stefano ferracini architect

In the Blog section, you’ll find a curated selection of articles published by Stefano Ferracini in magazines and online, alongside personal reflections on his work and commentary on exercises completed by his students. You can find more articles and texts curated by me at this link: AplusTexto: Stefano Ferracini / Architectural Writings

Between Rigour, Order and Sobriety*

Project: 1998/2001
Location: Maia, Porto, Portugal
Architectural project: João Álvaro Rocha
Collaborators: Alberto Barbosa Vieira, Francisco Portugal e Gomes, António Luís Neves, João Ventura Lopes, Pedro Tiago Pimentel, Sónia Campos Neves
3D model: Armando Teixeira
Structural engineering: Rui Fernandes Póvoas
Plumbing systems: Vasco Peixoto de Freitas
Electrical systems: António Rodrigues Gomes
Mechanical systems: Paulo Queirós Faria
Landscape architecture: Manuel Pedro Melo, João Álvaro Rocha
Furniture and interiors: João Álvaro Rocha
Photography: Luís Ferreira Alves
Client: Municipality of Maia, Porto

The Quinta da Gruta project is part of a large urban redevelopment plan located just north of the city of Porto.

At the centre of an old rural area, which has since become a suburb, stands a small yet interesting building constructed in the early twentieth century.

The rapid expansion of the city and the transformation of the territory require obsolete spaces to be converted into new forms of centrality. The case of Quinta da Gruta becomes part of a development programme aimed at accompanying these inevitable changes through the creation of new services.

With this project, João Álvaro Rocha aims to go beyond simple restoration, reshaping spaces and functions through a contemporary language while maintaining the rural memory of the site. In essence, the goal is to re-establish a balance between old and new, between large and small, between public and private.

The elegance and sobriety of the intervention conceal an in-depth study in the selection and application of materials and rules: in every seemingly empty space, an object or piece of furniture is placed to enliven the various visual perceptions without drawing attention away.

Whether subtly or overtly, Rocha uses steel both for its strength and durability and as a refined aesthetic component. A good example is the building’s window frames, made of steel angle bars masterfully concealed within the masonry, or the slender shelves of the library which, thanks to a hidden frame within a plasterboard wall, achieve a thickness of just a few millimetres.

The transition between the two floors of the villa occurs via a staircase discreetly placed in an open space free of obstructions.

Along the slender tubular handrail, one ascends the thin steps leading to the granite block on which the staircase rests. The decisive playful gesture is the introduction of a small, fully steel-made removable box that serves as the first step, juxtaposing rigidity, slenderness, and movability.

The area dedicated to the sanitary facilities is yet another skilful example of the use of stainless steel: an apparently solid wall conceals two steel doors with a mirror positioned between them. Taps and fittings are designed and crafted in stainless steel.

Tables, chairs, cupboards, and doors, designed specifically for the villa, either reveal or conceal this unconditional use of steel, intended on the one hand to highlight the artisanal nature of the work, and on the other to pursue a modern and technological expression.

Particularly striking is the auditorium “box,” which projects the ancient silhouette of the villa into the future.

The structure is supported by large steel U-profiles embedded within the thickness of the walls. The interior is clad in wood, while the exterior consists of aluminium sheets and steel bars, reflecting the clear intention to produce a “metal box” with a distinctly high-tech appearance.

The interplay of transparent and opaque surfaces is echoed in an almost “contradictory” logic in the volume containing the meeting room on the upper floor and the entrance on the ground floor. In this case, the complete transparency of the glass and the massive granite structure serve as a link between past and present.

The box is a recurring theme in the project, reinterpreted in countless ways even in the small objects scattered throughout the garden. Stone blocks serve as benches, neatly squared steel parallelepipeds become waste bins, and even the lamp post is made from a simple square-section profile.

There are also trees whose roots are contained within large steel cylinders.

The greenhouse, with its delicate form, hides behind the opacity of its glass a composite structure of iron tubes, ties, and steel tension rods.

The juxtaposition of old and new, of artisanal and technological, appears to be one of the hallmarks of Rocha’s architectural language, and in this context steel consistently acquires an exemplary role.

