New International Student House | Lorenzo Marchi

The student residence is a particular model of residence about typology, dimension, performances and services, as element made up of an integrated system of residential units and collective shared spaces. Beside it is intended as an educational instrument, as cultural integration and human exchange space. Some elements are very important while designing such type of residence: the private spaces; the shared spaces; the collective spaces; the general distribution; the right balance between privacy and socialization; the natural green; the technological aspects.

The typological character of such building system as the student residence basically depends on the organizational model it is founded on, that is to say the typological module. This model depends on the typology of the enviromental units, those parts of the building that are functionally indipendent and responding to aggregative modules logically connected with the typological model. In the end there is the elementary space, the minimum unit, the minimum cell, or rather the surface and volume part useful for the user to carry out a specific activity.

The chosen typological module is a mix including the typologies that have been developping sofar: the hotel type; the most traditional one, collecting numerous enviromental units usually distributed along a central aisle, taking a high number of students that share big enough common spaces for kitchen and living room; the integrated units allow a more moderate but closer socialization level, gathering together a little number of students; in the end the mini accommodations, for one or two persons, that grant a bigger privacy for whoever need it.

The essential connection for the whole system is the open gallery, the perfect space to foster the socialization inside a residence. The collective spaces are not less important for this, like the terrace and the hobby room on the roof top, or the café and the study room at the ground floor.