Architecture & Interior Design - ISI Florence - Study Abroad in Italy

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES INSTITUTION

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

STUDY ABROAD IN FLORENCE, ITALY

ISI FLORENCE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

The International Studies Institute School of Architecture program was established in 2001 in cooperation with Roger Williams University School of Architecture and Historic Preservation. The school runs both semester and summer study abroad programs in architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, structural engineering, and more. Courses are taught by local Italian architects and scholars, all of whom are not only dedicated teachers but also well-established practicing professionals. Our academic programs are open to qualifying students from all universities, and the Institute hosts both faculty-led and customized programs.

Our practicing faculty works closely with the Municipality of Florence and other Tuscan cities, the University of Florence, and Italian architectural firms. This means that ISI Florence architecture students gain real-life immersive experience by working on actual architectural projects in the city of Florence and Tuscany.

Explore our program offerings, contact us if you would like more information, and if you are in Florence, please come and visit us at our newly renovated facility in the historic center at Palazzo Bargagli, on Lungarno delle Grazie 22, Firenze.

The Architecture Program

The semester program consists of a required design studio course and one, or more, approved architectural electives, Italian language (all levels available) and free electives from the Institute’s offerings (15-16 credits total). This program is open to architecture students who have completed at least two years of study in the discipline. Admission is selective.

Program participants are required to enroll in the following curriculum:

Selected Design Studio or Interior Design Studio Course (5-6 credits)
Architecture Elective: Architecture in Context (3 credits) or Survey and Drawing (3 credits)
Italian Language: The Florence Experience (4 credits)
Free Elective (3 credits)

Dates & Fees
Fall Semester: Late August – Mid-December
Spring Semester: Mid-January – End of April
Semester Tuition & Fees (15-18 credits) $20,995.00

ISI Florence offers scholarships, financial aid, and partner discounts for qualifying architecture students. Contact Us about how to make your experience more affordable

What’s Included:
Tuition (12-18 credits), mandatory course field trips and excursions, personal architecture design table and workspace, studio facilities and resources, pre-departure assistance, airport pick-up in Florence, 2-day orientation program with field trips, fully-equipped shared apartment, end-of-semester apartment sanitizing/cleaning, permit of stay fees, student services help desk, 24/7 emergency phone, Institute smartphone App, optional extra-curricular activities, farewell party, an accredited transcript from Roger Williams School of Architecture, ISI Florence alumni membership.

Note: Fees do not include meals, airfares, textbooks, insurance, optional travel, optional extra-curricular activities.

ARCHITECTURE COURSES OFFERED

ARCH 410 – Architecture Design Studio VII

ARCH 410 – Architecture Design Studio VII

This course has an emphasis on context, urbanity, urban fabric, and public space. The studio will focus on two design...
ARTH 300 - History of Italian Design

ARTH 300 - History of Italian Design

This course will focus on the history of design and production in Italy from the industrial revolution to the present,...
LARCH 340 - Landscape Architecture: The Villa and the Garden

LARCH 340 - Landscape Architecture: The Villa and the Garden

This course explores villas and gardens to better understand how different times, cultures, and countries, transformed the landscape for leisurely...
ARCH 477 – Architecture in Context: City, Spaces and Urban...

ARCH 477 – Architecture in Context: City, Spaces and Urban Design

*This course is exclusive to the Roger Williams Advanced Architecture Program Description The course explores today’s Florence, seen as a living city...
ARCH 391 – Architecture in Italy: History and Preservation

ARCH 391 – Architecture in Italy: History and Preservation

This course examines historically significant buildings, which have been preserved or adapted for subsequent uses. Historical, technical, and legal aspects...
ARCH 416 – Advanced Topical Design Studio: Urban

ARCH 416 – Advanced Topical Design Studio: Urban

Students explore how architecture, landscape architecture and urban design as formal, meaningful and performative constructs operate and relate to the...
ARCH 320 – Architecture Design Studio VI

ARCH 320 – Architecture Design Studio VI

Students gain insight into the nature of the public domain and the ways in which architecture and urban space are...
ARCH 458 – Urban Florence: Traveling Across Layers

ARCH 458 – Urban Florence: Traveling Across Layers

Explore the city of Florence to understand its origins and development throughout the centuries.
IARCH 320A – Interior Architecture Studio VI

IARCH 320A – Interior Architecture Studio VI

This course will make use of architectural tools applied to the re-shape of interior spaces. From residential to retail spaces,...
ARCH 470 – Firenze: Urban Form

ARCH 470 – Firenze: Urban Form

SUMMER COURSE - The goal of the course is to teach students a method to understand, analyze and evaluate a...
ARCH 448 – Survey and Drawing: Mapping the Architecture of...

