regenerating cuna | archos summer school 2018
project the reuse of a fortified grange in Siena

REGENERATING CUNA
Create a project aimed at the reuse of a fortified grange in Siena

22-29 July 2018 | OCRA Montalcino (Siena)

Archos Summer School is aimed at all those who believe that architecture should create processes and that it is essential to develop a model of critical thinking about the society in which we live and work, which means acquiring the skills and abilities necessary to understand its complexity and to make choices for the common and social good. We will investigate who really has the power and authority to change the perception of collective space and how architects can change space around people by transforming it so that it preserves and protects not only the happiness of the body, but above all the mental happiness of people, giving the right importance to and determining the right distance between concepts such as inclusion and integration, designing and planning.

The aim of the Archos Summer School is also to show that training in architecture requires a considerable amount of autonomy and a great ability to find the right teachers with whom students can discover their own inclinations and passions.

Design workshop

The theme of the workshop is the reuse of the fortified farm for social and cultural purposes, to create inclusive architecture that fosters new virtuous behaviour. The farm “Grancia di Cuna in Monteroni d’Arbia (Siena)” dates back to 1100, and in ‘200 the building was the hospital of Siena. Given the particular characteristics of the site and the area around it, the historic monument should become an important and unique point of reference in international culture.

Architects are not heritage preservers, they restore buildings for the sole purpose of converting them so that they can be reused. In this sense, architecture certainly offers a privileged perspective on the city and the society, while old abandoned villages can become an opportunity to re-establish networks of cultural relations through actions and forms connected with the urgent needs of contemporary society. The most important aspect is the relationship between community and territory, through which it is necessary to change the local landscape by creating new situations integrated with the context in which they dialogue with the public.

Lectures “Aesthetics in Architecture”

The lectures deal with the relationship between architects, society and social justice, with a particular focus on disability, prisons, children, the elderly, and migrants, with the aim of understanding whether these social categories really need different spaces.
The lectures are open to the public, while members of the Professional Association of Architects taking the lectures are entitled to receive 19 professional training credits.

The places

Archos Summer School 2018 offers an immersive experience in a setting of exceptional beauty in the heart of Tuscany between old and contemporary buildings, to learn about the performance potential of space and how to use it to influence behaviour. During the week, activities take place in the following locations: OCRA The Creative Workshop of Living in the thirteenth-century complex of S. Agostino (where the residential course is held), the prestigious Castle Banfi in Montalcino (Siena), the award-winning Bertarelli Foundation Forum, the Collemassari Winery (Cinigiano – Grosseto), and the Monastery of Siloe, a monastic complex built in Poggi del Sasso (Grosseto) in the twenty-first century.

Those taking part are not just students but actual inhabitants of OCRA: by living in close contact with teachers and professionals, they will receive support for the creation and development of the project through lectures, guided tours and events.

The lecturers

A team of multidisciplinary lecturers composed of philosophers, anthropologists, historians, archaeologists, sociologists and artists of international renown, as well as of architects and urban planners.

Intership

The most deserving student will be offered an internship at the Edoardo Milesi & Archos studio.

Enrolment and deadline

To apply, fill in the application form and send it to info@scuolapermanenteabitare.org by 30 June 2018 with the following documents attached:
– motivational letter;
– curriculum vitae;
– self-certification according to art. 46 of Presidential Decree no. 445 of 28/12/2000;
– a copy of a valid personal identification document;
– copy of residence permit (for non-EU citizens).

Scholarships

The 15 candidates selected by the Examination Committee will be eligible for a scholarship from the Bertarelli Foundation. Thanks to the scholarships of the Bertarelli Foundation, the enrolment cost for the selected students will be € 250 (instead of € 1,250).

The following application requirements apply: maximum age 35 years as of 1 January 2018; Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or being enrolled in the fourth year of a single-cycle university degree course.

Info
Regenerating Cuna | Archos Summer School  22/29 July 2018
OCRA Officina Creativa dell’Abitare, Via Boldrini 4 Montalcino

Scuola Permanente dell’Abitare
Via Valle del Muto 25 Albino (BG)
Phone +39 035 772 499 info@scuolapermanenteabitare.org
Via Boldrini 4 – Montalcino (SI)
Phone +39 0577 847 065 ocra@scuolapermanenteabitare.org