This thesis examines the topic of university residences, exploring how these can be “responsive” buildings, that is, structures capable of responding as fully as possible to the current and future needs of their users and the contexts in which they are located. In Italy, only 5% of students live in a university residence, compared to a European average of 17%. To bridge this gap between supply and demand, the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan #NextGenerationEU (PNRR), under Reform 1.7 Mission 4, aims to triple the number of existing beds, increasing them from 40,000 to over 100,000 by 2026. This historic moment can be seen as an opportunity to support structural change in the student accommodation sector, by rethinking the architectural design of these facilities, which are essential for the development of human and social capital. Consequently, the aim of this PhD research is to raise the level of university residence design in order to create facilities that are not only capable of meeting current needs, but also increasingly able to respond to future ones. Starting from the hypothesis that student residences are “complex buildings” due to the coexistence of multiple internal factors, and that there are also external aspects – such as pandemics, demographic trends, teaching methods and extraordinary events – which amplify their design complexity, the research examines the methodological approaches and design levels to be considered in order to enhance the “responsiveness” of these social infrastructures. The outcome of the research is a tool which, by systematising current and future needs, measures the degree of “responsiveness” of university residences during the meta-design phase. The research methodology can essentially be divided into the following phases: Knowledge, Hypothesis-Development and Output. The Knowledge Phase provides an overview of the topic and the state of the art through the consultation of various sources such as scientific articles, books, architecture journals, European regulations and reports. This phase highlighted how university residences are under-researched from a design perspective. Generally, in fact, these buildings are still conceived as rigid and immutable structures, limiting their ability to respond adequately to the changing needs of students and society. The Hypothesis-Development Phase demonstrates that the university residence can be considered as a complex building across various architectural levels. This hypothesis is supported by theoretical and design contributions. Therefore, the thesis proposes a paradigm shift for the university residence: from a complex building to a “responsive” building. The research identifies theories, approaches, and architectural design strategies consistent with the principle of “responsiveness” to explore potential applications in the design of university residences. The Output Phase involves the development of a tool to measure the level of responsiveness of university residences in the meta-design phase. Based on the critical assessment that emerged from the previous phases and on the integration of existing frameworks and methodologies, the “Responsive University Residence Tool” enables the analysis of these facilities using a multi-criteria approach. The research therefore provides theoretical and practical support for the meta-design of university residences for various sector stakeholders, such as universities, technical offices, regional and national authorities, companies, foundations, management bodies, architects, engineers and legislative bodies.
La tesi indaga il tema delle residenze universitarie, esplorando come queste possano essere architetture “responsive”, ovvero edifici in grado di rispondere il più possibile alle esigenze presenti e future degli utenti e dei contesti in cui sono inserite. In Italia, solo il 5% degli studenti vive in residenze universitarie, contro una media europea del 17%. Per colmare questo divario tra domanda e offerta, il Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza #NextGenerationEU Italia (PNRR), nell’ambito della Riforma 1.7 Missione 4, si pone l’obiettivo di triplicare il numero di posti letto esistenti, portandoli da 40 mila a oltre 100 mila entro il 2026. È possibile considerare questo momento storico come un’opportunità per sostenere un cambiamento strutturale nel settore delle residenze universitarie, ripensando la progettazione architettonica di queste infrastrutture, che risultano essenziali per lo sviluppo del capitale umano e sociale. Di conseguenza, l’obiettivo della ricerca di dottorato è innalzare il livello di progettazione delle residenze universitarie al fine di realizzare strutture che siano non solo in grado di soddisfare le esigenze attuali, ma anche sempre più capaci di rispondere a quelle future. Partendo dall’ipotesi che le residenze studentesche siano “edifici complessi” per la coesistenza di molteplici fattori interni e che vi siano anche aspetti esterni – quali pandemie, andamenti demografici, modalità di insegnamento ed eventi straordinari – che ne amplificano la complessità progettuale, la ricerca esamina gli approcci metodologici e i livelli progettuali da considerare per accrescere la “responsività” di queste infrastrutture sociali. L’esito della ricerca è uno strumento che, sistematizzando i bisogni presenti e futuri, misura il grado di “responsività” delle residenze universitarie nella fase meta-progettuale. Il processo metodologico della ricerca può essere sostanzialmente suddiviso nelle seguenti fasi: Conoscenza, Ipotesi-Sviluppo