This courseaims at an in depth understanding of the complexity of urban space and the development of the city in the course of time, based on historical evolution, major interruptions of continuity and the role of urban factors in residential areas, public buildings and open spaces. It also aims at conceiving architectural design as emerging from collective memory, but always in relation to contemporary needs, and at an analysis of the relation between architecture and history as well as a contemporary architectural expression, in contrast to or in accordance with it. Finally, it examines the role of public buildings in collective life, through this multifaceted perspective.
The 7th architectural design studio examines a complex architectural problem in an area within undefined or problematic spaces close to the boundaries of a historic centre, which may include a group of inactive buildings that may be reused or adapted. Students are asked to design open spaces and buildings, dealing with problems related to the continuity of urban spaces, the relation of new uses to existing functions in the area, the relation of new design to the phases of development of the city, the use of materials, and every aspect of the question of contemporary architectural design in a historic context.