*text published in Acciaio Arte Architettura n. 14, Auge Editore, Treviso.

Guest Room Project: A First-Year Interior Design Exercise

The Guest Room project is an educational exercise for first-year interior design students, aimed at teaching them how to organize a pre-existing living space by combining functionality and creativity through the use of perforated and semi-transparent furniture, visible from both sides. This approach allows for visual continuity within the space, playing with light and shadows to create a dynamic and stimulating environment. The first step for participants is a detailed analysis of the existing space, evaluating physical characteristics such as exposed concrete block walls, concrete ceiling, and a chape floor, with aluminum-framed windows allowing natural light to flow in.

The ergonomic study of objects to be placed, such as art books, clothing, and personal accessories, emphasizes the importance of proportions and functionality. The space must meet specific needs through the arrangement of furniture, including a 2x90 cm x 200 cm bed with a headboard and nightstands to be designed, a bookshelf that can hold at least 5 m³ for art and architecture books, a wardrobe for organizing clothing, and a study area with a desk and chair, all complemented by appropriate lighting. The materials imposed for the project are simple and versatile, such as painted MDF panels, which allow for various finishes while maintaining ease of construction.

The orthogonal and minimalist composition reduces construction complexity without compromising aesthetics. The project is supported by research and references to iconic design figures like Charlotte Perriand, known for her ability to blend functionality and minimalism, emphasizing the use of materials and the study of interior spaces.

Students will present their projects through comprehensive documentation, including a PDF presentation with research, references, plans, sections, and model photographs, along with a 1:20 scale model to represent the project in a detailed and tangible way. Guest Room offers first-year students the opportunity to engage with the fundamental principles of interior design, developing sensitivity toward space management and creating both practical and aesthetic solutions.

Developing Abstract Concepts Through Bas-reliefs in Interior Design (first year project)

In the field of interior design, the ability to translate abstract concepts into tangible forms is a fundamental skill. First-year students often face exercises that challenge their capacity to interpret, formalize, and present abstract ideas. One such exercise is the creation of bas-reliefs, an exploration of form, material, and meaning, where students are encouraged to express abstract terms in a physical format. The exercise begins with the assignment of two abstract terms (such as "embedded," "woven," "curved," "symmetrical," etc.), which students must explore individually. These terms are not just words but embody complex ideas that need to be reflected in the structure and design of the bas-reliefs. The challenge lies in developing a form that respects both the material constraints—Bristol or recycled paper—and the given framework, while still offering a creative and innovative interpretation of the assigned terms. The choice of Bristol paper as the main material invites a multitude of possibilities.

Despite its simplicity, the paper can be manipulated in various ways: cut, folded, torn, perforated, crumpled, scratched, or even wet. This allows students to explore the textural and structural qualities of the material while keeping it white. This choice emphasizes the importance of form, depth, and shadow to convey meaning, as the absence of color focuses attention on the interplay between light and structure. Each student is required to produce two bas-reliefs, each dedicated to a specific term. The format for each bas-relief is defined: a Din A4 sheet serves as the background, with a passe-partout square (10 cm by 10 cm) cut from another Din A4 sheet. The passe-partout is then layered on top of the background, with a final depth of 2 cm. In this space, the student must "concretize" the assigned term within the 10 cm square, making full use of the given thickness, with the possibility of exceeding it by 1 cm if necessary.

The position of the passe-partout is another key consideration. It can be placed at various depths within the relief, offering the student the opportunity to play with perspective and the relationship between what is visible and what is hidden. The exercise thus becomes not only about creating objects but also about exploring ideas of visibility, framing, and perception. The arrangement of elements inside and beyond the square must respond to the meaning of the term, allowing an exploration of how abstract concepts can be physically manifested in three dimensions. While the constraints provide a clear framework, they are also designed to encourage creative freedom. The rigidity of the dimensions and materials contrasts with the flexibility of interpretation, offering students the opportunity to push boundaries in subtle and indirect ways. For example, a term like "woven" might inspire the student to fold and interlace the paper into complex patterns, while "curved" could lead to the creation of flowing, undulating forms that transcend the limits of the square frame.