ARCH 448 – Survey and Drawing: Mapping the Architecture of Florence

This course will give students a deeper knowledge of Florence and its monuments as they produce a series of drawings...
IARCH 410A - Interior Architecture Studio VII

IARCH 410A - Interior Architecture Studio VII

This course has an emphasis on context, urbanity, urban fabric, and public space. The studio will focus on two design...
ARCH 310, 410 or 510: Architecture Design Studio

ARCH 310, 410 or 510: Architecture Design Studio

This course has an emphasis on context, urbanity, urban fabric, and public space. The studio will focus on two design...
ARCH 310 – Architecture Design Studio V

ARCH 310 – Architecture Design Studio V

Students gain insight into the nature of the public domain and the ways in which architecture and urban space are...
MUSM 420/FIN 210 - Art in a Legal World

MUSM 420/FIN 210 - Art in a Legal World

Course Description and Objectives Substantive knowledge of the doctrine and practice of Art Law requires an understanding of the disciplines of...

ACCREDITATION & RECOGNITION

All courses are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) through the School of Architecture and Historic Preservation at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island.

University Partner Programs

University of Maryland
School of Architecture

Click here for more info and to apply

UMD Program Page

Marywood University
School of Architecture

Click here for more info and to apply

Marywood Program Page

Roger Williams University School of Architecture

Click here for more info and to apply

RWU Program Page

WHY FLORENCE?

It’s difficult to think of a more inspiring country for architecture and design studies than Italy. And what better place than the crown jewel of the Renaissance, Florence – home to the magnificent Brunelleschi dome and millennia of urban architectural evolution.

Florence allows architecture and structural engineering students to be immersed in a backdrop that spans over 2000 years, peppered with historic edifices dating back to the Middle Ages and High Renaissance. But it doesn’t end here. Our semester program also takes students to Rome, Berlin, Basil, Barcelona, and other European centers of classical and contemporary architecture. Florence is also the perfect departure point to explore Italy and Europe.

In addition, Florence is a thriving metropolitan hub, which makes it the ideal place to observe and analyze contemporary structures, as well as structural interventions on historical buildings. The city of Florence is our students’ classroom and campus, where they can study first-hand how the Florentine community seeks to marry the city’s growing infrastructural demands with its rich heritage as a European cultural center. Few cities offer both such a depth of character and so obvious a melding of past, present, and future.

OUR IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

The studio and elective courses, all taught by practicing architects and academics, are designed to integrate in-class teaching with visits to construction sites and field trips to other relevant destinations. Students sketch on-site and evaluate ideas for a team project—the culmination of the Advanced Design Studio course. The program also encourages mastery and skillful integration of the complex set of variables—artistic, technical, and philosophical—that underlie the successful design of any constructed environment. Students end the program with a team project, drawing from their unique experiences both in the classroom and across the “citywide campus” of Florence.

PROGRAM FEATURES

We’re with you Every Step of the Way

The ISI Florence staff will be with you every step of the way. Our admissions specialist can answer all your questions and guide you through the application process. The Florence-based team will greet you at the airport and provide dedicated support from the moment you arrive to the day of departure, including a 24/7 emergency service. Experienced faculty will work with you to ensure your curricular goals are met and you get the most out of this exciting academic program. What this means is that you will receive day-to-day guidance on your courses, while living in Italy, traveling on the weekends, and adopting Florence as your new home.

Experimental & Project-based Learning

Our architecture studio courses, all taught by practicing architects, are designed to integrate in-class teaching with visits to construction sites and field trips to other relevant destinations. Students sketch on-site and evaluate ideas for a team project—the culmination of the Advanced Design Studio course. The program also encourages mastery and skillful integration of the complex set of variables—artistic, technical, and philosophical—that underlie the successful design of any constructed environment. Students end the program with a team project, drawing from their unique experiences both in the classroom and across the “citywide campus” of Florence.

Newly Renovated Facilities and Academic Resources

ISI Florence offers students spacious and bright design studios in the historic center of Florence, equipped with review and seminar rooms, a design computing laboratory, architecture library, modeling studio, and exhibition gallery. Annually updated software packages in the design-computing laboratory include the complete Autodesk Suite (AutoCAD, Revit, Maya, 3D Studio Max), Adobe Design Premium Creative Suite (Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop, Form Z), standard printers, and a 3D printer. The Architecture Design Studio is entirely networked for wireless access. All participants are provided with their individual tables and workspace; the architecture facilities are open until midnight seven days a week.

Course Travel and Excursions

Apart from the seemingly endless architectural treasures right at your doorstep in Florence and the surrounding Tuscan region, the program also explores other European meccas of architectural design and innovation. Discovery and diversity tours include destinations like Berlin – Germany, Basil – Switzerland, Barcelona – Spain, Rotterdam – Holland, and more.