Design for Architecture

Course

Future designers, architects and engineers will face the great challenges of the ever-changing design and building sector at local and global level, in terms of competition, development and modernization.

They shall be able to develop new ideas in the field of real estate, by designing solutions that embed advanced building components and display innovative layout designs. In particular, the field of interest concerns temporary buildings and events, reconversion of buildings and building components design.

In this perspective, the Specializing Master in Design for Architecture aims to:

• Combine multidisciplinary competences to create advanced curricula;
• Involve companies and professionals to make the educational experience as practical as possible;
• Refer to Italian cultural and economic assets to enrich design competences;
• Teach how to develop highly innovative concepts based on design briefs given by real companies;
• Offer a multicultural environment to enhance the understanding of global issues.

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Didactics

Training objectives

The programme is designed to train professionals with design skills applied to the design of industrial products that can interact or be integrated with the built environment, or components of macrosystems increasingly industrialized, such as buildings.

Industrial Design for Architecture has the aim to combine the knowledge coming from two sectors of excellence in Italy: design and production of components for building industry, areas that already are recognized internationally at the best level, but that can find further development opportunities, both in Italy and abroad.

The aspect that our country has a high-quality tradition in manufacturing finished elements for construction is particularly interesting, for example in the field of construction materials (bricks, aggregates, etc.) and coatings (items of pottery, mosaics, etc.), as well as there are excellent companies in production of structures and systems.

Therefore, the programme offers Industrial Design skills based on Italian design/production quality that can be applied to the international market.

The professionals trained in this programme will be able to manage the design complexity of the industrial product for built environment, in relation to its inclusion in the building, in companies of different productive sectors that include the production of a wide range of construction components, light and heavy prefabrication, construction products for building envelope, installation systems and functional equipment of the built environment.

Students can work in companies, or design and engineering firms that ask for their interaction with the business world. The education provided by this Master includes the carrying out of lectures, seminars, exercises and workshops.

Didactic Plan

The program includes three formative areas dealing with different aspects of Industrial Design:

• Design Culture: history and evolution of design, with special reference to aesthetic developments and to the ever closer relationship that has been developing over the years between product and build up space.
• Design Technology: study of the different technology, materials and tools needed in conceiving and realizing products that combine in a built up environment.
• Design Strategy: study of new construction processes, design innovation management and the introduction of design in the corporate strategies of companies in the sector.

A fourth area will be added to these: Design Studio, which will include practical work in design on various design themes such as:

• designing finished built-in products, in other words as integratable building components;
• designing electronic consumer products and space saving products that are highly intergratable with building manufacturing;
• designing serial construction products, e.g. for temporary structures and modular building solutions.

Such tasks may be individual or in teams and may envisage the participation of a leading companies in the sector of reference. The assessment achieved will constitute the basis for final marking.

Didactic Modules

The course deals with the following teaching modules:

• History of Design and Architecture: general overview on the historical evolution of industrial design, within which it is highlighted the relationship among man-object-space. The interpretation is, in fact, the investigation of the relationship between the design of built space and the design of the products contained, integrated or anyway related therein. To this regard will be the theme of language and craft production, proto industrial and industrial;

• Product Design Language;

• Design and Contemporaneity: acquisition of the framework of knowledge that is necessary to confront with the language of Contemporaneity even during the designing stage. Design is the discipline of Contemporaneity: the critical understanding of the variables relating to the design of new industrial products – even those included in the universe of products for the architecture -, implies a commitment to evolve the cultural and interpretive skills, which make intelligible that specific meaning of the discipline;

• Design and Innovation: acquisition of knowledge concerning the concept of innovation in the field of design through lectures, exercises and guided tours. The theme of innovation is explored and expanded from two different perspectives: the design and management, with specialized educational contributions;

• Design Strategy: acquisition of the skill to implement the process of design integration with the organization and strategy of firms: the process of new products development and the role of design in that process; the innovation process of the contribution of design to the development of an innovative product;

• Materials Technology: the main families of materials that are applied in industrial production will be analyzed as for: their properties, the potential gained during the transformation processes, the levels of compatibility with other materials, the possibilities of connection and assembly, the strength and durability of building elements. It will provided the information necessary to understand the relationships between the industrial products with the materials that constitute them. Also the tools for the selection of materials, such as the Cambridge Engineering Selector Design version Consideration, will be shown and provided;

• Production processes of Design for Architecture: gaining the ability to understand and manage the technical, technological and economic considerations related to production processes and logistics flows of industrial products;

• Built Environment Technology: acquisition of knowledge on the repertoire of technical elements necessary to identify and design products compatible and integrated to buildings. Acquisition of the ability to design of building components for interiors (interior partitions, metal, plants, decorative elements) and exterior(external vertical closures and their finishes: curtain walls, skylights, natural and artificial stone materials) starting from their function in the building up to the constraint of implementation and cost;

• Seminars: meeting with teachers and professionals coming from the business world. The seminars will be focused on the relationship between Design and Architecture and the evolving role of design in the innovation of buildings;

• Design Studio: design activities like workshops will be divided into three design studios. The theme of the design studios will be defined with companies that produce industrial products for the built environment. Also the studios will tackle themes of increasing complexity so to gradually develop increasing design skill.

Internship
A training period will be attended at design or architecture professional practices or companies of the building sector.

Title Released

At the end of the course, upon passing the final exam, the “DESIGN FOR ARCHITECTURE” degree will be awarded.

Employment Opportunities

Students will become expert designers, with theoretical knowledge combined with significant experiences applied to the construction industry, and product manager, with a strong multidisciplinary attitude, involved in development of new products and their inclusion in the built environment.