e Output. La Fase di Conoscenza fornisce una panoramica del tema e dello stato dell’arte attraverso la consultazione di diverse fonti come articoli scientifici, libri, riviste di architettura, normative e report europei. Questa fase ha evidenziato come le residenze universitarie siano poco indagate dal punto di vista progettuale. Generalmente, infatti, questi edifici sono ancora concepiti come strutture rigide e immutabili, limitando la loro capacità di rispondere adeguatamente ai bisogni mutevoli degli studenti e della società. La Fase di Ipotesi-Sviluppo dimostra come la residenza universitaria possa essere considerata un edificio complesso su diversi livelli architettonici. Questa ipotesi è supportata da contributi teorici e progettuali. Pertanto, la tesi propone un cambio di paradigma per la residenza universitaria: da edificio complesso a edificio “responsivo”. La ricerca identifica teorie, approcci e strategie progettuali in linea con il principio di “responsività” per esplorare le potenziali applicazioni nella progettazione delle residenze universitarie. La Fase di Output prevede lo sviluppo di uno strumento per misurare il livello di responsività delle residenze universitarie in fase meta-progettuale. Fondato sul bilancio critico emerso dalle fasi precedenti e sull’integrazione di framework e metodologie esistenti, il “Responsive University Residence Tool” consente di analizzare tali infrastrutture attraverso un approccio multicriteriale. La ricerca fornisce quindi un supporto teorico e pratico alla meta-progettazione delle residenze universitarie per i diversi stakeholder del settore, come università, uffici tecnici, autorità regionali e nazionali, aziende, fondazioni, enti gestori, architetti, ingegneri e organismi legislativi.
Responsive university residence : a preliminary tool to assess the level of responsiveness in the meta-design phase
Arcieri, Marianna
2025/2026
Abstract
This thesis examines the topic of university residences, exploring how these can be “responsive” buildings, that is, structures capable of responding as fully as possible to the current and future needs of their users and the contexts in which they are located. In Italy, only 5% of students live in a university residence, compared to a European average of 17%. To bridge this gap between supply and demand, the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan #NextGenerationEU (PNRR), under Reform 1.7 Mission 4, aims to triple the number of existing beds, increasing them from 40,000 to over 100,000 by 2026. This historic moment can be seen as an opportunity to support structural change in the student accommodation sector, by rethinking the architectural design of these facilities, which are essential for the development of human and social capital. Consequently, the aim of this PhD research is to raise the level of university residence design in order to create facilities that are not only capable of meeting current needs, but also increasingly able to respond to future ones. Starting from the hypothesis that student residences are “complex buildings” due to the coexistence of multiple internal factors, and that there are also external aspects – such as pandemics, demographic trends, teaching methods and extraordinary events – which amplify their design complexity, the research examines the methodological approaches and design levels to be considered in order to enhance the “responsiveness” of these social infrastructures. The outcome of the research is a tool which, by systematising current and future needs, measures the degree of “responsiveness” of university residences during the meta-design phase. The research methodology can essentially be divided into the following phases: Knowledge, Hypothesis-Development and Output. The Knowledge Phase provides an overview of the topic and the state of the art through the consultation of various sources such as scientific articles, books, architecture journals, European regulations and reports. This phase highlighted how university residences are under-researched from a design perspective. Generally, in fact, these buildings are still conceived as rigid and immutable structures, limiting their ability to respond adequately to the changing needs of students and society. The Hypothesis-Development Phase demonstrates that the university residence can be considered as a complex building across various architectural levels. This hypothesis is supported by theoretical and design contributions. Therefore, the thesis proposes a paradigm shift for the university residence: from a complex building to a “responsive” building. The research identifies theories, approaches, and architectural design strategies consistent with the principle of “responsiveness” to explore potential applications in the design of university residences. The Output Phase involves the development of a tool to measure the level of responsiveness of university residences in the meta-design phase. Based on the critical assessment that emerged from the previous phases and on the integration of existing frameworks and methodologies, the “Responsive University Residence Tool” enables the analysis of these facilities using a multi-criteria approach. The research therefore provides theoretical and practical support for the meta-design of university residences for various sector stakeholders, such as universities, technical offices, regional and national authorities, companies, foundations, management bodies, architects, engineers and legislative bodies.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/262320