Stereotomy, Sustainable Construction and Didactics. Case study: a new Museum for Matera, European Capital of Culture 2019

Abstract

The paper describes the students’ works, which included posters and physical models, were the partial outcomes of the current 3rd year design studio, led by Prof Giuseppe Fallacara and taught with the support of Maurizio Barberio and Micaela Colella, both Ph.D. students at the Polytechnic of Bari. The text illustrate an experimental teaching/learning approach which Giuseppe tested during the design studio. This approach was inspired by the concepts of ‘Experiential Learning’ and ‘Flipped Classroom’, consisting in a series of “cooperative classes”, where tutors and students interacted and discussed in an absolute spirit of intellectual equality. The goal was to simulate the activity of a large architecture practice, involved in the design of a public building, which generally requires the contribution of a large number of architects and designers. The students were given a brief for a new museum and multipurpose centre in Matera, Italy, which was recently nominated European Capital of Culture 2019. They had to deliver a design proposal, a rapid prototyped model and a short video.