Beyond the screen

The didactic experiences in the field of architectural design, in courses that have always had a strong workshop character, have been varied in recent years and have been carried out in different variants that, when considered as a whole, allow us to reflect on the problems and the challenges faced during the pandemic. Indeed, a didactic normally conducted with compulsory attendance suffered in a sudden andunexpected way from the cancellation of physical presence, the loss of contact with people and the “corporeality” of the project. Moreover, the absence of the physical space of the classroom (a scene inherent to the laboratory) soon led to the search for new tools and appropriate methods that must adapt to constantly changing situations, depending on the progress of the pandemic, transposing everything behind a screen. These experiences confirm that despite the technical-technological progress that also affects the world of design teaching, it is necessary to keep the cornerstones of architecture clear, as the method cannot ignore thinking and the concreteness of doing, since architecture is always experiential and not media.

Il contributo raccoglie e racconta l’esperienza didattica di alcuni corsi progettazione architettonica che durante l’emergenza COVID-19 si è svolta in diverse varianti e che, in una valutazione complessiva, consente di riflettere sui problemi e le sfide affrontate durante la pandemia. Una didattica che normalmente viene svolta con obbligo di frequenza, ha subito – in modo improvviso e imprevisto – l’annullamento della presenza fisica, la perdita di contatto con le persone e la “corporeità” del progetto. L’assenza dello spazio fisico dell’aula ha portato ben presto alla ricerca di nuovi strumenti e metodologie adeguate, dovendosi adattare a situazioni in continua evoluzione, secondo l’andamento della pandemia, trasponendo tutto dietro uno schermo.