Programme

The course in Urban Morphology, optional, in English, provides 4 credits and is open to all students, including Erasmus ones.
The purpose of the morphological studies proposed by the course is the knowledge of the characters of the built environment and the recognition of its formation and transformation having as ultimate goal the architectural design open to multiple estetic synthesis.
It aims to teach a method of reading the physical form of the city through the understanding of the forming process common to urban fabrics and buildings, The term "reading" not indicates the neutral recording of phenomena, but an awareness which requires the active and dynamic contribution of the reader.
The basic notions of urban organism and forming process will be provided.

Core Documentation

Basic text in online format (in English)
1. G. Strappa, L’architettura come processo (translated chapters), Franco Angeli, Milano 2015
The main chapters translated into English (useful to take the exam) can be found on the teacher's website (http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/) and are indicated below:
- Notes on base building - http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8400
- Learned language/everyday language . http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8340
- The aggregation process and the form of the fabric, http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8380
- Special nodal building, http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8159
- Architectural knotting, http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8414
- Territory as architecture - http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8355 (text not incuded in the book)
Basic text in paper format (in English)
2. G. Caniggia, G.L. Maffei, Interpreting basic building (pages. 53 –164) , Altralinea, Firenze 2017
A good translation in French (on line) is: G. Caniggia, G.L. Maffei, Composition architectural et typologie du bati. 1 lecture du bati de base, traduit par p. larochelle, Université Laval, 2000 -http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/G.-Caniggia-Lecture-du-b%C3%A2ti-de-base-traduit-par-P.-Larochelle.pdf

Reference Bibliography

Texts, in chronological order, useful to eventually deepen some topics of the course: . G.Strappa, Assemblage and aggregation: reading the ancient city and urban composition methods, in “Urban Morphology”, Vol.24, n°2020, pp. 184-199 . G. Strappa, The post pandemic city and the recovery of the limit in U+D 13 june 2020, - http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8503 . N. Scardigno, Dyads of an operating thought. Modification & Continuity | Project & Morphology, in Proceeding of the conference Isufitaly 2020 - http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8507 . G. Strappa, Substrata – Morphology of the ancient city, beyond its ruins, in U+D Urbanform+Design n. 9/10 – 2019 - http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8253 . G. Strappa, The “knotting” as a morphological phenomenon. An interpretation of the Italian Chamber of Deputies forming process, in ICONARP International Journal of Architecture & Planning; Special Issue , pp: 286-313- December 2019- http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8445 . G. Strappa, Territory as architecture, 2019 - http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=8355 . G. Strappa, The notion of process ( learning form Alnwick), 2019 http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Delft-paper-Alnwick-pubblicato.pdf . G. Strappa, Reading the built environment as a design method, in V. Oliveira (Editor), Teaching Urban Morphology, Springer, Berlin 2018 (to be uploaded to the teacher's website) . G. Strappa (editor), Observation on Urban Growth, Franco Angeli, Milano 2018 . G. Strappa, P. Carlotti, A. Camiz, Urban Morphology and Historical Fabrics.Contemporary design of small towns in Latium - Morfologia urbana e tessuti storici. Il progetto contemporaneo dei centri minori del Lazio, Roma 2016 (some chapters to be found in the teacher's website) . G.Strappa, A.R. Amato, A. Camporeale (editors), City as Organism. New Visions for Urban Life. ISUF International Conference, September 2015- Conference Proceedings, Rome 2015 - https://www.urbanform.it/ . G. Strappa, Enclosures in islamic architecture, Environmental Design. Journal of the Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre, 20, 2001, pp. 50-59. http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=7869 . G. Strappa, M. Ieva, M. Dimatteo, The town as an organism: reading Trani at different scales, in :G.Strappa, M.Ieva, M.A.Di Matteo, La città come organismo. Lettura di Trani alle diverse scale, Bari 2003. - http://www.giuseppestrappa.it/?p=1167

Type of delivery of the course

The course will consist of: A. a series of lectures (see schedule) aiming to provide the student, through the morphological/processural method, with the tools to read the built environment, historical and contemporary, having the architectural design as its goal. Some independent lectures could be given by external professors or experts, on complementary subjects. B. "morphological walks". Field surveys organized to examine in the Rome historical center the fabrics and buildings under study. C. Students who intend to apply the reading method through a simple design proposal (exam form 1, see above), will be followed weekly through work reviews by the teachers.

Attendance

Attendance is compulsory for at least 75% of the lessons.

Type of evaluation

Students will be evaluated trough an oral test. They will choose one of the following forms of exam: 1. Discussion of a simple design proposal derived from the theoretical studies. Documents required: - study plan of the morphology of the place - study plan describing the formation of the proposal by phases - Plan of the design proposal (at urban scale) derived from the morphological reading and architectural interpretation of the place. 2. Discussion on one of the theoretical topics listed in the course program. The students will be free to present their individual notebook and all the works they consider useful for evaluation.