This balance between structure and creativity is at the core of the exercise. It challenges students to think beyond literal interpretations and explore deeper, more innovative approaches to expressing meaning. The student is tasked not only with producing a visually interesting and structurally coherent piece but also with critically reflecting on the term itself—what it represents and how it can be reimagined through form. Technical skill is essential to this project. Precision in cutting, folding, and assembling the paper is crucial to ensuring that the final model is self-supporting and visually coherent. Each element of the bas-relief must be carefully considered in terms of placement, alignment, and relationship with the surrounding elements. Furthermore, the exercise encourages a reflection on craftsmanship and attention to detail. The student must pay attention to how the material behaves, exploring the possibilities of manipulation while maintaining the structural integrity of the work. This attention to detail not only enhances the visual impact of the piece but also reinforces the conceptual clarity of the representation.

On the reverse side of each work, students are required to note their name and the term they are interpreting. This simple addition reinforces the personal engagement with the exercise, as each student's unique approach to the term becomes part of their design identity. This first-year interior design project offers students a valuable opportunity to develop both conceptual thinking and manual skills. By working within specific constraints and materials, they learn to translate abstract ideas into concrete forms, using subtle and innovative approaches to express meaning. The project represents an essential step in their education, encouraging them to think critically about form, material, and concept while honing their craftsmanship and creativity.

Creative and Technical Exploration: A Detailed Approach to Manipulating Volumes and Surfaces in a Three-Dimensional Cube (Interior Design, first year project)

The manipulation of formal elements in a three-dimensional space, such as a cube, is an essential practice for students in design and visual arts. This educational project proposes an in-depth exploration of three-dimensional design using volumes, surfaces, and linear elements. The main goal is to learn how to organize these components to create a harmonious composition that highlights a natural object while respecting principles of proportion, alignment, and balance. This project goes beyond simply constructing a cube; it requires a thoughtful consideration of spatial interactions and the relationships between different elements.

From the outset, students are encouraged to focus on the relationship between solid and void spaces, as well as the contrast between vertical and horizontal lines. One of the most critical aspects of this exercise is how the interior and exterior of the cube interact. Students must learn to manipulate these concepts to create a space that not only adheres to the rules of composition but also emphasizes a non-perishable natural element. This object should have visible geometry and integrate meaningfully into the overall composition of the cube, becoming the focal point of the project.

The creative process begins with selecting materials. Students will use 5 mm foam board for surfaces and volumes, and 5 mm thick wooden sticks for linear elements. Foam board, as the base material, offers sufficient rigidity while being easy to cut and manipulate. The wooden sticks, on the other hand, allow for strong and defined lines within the composition. To add color, students will use gouache and painting supplies. The dominant color will be the white of the foam board, but there is freedom to paint the linear elements, allowing for contrast and emphasis.

The cube’s dimensions are precise: 20 cm on each side for the interior space. This cube will not be fully enclosed but will feature open areas, which will play a crucial role in the perception of the final piece. These openings will suggest the cube’s form without fully enclosing it, creating a dialogue between the interior and exterior. Students must ensure that the elements placed inside the cube can touch, interlock, or overlap while preserving the clarity of each component. The exterior of the cube can also be enriched with additional surfaces and other linear elements, adding an extra layer of complexity to the composition.

The cube will be placed on a 40 x 40 cm base with a height of 5 cm. This base plays an important role in the visual balance of the entire piece. The base will be divided by a curved or diagonal line, which will cut across the composition. This line introduces a subtle break from the orthogonal grid imposed by the parallel and perpendicular elements that form the main structure of the project. It is a contrasting element that, although outside the rigid orthogonal layout, must still integrate harmoniously with the overall design.

Several criteria must be met for the project to succeed. First, the guidelines must be followed precisely, and deadlines must be respected. Adhering to these rules is essential to ensure a solid grasp of the techniques and concepts being taught. Next, students must respond effectively to the stated educational objectives, particularly in terms of highlighting the natural object and creating a balanced three-dimensional space. The execution must be careful and rigorous, with particular attention to detail, precision in cutting, quality of finishes, and application of paint.

