The state exam at Bologna

On a plot of about 7,800 sqm in an agricultural zone, the track asks for the NEW-BUILD design of a single-family house and two service buildings. House programme: three bedrooms, three bathrooms, kitchen, pantry, dining and living rooms, laundry and plant room, with a main and a service entrance, on one or two storeys. Detached service buildings: one (about 100 sqm) for two cars and farm equipment, the second (about 50 sqm) with free use. Design data: gross floor area 270 sqm, max height 7.5 m, max 2 storeys, distance from road > 15 m, from boundaries ≥ 5 m, 3 uncovered parking spaces. The session includes the linked first written test: criteria and structural sizing rationale for the practical-test design.

The brief starts from a halted building site: of a residential building with a 15 x 6 m footprint developed on the east-west axis, only the foundation (a 16 x 7 m reinforced concrete raft) and the ground-floor structural frame have been built. The candidate must design its completion, setting out room sizing, openings and daylight/ventilation ratios, functional uses, clear heights and the distribution layout. The construction system is fixed and must be taken as given: reinforced concrete columns and beams, clay-and-concrete floor slabs, flat roof. The programme spreads the house over two levels — living areas on the ground floor (dining, living, kitchenette, entrance, laundry and garage), sleeping areas on the first floor with at least two bedrooms, one of them a double, and two bathrooms, one en-suite to the master bedroom. The session includes the linked first written test, which asks for the bill of quantities for one of three options: ground junction, intermediate floor or roof.

In the residential district by Modena's new racetrack, the track asks for two mirrored dwellings (a two-family building) with a shared spine wall on plot 281. Local plan rules: max 2 storeys + ground floor, net storey height 3 m, footprint at least 5 m from boundaries, covered garage for at least one car. Layout: ground floor with garage, external plant room and integrated living area with a covered outdoor terrace; first floor with three double bedrooms (master with en-suite and walk-in wardrobe) and a windowed bathroom; second floor with a multi-purpose room, solar greenhouse and terrace. Regional energy rules (DGR 967/2015) impose the nZEB standard: highly insulated envelope, at least 1 kWp of solar generation per unit, care for orientation and summer shading. Linked first written test: structural-system criteria and sizing rationale.

On flat land in an agricultural zone (a plot of about 2.2 hectares, bordered to the north-west by a watercourse and to the south-east by a road), the track asks for the design of a single-family house plus two service buildings through demolition and reconstruction with enlargement. Programme: three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a single kitchen-living-dining space, laundry and a plant room, on one or two storeys. The service buildings must be detached: one (about 105 sqm) for two cars and small farm equipment, the second (about 40 sqm) with free use. Design data: gross floor area of the house 270 sqm, maximum height 7.5 m, maximum 2 storeys, distance from the road ≥ 20 m, from boundaries ≥ 5 m, 3 uncovered private parking spaces.

The track offers two quotations — Richard Rogers on the climate impact of how we design and build our cities, and Norman Foster on architecture as an expression of values and on sustainable architecture improving quality of life while minimising environmental impact. Candidates must critically comment on the texts, developing three points: the architect's approach to urban issues within their competence; the architect's contribution to designing for climate-neutrality goals; the relationship between the work of architecture and its context for fruition quality and sustainability.

A sealed envelope with three alternative practical-exam themes (Section A, 5 hours): a single school complex in a small municipality — on a large, almost-square flat lot with the access road to the south and greenery on the other sides — gathering a primary school (south), a nursery (north), a canteen (east) and a gym (west); each candidate designs one building, all linked to the school by a covered, air-conditioned external body and all to be made accessible to disabled users. THEME 1 — the primary school (max footprint 50×25 m, north-south, two levels): classrooms for two sections of 25 children, four specialist rooms, a multipurpose double-height hall of about 200 sqm usable after hours without opening the whole building, a staff room, head office and archive, secretariat and porter's lodge, with a lift. THEME 2 — the gym (max 32×24 m, east-west): a play space for basketball/volleyball/five-a-side, separate changing rooms with toilets and showers, an infirmary and store, public bleachers above the ancillary rooms with a dedicated toilet, a glazed strip to the outside, an independent supervised entrance to separate the flows of athletes, public and students; the volume may be up to 1.5 m below grade. THEME 3 — the canteen (max 24×16 m, about 350 sqm): a dining hall, a kitchen with a special-diets area, a pantry reachable from outside for supplies, dishwashing and storage, staff changing room; also meant for occasional fairs and public events, with the hall opening directly outside to the east and a structure that avoids internal columns for maximum flexibility. Shared deliverables: 1:100 plans with minimal furniture, a significant 1:100 section, 1:100 elevations, and the construction detail of the ground and roof nodes showing attention to energy containment (1:20).

