Laboratory of Tools for Architectural Design

The Laboratory of Tools for Architectural Design (sPrA) is a space dedicated to the teaching of architectural and landscape design. It provides workspaces and equipment for the creation of maquettes (physical models) and for plastic-spatial experimentation at different scales (buildings, cities, and landscapes).

The maquette is therefore understood as a tool for spatial representation and is used both for verifying ideas during the design phase and for the final communication of the adopted solutions.

The laboratory pursues a further objective: to promote activities aimed at the local territory, such as workshops and study seminars within the institutional courses of DICAR, as well as collaborations with external entities (schools, municipalities, provinces, superintendencies, private organizations, and professional firms). Some of the results of these activities are on display in the current layout.

During visits, the laboratory spaces are transformed into an exhibition area, with the goal of immersing the visitor in the world of relationships between architectural design and maquettes:

• Permanent exhibition of the most representative works created within the DICAR courses;
• Video screenings in which various architects, key figures on the contemporary architectural scene, discuss their works in relation to the maquette as a tool;
• Maquette ateliers, which are workspaces equipped with machinery, materials, and physical models created by students.

In addition to the traditional museum function of exhibiting collections, the facility offers the possibility of using its premises for various types of events. Some of these are reserved for students and faculty of the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture for educational or professional purposes, while others are open to the public (temporary exhibitions, seminars, workshops, and cultural events).