Erasmus+ BIP Ivrea - Industries of urban living. Research design on shared public spaces

Politecnico di Torino, Department of Architecture and Design (DAD), is organizing the BIP "Ivrea - Industries of urban living" program. The aim is to place the theme of knowledge and design of public space in the city of Ivrea understood as a place and tool for the enhancement and protection of the Core Zone and Buffer Zone of the UNESCO site ‘Ivrea, Industrial City of the
20th Century’

The objectives of the intensive educational program is manifold:

  • Placemaking:  create informal and local meeting places, emphasising compactness and high resolution of the intervention.
  • Engaging with local actors: Unesco site, inhabitants, stakeholders, industrial heritage owners, etc..
  • Adaptive public spaces reuse: adding contrasting new components, maintaining the architecture’s initial aspirations.
     

Partner Universities

  • Politecnico di Torino, Italy (coordinator)
  • KU Leuven, Belgium
  • ULisboa - Faculty of Architecture, Lisbon

Other Partners

  • Unesco Site ‘Ivrea, industrial city of the 20th century, Italy
  • City of Ivrea, Italy 

Coordination

Massimo Crotti (DAD - PoliTO)
Elena Guidetti (DAD - PoliTO)
Ilaria Tonti (DAD - PoliTO)

Partnership

Karel Deckers (Ku Leuven, Belgium)
Alessia Allegri (FA_ULisboa, Portugal)
Patrizia Bonifazio (Unesco Site ‘Ivrea, industrial city of the 20th century’, Italy)
Filippo Ghisi (Unesco Site ‘Ivrea, industrial city of the 20th century’, Italy)

 

Dates and location

The BIP is articulated in two parts:

  • Online webinars and design training: October 10, 17, 24 and one additional session in November (20h lectures + 32h design training)
  • On-site workshops in Ivrea: November 10–15, 2025 (48h intensive design workshop)

General information

  • Recognition of 4 CFU (extracurricular credits).
  • Participation is free of charge, including access to all BIP activities
  • The programme does not require the payment of any fee and accomodation, and includes participation in all BIP activities
  • The main food costs will be agreed with local facilities

 

How to apply

Politecnico di Torino students

More info here

Partner Universities students

Please contact the International Mobility/Erasmus+ office of your university.

 

Program description

On site training

The workshops and activities include:

  • Guided tours in the city of Ivrea;
  • Urban planning of Ivrea and UNESCO site documents analysis;
  • Cross-tools site campaign (sketches, photos, video, interviews, diary);
  • Dialogue with local communities, associations and municipal administration;
  • Fine-tuning of the project on the chosen public space sites.

Online activities

Webinars:
  1. October 10th Kick-Off - Introducing the topic + group activities launch
  2. October 17th - Ivrea and Olivetti industrial heritage + collective review
  3. October 24th - Open spaces design approaches + Introducing on-site workshop +collective review
  4. [date to be defined] - Final design presentation
    [Webinar calendar to be confirmed]

During the online webinars, the students of the three universities will:
> Attend lectures by teachers and experts;
> Obtain information and instructions to develop the onsite activities;
> Present their research proposals from offline design activities;
> Obtain logistic information for the next onsite workshops.

Online design activities:

During the online design activities, the students of the three universities will work in mixed groups in order to:
> Develop and test of innovative analysis of the urban context;
> Present case studies of reuse/recover/design of adaptive public spaces;
> Research and design solutions for public spaces fit to contemporary mobility, staying, and events uses;
> Propose ephemeral and temporary micro-architectures for everyday life;
> Challenge an urban perspective in addressing architectural and open space solutions.

 

Teaching methods

The teaching methodology includes:

  • Lectures and dialogues with experts (on-line and in-person)
  • Field study and analysis of the Ivrea Unesco area
  • Collective design activities (student group)
  • Public presentation and dissemination of the project/strategic idea

 

Expected Learning Outcomes

At the end of the program, from the students, the couse is expected to: 

  • develop a critical and interdisciplinary dossier on the chosen area of study, with particular focus on the open public space of Ivrea Unesco area,analyzed through the lens of four thematic perspectives;
  • produce a range of visual and multimedia materials—such as photographs, videos,diagrams and collages—that complement and expand the critical reading of the context;
  • envision and articulate scenarios and tactical design strategies for public space in an urban UNESCO context, expressed through schemes, architectural and urban design drawings, diagrams, and critical mapping exercises.
Immagine
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.