Meet and Work with Snøhetta, Souto de Moura, SANAA: "Architecture for Landscape" 2022 Course Open for Registration

Published on May 31, 2022

From Stonehenge to Greek temples, architecture is the signature of humankind on landscape, the artificial element that has always been connected to the natural environment. Architecture and landscape are linked by a fundamental continuity that is now starting to fade, damaging the quality of the space we dwell.

Today, more than ever, the landscape is a precious heritage that architecture can and must enhance, while protecting it to pass it on to future generations: architects shall not give up on working on landscape, instead they should be able to design architectures that respond to each landscape’s specific feature and generate wonderful and unique spaces.

The “Architecture for Landscape” course was created on these premises: it aims at training designers who are able to meet the diverse needs of transforming territories, enforcing an attentive and productive dialogue with the surrounding landscape to respond to the needs of prestigious clients in outstanding contexts.

Through a thorough analysis of the natural world, light and geomorphological features of terrains, the designers will become increasingly able to reconnect human design to the natural environment and be inspired by the landscape to design outstanding, sustainable and impressive architectures.

The course will be made up of 86 hours of lessons, a 32-hour workshop and multiple lectures by well-renowned professional architects. At the end of the course, the YACademy Placement office will guarantee each student a proposal for an internship / collaboration within the partner studios.

Special Lectures

LARS JOHAN ALMGREN | DORTE MANDRUP: Shaped by the surroundings: The Whale
EDUARDO SOUTO DE MOURA: Engineering and landscape: Foz Tua Dam
KAZUYO SEJIMA | SANAA: Water and architecture: Grace Farm
SEUL LEE | SNØHETTA: Underwater landscape: Under
SIMON FROMMENWILER | HHF ARCHITECTS: Sanctuaries within landscape: Ruta del Peregrino
MATTHEW JOHNSON | DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO: NYC in green: the Highline
NEIL HUBBARD | HEATHERWICK STUDIO: A new green island in NY: little island
MIKKEL BØGH| EFFEKT: Architecture makes its way: camp adventure forest tower

Workshop

Design of obvservatory centers among the canyons and the caves of WWF proected area of Grotte Del Bussento

Francesca Singer | SANAA

The workshop, conducted under the tutorship of SANAA and carried out in collaboration with WWF, will concern the design of an architectural system aimed at enhancing the visitors' experience at Bussento caves - one of the most fascinating and rich natural compendiums in biodiversity on a national scale. Caves and canyons whose walls cling to suggestive observation points, waterfalls and streams where to insert platforms and viewpoints, and again the vestiges of an ancient mill where a visitor center or a small dining place can be placed. The protected area boasts a variety of foreshortenings and enchanting views that easily serve the purpose of carrying out experiments in which the landscape and the architectural element are the protagonists. Through the workshop, students will be able to test the insertion of architectures that dialogue with the landscape, with the aim to optimize its programs without overruling it, and indeed helping to sculpt it and emphasize its suggestive elements. The work is then not a simple design exercise, but a real environmental commitment: making the last great sanctuaries of mother nature accessible - through architecture - means spreading awareness around the environmental issue and with it the commitment of a wider public and consequent protection activities.

Build Your Project

Over the past years, numerous projects of YACademy’s students have been realized. For this reason, starting from 2022, systematically, the students will have the possibility to take part in a further educational step: the production of what they have designed during the workshop phase. Construction is an important step of architecture, therefore, YACademy offers to its students the opportunity to take part in the production process of their ideas. The students will gain practical and on site experiences and, furthermore, the ownership of projects built for excellent clients, destinated to the media attention and able to define a game-changer in their professional career.

Internships

At the end of the course, the YACademy Placement office will guarantee each student a proposal for an internship / collaboration with some of the studios better matching the topic of the course, with the likes of:

SANAA – HEATHERWICK STUDIO – EFFEKT – ARCHOS – ARTESELLA – AMDL CIRCLE – MARIO CUCINELLA ARCHITECTS – DS+R – SOU FUJIMOTO – MAURO FRATE ARCHITETTO – FRASSINAGO - GARDENS AND LANDSCAPES – HHF – JENSEN & SKODVIN ARKITEKTKONTOR AS – LAND – SNØHETTA – STUDIO ANTONIO PERAZZI

General Course Information:

Registrations open until the 15th of July, 2022
5 scholarships - full-coverage of the enrollment cost
Opportunity to participate in the courses remotely
Languages: Italian with simultaneous interpretation into English
APPLICATION WEBSITE

YACADEMY

YAC is an organizer of design and architectural projects for young architects and designers, recent graduates and students. Over the years, YAC has broadened its experience of work and collaboration with the main architectural firms of contemporary architecture, dealing with diverse and numerous topics of architectural design. Nowadays, YAC’s expertise can serve young designers better, providing them with the creation of high-level educational programs aimed at polishing the skills of the students and offering them a valuable connection to the labor market. Thanks to the close relationship with internationally renowned professional and academic actors, YACademy is the perfect frame within which to complete or specialize one’s skills, and create a significant link with the most internationally-renowned architectural firms. The location of the courses, also available from remote connection since 2020, is the prestigious headquarters of YACademy: a medieval building located in the heart of Bologna’s historical city center, close to the Two Towers and next to Piazza Santo Stefano; namely, one of the most picturesque areas of the city.