Promotion: the Instituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Florence has led a collaboration between students on its Interior and Furniture Design programme and design company CampusX.

With guidance from professors of the Rizoma Architetture programme at IED, the students were tasked with reimagining student housing for the next cohort of students in Generation Z – people born from the mid 1990s to the early 2010s.

The project involved students from the Interior and Furniture Design course designing a hypothetical CampusX structure, with a focus on creating co-living spaces along with a ground floor and lobby area.

"The collaboration between IED Florence and CampusX not only provides students with real-world experience but also contributes to the ongoing evolution of student housing," the university said.

A standout proposal was designed by student Lisa Laudieri who explored the role of digital advancements in shaping modern life – conceptualising the digital age as "Generation Z's playground".

Titled Pixel – An Urban Hub for the New Generation of Art and Artists, Laudieri's project imagines a co-living space in Milan with a modular grid arrangement that enables multifunctional uses.

Built around the concept of pixels, the design uses squares and cubes of various textures and colours to distinguish between the communal and private areas.

"Projects like Laudieri's Pixel demonstrate how design can merge functionality with artistic expression, creating spaces that are not only practical but also reflective of the digital age," the university said.

"Through these real-world projects, IED aims to offer its students the opportunity to engage with professionals boasting international work experience across all areas of design," the university said.

"More importantly, students will work on diverse projects with some of the industry's leading companies," it continued.

"Over three years, students will learn how project design skills, methods, and communication can work together to train expert interior designers with strong personalities, poised to play key roles within the product design industry."

The project was supervised by professors Giovanni Franceschelli, Lorenzo Antonelli, Camilla Gorlandi, and Letizia Perrone from Rizoma Architetture.

CampusX was established in 2011 and aims to revolutionise student campuses across Italy. The company's design approach is informed by Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon models reinterpreted to address modern needs.

"This initiative is a testament to the forward-thinking approach of both IED and CampusX, paving the way for innovative solutions in student accommodation," the university said.

For more information about IED, visit its website here.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for IED as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.