil and Matteo Fusaro

"Due to its proximity to the University of Bologna Terracini campus, this student housing accommodation and combined aparthotel is located in a polygonal site, where the volumes rise around an inner courtyard that serves as space for socialisation.

"The project uses dry-based construction solutions, largely exploiting the potential of cross-laminated timber, to optimise both the energy efficiency and the circulation layout.

"The overall design transforms the plot constraints into opportunities to maximise solar exposure and achieve the highest performance possible."

Students: Ludovica Casalone, Noemie Cadiot, Bruna Maria Borzacchini Candil and Matteo Fusaro
Course: Sustainability Issues and Targets Lab
Tutors: Professor Ernesto Antonini, Jacopo Gaspari, Davide Olori and teaching assistants Licia Felicioni, Lia Marchi and Yu Chen
Emails: ludovica.casalone[at]studio.unibo.it, noemiesuzanne.cadiot[at]studio.unibo.it, bruna.borzacchini[at]studio.unibo.it and matthi.fusarolanctot[at]studio.unibo.it

Modular housing development by Mercedes Herrera, Isabel Cuerda del Valle and Teresa Cases

"Based on replicable timber-based modules, the project offers a number of possible combinations for affordable housing.

"Flexible and combinable units are used to generate different-sized flats and typologies to meet various housing demands.

"The overall residential area is designed to maximise the response capacity to extreme climate events, carefully considering possible heatwaves and other extreme weather events."

Students: Mercedes Herrera, Isabel Cuerda del Valle and Teresa Cases
Course: Sustainability Issues and Targets Lab
Tutors: Professor Ernesto Antonini, Jacopo Gaspari, Davide Olori and teaching assistants Licia Felicioni, Lia Marchi and Yu Chen
Emails: mariade.herreraramos[at]studio.unibo.it, isabel.cuerda[at]studio.unibo.it and teresa.casesquetglas[at]studio.unibo.it

Linea Cassarini by Polina Ivanova, Juyeon Seo, Diliara Valieva and Elizaveta Voronkova

"The Linea Cassarini project addresses the redevelopment of the external areas of the Department of Architecture, University of Bologna, by creating a covered linear path and a pavilion.

"The walkway serves as a connection between different parts of the campus, opening to the city and providing a convenient space for students to relax and study.

"Additionally, the concept gives priority to pedestrian circulation through the reorganisation of paths and parking areas.

"The project dialogues with the architecture of the former Faculty of Engineering by Giuseppe Vaccaro and reinterprets Bologna porticoes."

Students: Polina Ivanova, Juyeon Seo, Diliara Valieva and Elizaveta Voronkova
Course: The City and Territory Values Lab
Tutors: Professor Annalisa Trentin, Serena Orlandi, and teaching assistants Chiara Ciambellotti and Simone Zanini
Emails: polina.ivanova[at]studio.unibo.it, juyeon.seo[at]studio.unibo.it, diliara.valieva[at]studio.unibo.it, elizaveta.voronkova[at]studio.unibo.it

Resilient neighbourhood by Soleiman Arish, Salar Azizi, Emma Beauvineau and Daniele Valentino

"Today's cities are hot, dry, polluted and impermeable, and climate change produces more frequent and extreme weather events such as summer storms, flash floods and heat waves.

"How can design choices contribute to urban resilience? This project investigates design alternatives and scientifically measures their environmental effects.

"The research takes into analysis a typical H-shaped building located in the Barca district of Bologna.

"By analysing the energetic, environmental and economic aspects of the district and chosen building, we proposed specific design solutions."

Students: Soleiman Arish, Salar Azizi, Emma Beauvineau and Daniele Valentino
Course: Making the Cities Resilient Lab
Tutors: Professor Lamberto Tronchin, Beatrice Turillazzi, Paolo Valdiserri, Stefano Stanzani, Silvio Cristiano, Massimiliano Manfren and Maria Cristina Tommasino
Email: soleiman.arish[at]gmail.com, azizisalar92[at]gmail.com, embeauvineau[at]gmail.com and studio.danielevalentino[at]gmail.com

Chang'e raising to the moon by Bo Li and Giada Petricca

"This project tells a story of environmental sustainability that derives from Chinese popular tradition.

"There was a time in ancient history when the sky suddenly had 10 suns shining down on the earth, making the land too hot and impossible for people to live.

"However, there was a powerful hero named Hou Yi, who decided to solve the emergency.

"He climbed to the top of Mount Kunlun, drew his divine bow and shot down nine of the suns. He then spoke to the remaining sun in the sky, saying "from now on, you must rise and set at the proper times each day, bringing prosperity to the people".

"The events of this story are translated into buildings located along the south-east walls of Bologna, near Porta Santo Stefano and the Baraccano church."

