PoliTo Food Design Lab

Duration: from 2017 - on going

Scientific Coordinator: Cristian Campagnaro

Project Type: Third Mission Collaboration

PoliTO Role: Project promoter

The Polito Food Design Lab is the pop-up laboratory of the Fighting Food Waste Design Focus (FFWD) project, an initiative to improve teaching promoted by the Department of Architecture and Design at the Polytechnic University of Turin. 

Since 2017, the PoliTo Food Design Lab has been active in the University's teaching and research activities. In the teaching sphere, it promotes applied and experiential courses in which students apply the practical and theoretical knowledge they have acquired during their training in design-led project exercises aimed at enhancing food surpluses and by-products with a view to sustainability and the circular economy. 

In the academic sphere, the laboratory promotes and carries out applied research projects with a strong interdisciplinary focus, relating to macro-themes that intersect with social and food issues such as food poverty, access to food, and the valorisation of surpluses, excesses and by-products of agro-industrial and distribution systems. 

Since its inception in 2024, it has held over 50 workshops for more than 1,200 students and citizens, collaborating with 15 different actors – including institutions, companies, social cooperatives and research groups – in teaching and research activities.

Involved Structure

• DAD, Department of Architecture and Design

Location

• Pop-Up Laboratory hosted inside and outside the University. Main locations: Corso Settembrini 178, Turin / Via Ghedini 6, Turin

Project Team

• Cristian Campagnaro (DAD), full professor and scientific project coordinator 
• Raffaele Passaro (DAD), research fellow, senior designer, activity coordinator
• Giorgia Curtabbi (DAD), research fellow, senior designer
• Martina Leo (DAD), Junior Designer

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. No poverty 

4. Quality education 

9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure 

11. Sustainable cities and communities 

17. Partnership for the goals

Link

• Campagnaro, Cristian; Curtabbi, Giorgia; Passaro, Raffaele (2022) For food, with food, through food, about food: un laboratorio di didattica e ricerca sul design per i processi alimentari. In: ATTI E RASSEGNA TECNICA, vol. LXXVI, pp. 166-171. ISSN 0004-7287 

• Pagina instagram: www.instagram.com/foodesignlab.polito/?hl=it