Castiglion Fiorentino, a small town in the Province of Arezzo Italy is home to Texas A&M’s Italian Study Abroad option for Architecture Students. I spent my fifth college semester there.
Dr. Rogers and Professor Buletti formulated a project for the students that would task them with learning the culture of the city, how to preserve views in a hilly town, and provide a service for residents and young professionals. The project was a technology center to draw in individuals from Castiglion Fiorentino and the surrounding provinces. The professors pushed me and my group to consider what sort of technology could be implemented, where might technology be in ten years, and how the building could adapt and evolve.
The students also needed a central idea to drive their designs. My group decided on the introduction of an innovation node. A location within the building where visitors had to pass on their way to another location. A space that acted as a focal point in the building and encouraged visitors to interact with one another spreading ideas and contributing to the community.