Students: Bo Li and Giada Petricca
Course: The Cultural Heritage Legacy and Challenges Lab
Tutor: Professor Lamberto Amistadi
Emails: bo.li2[at]studio.unibo.it and giada.petricca[at]studio.unibo.it

Navile University Campus by Ludovica Casalone, Luiza Marcadella and Milou de Vries

"Navile University Campus addresses the current shortage in student housing in Bologna.

"The project proposes a version alternative to the current plan for the university campus by doubling the number of student accommodations and the space for cultural and sports facilities.

"The new residential development is a dense, low-rise housing structure, similar to a village. The buildings are of four typologies to provide different living experiences to the inhabitants.

"These temporary accommodations are designed to be reused in the future and eventually transformed into houses for families."

Students: Ludovica Casalone, Luiza Marcadella and Milou de Vries
Course: Structuring the City by Desing Lab
Tutor: Professor Valentina Orioli, Leonardo Ramondetti, Anna Fabris, Nicholas Fantuzzi, Farhad Zeighami and teaching assistant Riccardo Mercuri
Emails: ludovica.casalone[at]studio.unibo.it, luiza.marcadella[at]studio.unibo.it and milou.devries[at]studio.unibo.it

Cyrus, Nabukudur and Rojin: Architecture as a Character by Alessandro Lavarini and Tina Bagherzadeh Moghadam

"In this project, Bologna's recently added urban fabric is sacrificed to make space for a housing development based on a narrative theme in which antagonists face each other for the love of a woman.

"This becomes a rhetorical exercise, an art of discourse in which architectures are defined through the characters they interpret.

"The figurative framework is the transliteration of an Iranian folk tale in which the heroine, Rojin, is disputed between the good King Cyrus and the bad Nabukudur.

"Typologically speaking, King Cyrus is architected in a courtyard palace surrounded by a large garden, while Nabukudur is represented by a tower located along the walls outside the Circla.

"From the water in the Margherita garden, Rojin's song is transfigured into the architecture of a fine small theatre."

Students: Alessandro Lavarini and Tina Bagherzadeh Moghadam
Course: The Cultural Heritage Legacy and Challenges Lab
Tutor: Professor Lamberto Amistadi
Emails: alessandro.lavarini[at]studio.unibo.it and t.bagherzadehmoghada[at]studio.unibo.it

Hortus Conclusus, Hortus Communis by Muhammed Tarik, Niusha Khaleghi, Parimah Nasirzadeh and Giulia Spreitz

"Hortus Conclusus, Hortus Communis addresses requests for urban gardens in Bologna. The project develops an abandoned area between the university campus and a residential neighbourhood.

"This site is envisioned as a space for agricultural production where three hundred urban gardens are mixed with high-tech cultivation technology.

"These two functions are hybridised alongside a space for social activity, which also hosts facilities for selling products.

"The new layout is designed to retain water, while the greenhouses host small-scale devices for the production of renewable energy."

Students: Muhammed Tarik, Niusha Khaleghi, Parimah Nasirzadeh and Giulia Spreitz
Course: Structuring the City by Desing Lab
Tutors: Professor Valentina Orioli, Leonardo Ramondetti, Anna Fabris, Nicholas Fantuzzi, Farhad Zeighami and teaching assistant Riccardo Mercuri
Emails: muhammedtarik.caglar[at]studio.unibo.it, niusha.khaleghi[at]studio.unibo.it, parimah.nasirzadeh[at]studio.unibo.it and giulia.spreitz[at]studio.unibo.it

Community Food Hub by Adriana Perez, Niloofar Ghiazi, Fulvia De Francesco and Shannon Cronin

"The Treno (Train) of Barca is anchored in Bolognese local history.

"Designed by Giuseppe Vaccaro, this complex is listed by UNESCO as a meaningful contemporary expression of the Bologna porticoes but the lack of maintenance has created fragilities, which the project uses as an opportunity to foster growth towards a new social balance.

"The Community Food Hub works on raising awareness among citizens, encouraging them to be part of a unique architectural environment.

"The masterplan develops a variety of actions combined in a systematic way, adding public structures as well as enhancing and implementing preexisting activities in the neighbourhood and working on multiple climate responsive interventions."

Students: Adriana Perez, Niloofar Ghiazi, Fulvia De Francesco and Shannon Cronin
Course: Preserving Heritage and Shaping new Urban features Lab
Tutors: Professor Andrea Boeri, Andrea Borsari, Danila Longo, Marco Mari, Marco Pretelli, Leila Signorelli and teaching assistants Francesca Sabatini, Carlotta Trippa and Valentina Cafarotti
Emails: adriana.perezrubiano[at]studio.unibo.it, niloofar.ghiasi[at]studio.unibo.it, fulvia.defrancesco[at]studio.unibo.it and shannon.cronin[at]studio.unibo.it

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Bologna. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.