For a new ecology of living

The work of Ada Bursi, a prominent figure in Turin architecture during the 1960s, known for her human and progressive approach to design, provided a source of inspiration for three young students in the two-year specialist course in Interior Design at IED Turin. As part of the Design Methodology course, they were asked to reinterpret the apartment on the top floor of the building in Turin designed by Bursi in Via Milazzo, coming up with a new arrangement for the interior spaces.

A stimulating and open design challenge, that required an in-depth study of Ada Bursi’s cultural and human approach, as well as consideration for the original architectural context and respect for design constraints. The result is a substantial amount of research that was then expressed in three final projects.

Take time, Take Care by Virginia Urro, was developed around the concept of time as a multi-directional flow that combines past, present and future, interpreting design for living as a process that has to take account of ecological impact, promoting the use of eco sustainable and recyclable materials and simplifying structures to facilitate reuse. Elisabetta Pertoso, with Equilibrio Imperfetto, presented a reflection on the house as a space in continual evolution, able to adapt to the changing needs of modern life. Making reference to Gio Ponti, who conceived the house as a flexible organism, spaces are reinterpreted in emotional and symbolic terms. Finally the project by Martina Mauri, Uno studio tutti per sé, is distinguished by its strong theoretical and feminist basis: her project aimed to redefine domestic spaces with gender equality in mind, giving woman an active role.

Three interpretations, three interpretative languages that, outside of the question of exams, provide a real sense of the educational journey offered by the two-year specialist course in Interior Design coordinated by Adelaide Testa and Andrea Marcante from the architectural practice Marcante Testa, aimed at exploring how the design of private and public spaces can contribute to the creation of inclusive, resilient and planet-friendly communities, through conscious use of resources and a vision of design orientated towards ecological regeneration.