Abstract:

The paper aims to contribute to reflecting on the role of design education in complex contexts, particularly those marked by heightened cultural significance. The study is rooted in experimental pedagogical methods, employing collaborative and problem-based approaches within the "Laboratorio di Metaprogetto" (Meta-design lab) of the Interior Design Degree Program at Politecnico di Milano. The lab, focused on "Metaprogetto di Interior design" (Meta-design for Interior design), provides a structured path to acquire tools and methods for innovation in interior design. The approach involves testing a recursive work process that alternates between information gathering and synthesis, divergent and convergent phases, aligning with Council's model (2005). Throughout the process, students learn to interpret the context nuances, study best practices, design inspirations, and forecast future trends, culminating in developing interior concepts pushing boundaries of user experience, "sense" of space, and its technical-formal characteristics.

The paper specifically aims to present the outcomes of a 3 year experimentation involving 3 classes, each with around 50 students, led by three teachers and three tutors. Goals were to adapt "Metadesign for interior design" teaching to contemporary challenges, cultivating students' analytical skills in deciphering complex contexts, expanding knowledge of processes for identifying systemic design solutions, and enhancing proficiency in integrating generated knowledge into innovative scenarios for culturally significant locations.

To achieve these goals, an experimental teaching methodology was employed, refining co-design tools over three years with all educational stakeholders, including students, the client, end-users, and locations. Methods and tools, elucidated in the text, were progressively refined through an open and collaborative process with students.

The experimentation outcomes highlighted two aspects of innovation. The first relates to tools developed for an experiential, field-based teaching experience, addressing a commission of elevated cultural, economic, and environmental significance. Collaboration with the Consortium of the Royal Palace and Park of Monza led to decoding context complexity, collaborating with various actors, and visualizing proposed innovations. These tools, meeting specific educational objectives, were crucial for achieving articulated and innovative design outcomes.

The second result is the generation of collective knowledge on sustainable transformations through design within a system of disused places in the extensive Monza park territory. The aim was to enhance its cultural, environmental, and historical dimensions. The porous city, with liquid and interconnected spaces, smart and augmented, is conceptualized as a city where work and leisure time can be spent anywhere. Cultural offerings extend beyond traditional places, and conviviality merges with new services. Observing contemporary urban behaviors, the studio lab aimed to develop hybrid, mutable, and transformable projects between interior and exterior, envisioning future living spaces.

In conclusion, the paper outlines the experimental journey leading to the development of significant competencies and knowledge, crucial for the formative profile of Interior Design students, and, more broadly, to contemplate the integral role of collaborative design in fostering the sustainable evolution of large public institutions.

Keywords:

Metadesign, interior design, reflection-in-action, problem-based learning, complexity design.