A sealed envelope with three alternative practical-exam themes (Section A, 5 hours): three small public or receptive buildings where architectural quality matters, each with its linked written test and an explicit request for at least one three-dimensional representation. THEME 1 — on a 30 m square empty flat lot, an artists' space hosting, on a yearly rotation, the winner of a call: a workshop of about 80 sqm within the visitor route, an exhibition space of about 200 sqm always open with half its area double-height, visitor toilets and a mini-loft dwelling (≤80 sqm); ground footprint max 200 sqm, height max 10 m, aiming at a neutral, flexible backdrop. THEME 2 — the new vertical access to the town fortress, the local tourist heart, on a steep slope: on an already-built foundation platform (8×8 m reinforced concrete) an iconic tower (max height 16 m, minimum floor-to-floor 3 m) with a panoramic ascent (stairs and lift), ticket office and services on the ground floor, an events hall ≥40 sqm, the keeper's dwelling, a café overlooking the town and a panoramic terrace from which an aerial link reaches the fortress. THEME 3 — a small receptive building in a continuous terrace (lot 8.5×14 m, abutting on both sides), with fronts west onto the pedestrian street and east onto a 10 m-deep inner court: at least eight rooms (4+4) with private baths over two levels, a ground floor for reception, services and breakfast, and a manager's flat (≥80 sqm) on the top floor; eaves height on the street 9 m (max 13 m), with attention to the stone context of the adjoining buildings. Shared deliverables: a three-dimensional representation, a significant section, elevations and plans 1:100, and the construction detail of the ground and roof nodes attentive to energy containment (1:20).

A sealed envelope with three alternative practical-exam themes (Section A, 5 hours): three takes on the single-family house, each set by a different site constraint, with the linked first written test (justify the choices, the construction system and the structural sizing). All three share the same rooms (living with kitchen or kitchenette, one bath on the entrance floor to be shown accessible to disabled users, a store, a double bedroom, a twin room, a second bath; at least one bath with a window and one with a tub), and require stating areas, window sizes and compliance with daylight/ventilation ratios. THEME 1 — on a flat 8.5×22 m north-south lot, a house built to the boundary on the east and west sides (blind facades, to allow the adjoining terraces) and keeping minimum distances north and south; entrance and garage off the north street, the garage in a detached body at least 3 m away; maximum eaves height 8.5 m. THEME 2 — on a steep site (7 m drop between the uphill north side and the downhill south), a lot projecting 18×16 m with access from the uphill road, the preferred view toward the valley and a rock slope of good bearing: massing no more than 3 m above the access-road level, minimum distances from the boundaries except the north, a covered parking space on the entrance floor. THEME 3 — on a flat 22×22 m lot, a patio house with an inner court of at least 6×6 m, a garage and a maximum eaves height of 8.5 m. Shared deliverables: 1:100 plans with external works, 1:100 section and elevations, and the construction detail of the ground and roof nodes showing attention to energy containment (1:20).

A sealed envelope with three alternative practical-exam themes (Section A, 5 hours): the design of a civil building work or an urban-scale intervention, with the linked written test asking to justify the choices and the structural sizing. THEME 1 — in an existing building of an urban terrace, a former municipal vehicle depot facing the city watercourse, a change of use into an atelier for artists with temporary residence: from the existing reinforced-concrete frame (40×40 columns, 80 cm top beams, north/south fronts in three bays with infill removed, blind flank walls, precast roof at 5.30 m) obtain an exhibition space ≥100 sqm with toilets accessible to disabled users, a dwelling ≥60 sqm, a public-visitable workspace ≥90 sqm and a store/garage ≥30 sqm reachable from the street, with new infill and an insulated, energy-efficient envelope. THEME 2 — in a terrace of porticoed gothic lots, the reconstruction of a collapsed lot (street fronts 4.8 m wide, 2.4 m deep portico, side walls already consolidated and insulated) as a home for a family of four: living ≥25 sqm, kitchen, bedrooms and baths, a study, a garage ≥15 sqm reached through the portico, complying with the local building code on open spaces. THEME 3 — in a terrace along a tree-lined avenue, a 43 m east-west lot with side fronts misaligned by 2 m: a student house for at least 124 students over four levels (double/single rooms with private bath, shared kitchens every 8 students) and a ground floor with a public urban hub, a 24/7 café/reception, laundry, bike and waste stores, aligning the eaves to the existing buildings. Deliverables shared by the three themes: 1:100 plans, 1:100 sections and elevations, and the construction detail of the ground and roof nodes showing attention to energy containment (1:20).

