Progetto I: Atelier Waldrap

In the third edition of Public Space +, we will use the city of Athens as our laboratory. We approach Athens both as a historical backdrop and as a complex urban environment - dense, fragmented, informal, and deeply shaped by everyday public life. We will explore the idea of Structural Commons in architecture - not only as physical structures, but as spatial, environmental, and cultural frameworks that support public life.
In response to today’s ecological and social challenges, we will focus on how architecture can create change by building on what already exists. Rather than building anew, we will look at how existing - built, unbuilt, or unfinished - structures can be reimagined through architectural interventions. 
Together, we will explore how architectural interventions can activate these structural commons to create new types of public space.
 

This semesters objective is to investigate public space in Athens through the lens of Structural Commons.
We want to understand how architecture can support collective life by working with the city’s existing structures - its open frames, in-between spaces, and mixed-use buildings.
Students will develop precise, thoughtful proposals that respond to the city’s ecological and social issues imagining new forms of shared space within what already exists, and creating lasting value for communities.
 

In presenza

Students will study Athens through site visits, mapping, and research, including a study trip at the beginning of the semester.
The studio combines hands-on, speculative, and journalistic methods with digital tools to turn ideas into detailed and convincing proposals - with a focus on clear design, construction thinking, and architectural storytelling.
Throughout the semester, students will develop adaptive strategies that work with existing structures and urban fragments, cultivating an architecture of care, transformation, and public relevance.

Regular attendance at classes;
Active participation and engagement in the project;
Timely submission of projects;
Development and articulation of a clear and coherent project concept;
Presentation and defense of the project during internal critiques and with invited guests.

• This semester, we will be traveling to Athens. Exact dates will be provided at the beginning of the semester., 04.06.26 - 04.06.26 (Obbligatorio)