Title

Author(s)

Marianna Arcieri

Oscar Eugenio Bellini

Affiliation

Politecnico di Milano, Department of Architecture

Politecnico di Milano, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (dABC)

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/BTND3753

Keywords

University Residence, Responsive Architecture, Adaptive Reuse

PP

63-70

How to Cite

Arcieri, Marianna, Oscar Eugenio Bellini. “Responsive University Residence Case Studies and Design Approaches.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 63–70. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

In the contemporary era, university residences can be interpreted as complex buildings. They are no longer just places where students temporally sleep, eat, and study, but they are also spaces for lifelong learning, intercultural exchange, personal development, and social interaction. This complexity is enhanced by transformative external factors such as the demographic winter (caused by declining birth rates), the evolution of educational models (e.g., e-learning), the different types of users (e.g., international and multi-cultural students), and unpredictable emergencies (e.g., natural disasters or pandemics). Therefore, a critical reflection on the future of these large-scale infrastructures is necessary, as they may require interventions to be converted during their life cycle. In this context, an ongoing research at the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (dABC) of Politecnico di Milano is investigating how university residences can adopt the design paradigm of responsiveness (or adaptivity), which can be defined as the ability to adapt and transform in response to changing users and societal needs. By analysing a series of best practices, among both new buildings and existing ones – which partially/differently reflect the principles of responsive architecture in terms of flexibility, reusability, scalability, and resilience – the study offers critical considerations on how to design university residences. The aim of the research is to identify architectural strategies that align with the concept of adaptive reuse and the capacity to respond to change. These strategies could form the basis for a digital tool that assesses the level of responsiveness of a given university residence during the meta-design phase. Considering the significant amount of public and private investments (especially in Italy) allocated to student housing, this tool could be particularly relevant for guiding the implementation of adaptive reuse strategies in the design of university residences.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.