A sealed envelope with three alternative practical-exam themes (Section A, 5 hours): three residential types in the Emilia-Romagna area, each with explicit planning parameters to verify in a table and the linked first written test (justify the design and construction choices). THEME 1 — a residential building with terraced units, two storeys above ground and a garage (also basement), on a rectangular 80×40 m lot in a medium-sized urban settlement: west side on the main street, east side opening onto a public park; floor-area ratio Uf max 0.5 sqm/sqm, eaves height max 8.50 m, minimum permeable surface 50%, boundary distance 5 m. THEME 2 — a detached block single-family house on two floors with a garage (also as a separate body), on a 10×35 m lot in a seaside town, for a household of four: gross floor area between 150 and 200 sqm, eaves height max 7.50 m, minimum permeable surface 50%. THEME 3 — a settlement of patio houses with garages, as the expansion of a coastal urban core, with a proposed aggregation in rows of 6-8 units on a 140×50 m lot. All themes require stating uses and daylight/ventilation ratios, with the parameters verified in a table. Shared deliverables: a 1:200 or 1:100 site scheme with external works, plans of at least two units at all levels 1:100 with structural elements and dimensions, a section and at least two significant elevations 1:100, and the construction detail of the roof in relation to the facade (1:20).

A sealed envelope with three alternative practical-exam themes (Section A, 5 hours): three interventions on existing buildings, between recovery and reconstruction, each with its linked first written test (justify the choices, the construction system and the sizing). THEME 1 — the ruin of a late-19th-century warehouse on the edge of the historic centre (10.30×21.30 m, masonry, roofless): refurbishment and extension (+45% floor area) into a neighbourhood hall for public meetings, small screenings and workshops, with the landscaping of the rear green area facing a park; required are 100 seats with a storage room, two offices ≥15 sqm, four toilets (one for disabled users), 20 parking spaces and an outdoor-activities area. THEME 2 — a partly abandoned early-20th-century rural farmhouse (rendered masonry, timber-joist floors, timber roof): refurbishment with traditional techniques as a bed and breakfast with two rooms (baths ≥4 sqm), one room with a disabled bath, a breakfast room and a two-room flat for the managers, with a 40% floor-area increase in adherence or as a detached body and five parking spaces. THEME 3 — the reconstruction, on its original footprint, of a demolished public building that redefines the north-east side of the main square of a small settlement on a Romagna hill ridge (the site of the old fortress destroyed in the 17th century): a civic hall for conferences, events and exhibitions exploiting the terrain — with the lower floor at −3.50 m reached from the east — and reopening, if well shaped, the view toward the sea; 100 seats, storage, two offices ≥15 sqm, four toilets (one for disabled users). Shared deliverables: dimensioned 1:100 plan with furniture and attention to barrier-free rules, a section and two 1:100 elevations, and a ground-to-roof construction detail (1:20 or 1:10) attentive to energy containment.

A sealed envelope with three alternative practical-exam themes (Section A, 5 hours): three ways of building housing in an Emilia-Romagna municipality, each defined by its distribution type and by the planning parameters to verify in a table (all share a floor-area ratio Uf max 0.5 sqm/sqm and a minimum permeable surface of 50%), with the linked first written test (justify the design, construction and structural sizing). THEME 1 — terraced residential units on two storeys, main front facing south, on a 60×35 m lot (street to the north, public park to the south, private lots east and west): max eaves height 6.50 m, boundary distance 5 m, one parking space per dwelling. THEME 2 — an in-line residential building with a garage, three storeys, on an 80×32 m lot (street to the west with two vehicle entrances, park to the east): max eaves height 10.50 m, with different dwelling sizes. THEME 3 (the drawn theme) — a gallery-access residential building with a garage, three storeys, on an 80×32 m lot (street to the north with two vehicle entrances, park to the south): the same parameters as the in-line theme. All require stating uses and daylight/ventilation ratios. Shared deliverables: a 1:200 site plan with external works, 1:100 plans with structural elements and dimensions (at least ground and typical floor, or two units), a cross section and at least two elevations 1:100, the construction detail of the roof in relation to the facade (1:20) and the parameter-verification table.

A sealed envelope with three alternative practical-exam themes (Section A, 5 hours): three refurbishments of existing buildings, each with given structural constraints (a structure to keep and to treat as seismically adequate) and the linked first written test (justify the design and construction choices). The candidate must organise functions and spaces respecting the given structure, external perimeter and maximum height. THEME 1 — a municipal building of about 240 sqm in a residential area, from the 1960s, in mixed masonry and reinforced concrete: refurbishment into a neighbourhood service holding a library and a playroom, using an existing mezzanine at the rear and possibly keeping or relocating the ground-floor services and heating plant, with facade changes allowed. THEME 2 — the ground floor (about 400 sqm, 3.50 m high) of a building with a social centre already active upstairs, freed by the relocation of a shop: a functional expansion of the centre (library, bar, offices, services) with a seismically adequate reinforced-concrete structure, coordinating with the upstairs gym, clinic and other spaces and with the basement store. THEME 3 — a two-storey rural masonry farmhouse: refurbishment into a farm-stay with the manager's flat, three guest rooms with bathrooms and a dining room with a kitchen of at least 20 sqm. Shared deliverables: a furnished, dimensioned 1:100 plan, 1:100 elevations and section, and a significant construction detail (1:20), which may be integrated with sketches and perspective drawings.