Val di Fiastra, located in the upper Macerata area, exemplifies a fragile ecosystem. It is a seismically vulnerable region experiencing a steady demographic decline. This essay presents the "Errante" project, one of the regeneration measures proposed by the "Qui Val di Fiastra" initiative, which was awarded the PNRR 2023 Borghi Call. The project is the result of a collaboration among the INABITA laboratory, local organisations, and the University of Camerino. Errante serves as a mobile infrastructure to promote socio-cultural activities. By integrating the principles of participatory design with rapid prototyping methodologies, which have been "transferred" from the university to the community, Errante establishes a unique approach for empowering territories in fragile contexts.
The education of architects is characterised by the integration of theoretical knowledge and professional practice. However, changes in the university system and the increasing specialisation of research have deepened the divide between academic training and professional work. Research, often focused on the development of guidelines and policy tools, tends to have limited or fragmented applications in the construction sector. In this context, the contribution explores the transfer of technology and knowledge between universities, institutions, and non-academic actors, highlighting the role of design as a research tool and the need for dialogue between academia, the profession, and the production sector to foster innovation.
Val di Fiastra, located in the upper Macerata area, exemplifies a fragile ecosystem. It is a seismically vulnerable region experiencing a steady demographic decline. This essay presents the “Errante” project, one of the regeneration measures proposed by the “Qui Val di Fiastra” initiative, which was awarded the PNRR 2023 Borghi Call. The project is the result of a collaboration among the INABITA laboratory, local organisations, and the University of Camerino. Errante serves as a mobile infrastructure to promote socio-cultural activities. By integrating the principles of participatory design with rapid prototyping methodologies, which have been “transferred” from the university to the community, Errante establishes a unique approach for empowering territories in fragile contexts.
The study examines the theoretical-methodological approaches (undertaken by the Technology Research & Development Office, in the Third Mission exercise) directed towards the practices of “technological substitution” and “typological re-configuration” of building systems. The methodological process involves incremental transformation techniques aimed at controlling and reducing complexity, supporting both Architectural Engineering Services and Systems Manufacturing Stakeholders. The thesis aims to provide an evaluation method to determine the technical, economic and time effectiveness of systemic evolution procedures, as well as potential transfer developments calibrated by the practices of Topology Optimisation and Advanced Manufacturing.
