«Why did I accept? I was tired of some people being considered “sick to be treated”. Asperger’s is not a disease, but a difference.” This is the motivation that drove the architect Maurizio Lai to participate in new course dedicated to design organized by Future Work School, training arm of the Un Futuro per l’Asperger foundation. The post-diploma specialization institute is the first in Europe with thoughtful arrangements for students with this disorder. The new course, however, it will be open to everyone, to best enhance the potential of the entire class group. «This choice was made to remove mistrust from outsiders. It’s an attempt, a bet”, says Lai, who will participate in the project as course supervisor.
The design adds to the 34 teachings provided by the School. «Architecture is not just shapes. It must be a vehicle for asking questions. It is a discipline that helps us become aware of what surrounds us. Tables, chairs. Understanding how things are made, how they work. We work for man and around man». For students, Asperger’s is not one of the easiest subjects to learn. «Some studies reveal that they are more inclined to technology. However, there were also doubts about the introduction of theater at the school and it turned out to be a success.”
The course will be brought forward from 3 lessons, a sort of pills to introduce it. The lectures will take place from 6pm to 7.30pm. The first will be held by Carlo Donati Tuesday 7 May and will concern «The value of chromaticism in architectural design»; the second gives Memo Colucci, Tuesday 14 Mayentitled «The third skin» and will address the theme of the environmental aspects of the place we live in, while the third will be held by Donati Thursday 23 May and will focus on «Design and the author’s house in cinema».
The course, howeverwill start in October and will be structured in 460 hours of lessons. There will be three modules: one theoretical, another methodological design and the last more practical. As for technical skills, they will learn to use professional software such as Sketch-Upfor 3D modeling, Photoshop for graphic compositions, photomontage and photo retouching techniques, e Indesign for editorial layout.
At the end of the training there is the possibility of offering work opportunities to the children. «We need to help those who take their first steps. My studio, for example, is willing to lend a hand”, says Lai, who embraced the project years ago, collaborating on the realization of the School in 2019. «For me it was an honor. I thought of the building as a hotel structure: not too strong light, plants, sound-absorbing panels. I tried to create an environment that conveyed serenity and linearity, avoiding objects and colors that could become a source of tension. Architecture, ultimately, must be useful. Not Glamour”
