Università Roma Tre

Programme
The course deals with the analysis, structuring and design of the urban space, considering its interaction with the built surroundings and with the local environmental factors, detecting compatibilities and incompatibilities, at various scales, with the aim to define appropriate actions.
A systematic approach to the investigation of the urban space liveability takes to define problems and alternative technical solutions, apt to meet users’ requirements as well as places propositions.
The course considers, methodologically and operationally, several ways of action in order to verify their congruence with both requests and then to evaluate, from the point of view of governing the process of transformation/conservation of the built environment, the appropriateness of the advanced hypothesis.
For the general aspects, the topics concern: the renewal of the built environment, consequent to uses evolution; the adaptation to performance and environment regulations; the urban and building upgrading by a bioclimatic approach. For the application aspect: the specificity of the conversion project; the feasibility study and the assessment methods; the definition of the fields of action and of the congruent technical solutions.
These topics are tackled focusing the attention on some possible overall solutions, implemented by innovative technical measures, aimed at improving the built environment performances for all users: accessibility, safety, comfort and attractiveness, both from the physical and psychological point of view, keeping in mind sustainability and environmental impact reduction as goals.

Teaching organization
The course is structured in two parts.
- one is theoretical, organized in lectures and short thematic seminaries;
- one is devoted to applied work, carried out both at university and at home, that takes the student to face some phases of the design process, concerning various levels of compatibility check and assessment, the definition and analysis of alternative technical solutions, the selection and drawing of the most appropriate ones.
The lectures are targeted, on the one hand, to provide a design methodology based on requirement/performance approach and implementation guidelines, on the other hand, to support students in the development of the theme of the year. The aim is to steer them towards the choice of energetically sustainable solutions, congruent with the prefixed performance goals, and of innovative technologies apt to use at the best the environment potentialities (eco-efficiency). Such solutions are to be applied in the re-design of the town connective texture, constituted by outdoor paths and sojourn places, and in the urban mobility re-organization, with the aim to control the interaction between buildings and urban spaces and to improve their liveability.

Methods for assessing learning
The student final evaluation will be based on her/his participation to the activities of the course, on the applied work carried out during the semester and on the oral examination. Students who do not hand over their applied work during the course period, or do not make it in a satisfactory way, will have to take a written/graphic examination, propaedeutic to the oral one.
The oral examination entails:
- a discussion on the applied work carried out during the semester;
- an illustration and defence of the final applied work developed for the exam;
- questions related to the course contents.

Suggested texts
Dessì V., Progettare il confort urbano, Sistemi Editoriali, Napoli, 2007;

Dierna S., Orlandi F., Buone pratiche per il quartiere ecologico. Linee-guida di progettazione sostenibile nella città della trasformazione, Alinea Editrice, Firenze, 2005;

Martincigh L., “Strumenti di intervento per la riqualificazione urbana”, Gangemi editore S.p.A., Roma, 2012;
Martincigh L., “Mobilità e qualità della vita nella terza età. Indicazioni di intervento per agevolare la fruizione dell’ambiente urbano – Mobility and Quality of life for senior citizens. Indications to improve the use of the urban environment.”, DEI, Roma, I, 2011;
Martincigh, L., La mobilità sostenibile: un toolbox per la valutazione dei progetti - Sustainable mobility: a toolbox for design assessment, DEI, Roma, 2009; 

Moudon v.a., edited by, Public streets for public use, Columbia University Press, New York (usa), 1991.

Suggestions for the texts on the methodological and on the application aspects will be given during the course.