Admission

Requirements

The Specializing Master is reserved for candidates with a University Diploma or a University Degree (old Italian system degree), or a Bachelor or Master of Science (new Italian system degree) in polytechnic disciplines. As for candidates who graduated abroad, equivalent study titles in the respective educational institutions will be considered.

Selection will take place through a written test received by email from the candidate, interview in person or via Skype or telephone and by evaluation of the CV, portfolio, application form, letter motivation. The selections will take place in order chronological order of the date of receipt of the application, until all available places are filled.

Deadlines

To take part in the XIV edition of the Specializing Master in Design for Architecture, starting on November 10th, 2025, applications must be submitted according to the following criteria*:

Italian qualification within 60 days before the starting date

STEP 1
1) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to POLI.design

• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio
• Motivation letter
• Copy of ID document
• Other

The following documents should be uploaded on this page

2) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to Politecnico

• ID document copy
• Copy of the Diploma Supplement and copy of the degree diploma or self-certification on the appropriate form that can be requested to POLI.design (selezioni@polidesign.net)
• ANIS certification (access to the ANIS portal is via SPID or CIE from the following link)

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link
____________________

European qualification within 60 days before the starting date

STEP 1
1) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to POLI.design

• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio
• Motivation Letter
• Copy of ID document

The following documents should be uploaded on this page

2) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to Politecnico

• Copy of ID document
• Copy of Diploma Supplement
• Photocopy of degree certificate

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link

STEP 2
1) Documents to be sent for authenticity verification (within 45 days before the start date) 

• Diploma Supplement with a digital signature or verifiable QR code. Should the student lack a Diploma Supplement with a valid signature or verifiable QR code to verify its authenticity, the student will have to submit one of the documents required for students with a non-EU qualification (cfr. next item).

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link
____________________

Non-EU degree within 60 days before the start date

STEP 1
1) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to POLI.design

• Curriculum vitae
• Portfolio
• Motivation Letter
• Copy of ID document

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page

2) Documents to be sent for preliminary verification to Politecnico

• Copy of ID document
• Degree in original language + Italian/English translation
• Original transcript of passed examinations + Italian/English translation

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link

STEP 2
1) Documents to be sent for authenticity verification (within 45 days before the start date) 

• Enic/ Naric Certification or CIMEA 
• World Education Services (WES) Certification 
• Statement of value 
• Copy of the visa application or copy of the visa

According to the timeframe provided for by Italian law, the details of the application for a residency permit must also be communicated as well as the residency permit as soon as it is issued.

The following documents are to be uploaded on this page by following the instructions at this link

*Applications submitted after the deadline may be considered at the discretion of the Scientific Committee.

Price

The cost of the University Specializing Master’s programme is € 12.000 broken down as follows:

• € 500,00 – enrolment fee to be paid to the Politecnico di Milano, no later than 30 days before the starting date following the procedures that POLI.design will specify;
• € 11.500 – participation fee for the University Master’s Course to be paid to POLI.design following the procedures that will be specified upon admission.

PROMO

FAMILY SUPPORT: -50%

A chance to gift your siblings the encouragement they need to invest in their future.

POLI.NETWORK: -50%

A promotion designed to strengthen the bond and identity among members of the Politecnico di Milano community.

FRIEND TO FRIEND: -20%
An opportunity to gift to a friend to make education the foundation of their growth.

BACK TO SCHOOL: -1.000€ on Specializing Masters
The discount for those who have already trusted POLI.design and Polimi, and wish to return to study and build their future.

SUPPLIERS

A 10% reduction to be applied on the participation fee (excluding registration fee or VAT) for suppliers and former suppliers of POLI.design. The reduction can be combined with other forms of discounts and/or exemptions*

*POLI.design reserves the right to verify the existence of the collaboration relationship.

PER MERITO

Intesa San Paolo supports talents and gives everyone access to training. Discover more details here

Faculty

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT
Director: Matteo O. Ingaramo
Associate professor, Politecnico di Milano

Vice Director: Alessandro Biamonti
Associate professor, Politecnico di Milano

COORDINATION
Scientific and educational coordinator: Silvia Maria Gramegna
Adjunct Professor at the Design Department, Politecnico di Milano

SPECIALIZING MASTER BOARD
Matteo Oreste Ingaramo, Alessandro Biamonti, Lucia Rosa Elena Rampino, Silvia Deborah Ferraris, Michele de Lucchi, Cabirio Cautela; dalle dott.sse Francesca Mattioli, Silvia Maria Gramegna e Xiaozhu Lin; dall’ arch. Aldo Cingolani di Bertone Design e dall’arch. Sergio Danese di 21Architettura.

SENIOR MEMBER OF THE FACULTY (EDITION I – EDITION IX)
Francesco Trabucco, Emeritus professor, Politecnico di Milano

TO MENTION A FEW:
Alberto Cigada, Emeritus professor, Politecnico di Milano
Aldo Cingolani, Bertone Design CEO
Sergio Danese, Architect, 21 Architettura
Silvia Ferraris, Associate professor, Politecnico di Milano
Barbara Del Curto, Full professor, Politecnico di Milano
Claudio Germak, Full professor, Politecnico di Torino
Matteo Ingaramo, President of the POLI.design
Fulvio Irace, Full professor, Politecnico di Milano
Ingrid Paoletti, Associate professor, Politecnico di Milano
Lucia Rampino, Full professor, Politecnico di Milano
Federico Vercellone, Full professor, Università degli Studi di Torino
Francesco Zurlo, Dean of the School of Design, Full professor, Politecnico di Milano

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