By working on this project, students will have the opportunity to develop essential skills for their training in design and visual arts. They will learn not only how to handle materials and create three-dimensional forms but also how to think conceptually about spatial relationships and the interactions between different elements in their composition. This technical and creative exploration will allow them to better understand the challenges of three-dimensional design while sharpening their sense of aesthetics and balance. The final project, a carefully crafted model, will reflect this demanding process, combining technical precision, artistic creativity, and spatial sensitivity.

Technology, as an applied discipline, is not merely a system of rules, which are, moreover, in constant evolution.

Two possible directions of study:

Segmentations in specific fields within architecture, developing its own disciplinary apparatus.
Working on projects and objectives, developing the ability to make decisions and take action on specific problems.

An analytical path that starts from things—construction systems, materials—and then relates them to the forms that architecture can take, the functions, and the aesthetic values. A non-deterministic view of the relationship between architecture and construction techniques, rather directed toward exploring the multiple possibilities of development and interaction between forms, techniques, and systems.

To understand how construction is done today, it is necessary to relate the way of building and thinking with the needs that construction addresses, in its historical context and environment. A critical attitude, without claiming absolute rationality, to understand the motivations and specificities of a work.

Building as a system: spatial and technical elements aimed at meeting housing needs, with a function and performance. Furthermore, a building is an open system related to the site, the place, the city, the territory.

Building and context

Context is interpreted in different ways depending on the purposes. For example:

Mechanical-functional purposes (technology of architecture)
Morphological, spatial, historical, urban

Structural function and techniques The structure is the part of the construction that bears the loads acting on it down to the underlying ground. The ground resists with equal and opposite force. The primary function of a building is to support itself and create a space made up of walls, floors, roofs, etc.

The relevance of morphological, geometric, and dimensional aspects has determined the importance of a construction even from an aesthetic point of view. The structure must be recognized, and its understanding as correctness should be considered as a quality in architecture.

Materials and deformations Materials and construction techniques are closely linked to specific structural types, as not all materials can withstand every type of stress. A suspended cable will work in tension, a masonry wall in compression, and other structures will work in a composite way. Structural actions can be summarized as compression and tension, and the way they manifest depends on the structural type adopted. Each material must be evaluated for its behavior under these stresses to be used in a structural system.

Traditional materials: stone, baked or raw clay brick, and wood. Only wood has significant tensile strength, while the others work in compression.

In the past, each material was used for its function and structural quality. Execution techniques and structural schemes associated with experience determined the discipline of construction. Since the 19th century, new materials and technological innovation in research have expanded the range of possibilities. Iron, steel, reinforced concrete, laminated wood, and fiber-reinforced concrete, fabrics, and plastics today offer vast possibilities for structural design.

Intelligence of a structure The intelligence of a structure lies in minimizing the loads due to its own weight to be as engaged as possible in bearing useful loads. An intelligent design moves toward the appropriate balance between lightness and heaviness through certain principles:

Principle of dimension: the issue of "scale," that is, the height dimension of the cross-section of a structural element, where the relationship between distance and height of a beam is proportional—the greater the span, the more the section must be increased, up to a limit where its own weight will cause failure.
Principle of optimization: optimization of how stresses are distributed in a structural system. In a truss, some elements work in compression, others in tension, resulting in a light system in which each element works optimally.
Principle of efficiency: the ratio between unit strength at failure and weight per unit volume of a material. A rod of iron loaded only by its own weight will break when its length is no longer compatible with its strength. Examples of intelligent structures include arches, domes, and also trusses.

Climatic design Climatic design exploits the properties of materials and construction techniques for the envelope, combined with modern renewable and eco-friendly systems for installations and climate control. In the past, the thermal resistance of materials was utilized, hence thicker walls. Heat accumulation was used to mitigate temperature fluctuations between day and night.

Thin walls with insulating materials today reduce thermal conductivity but also decrease the thermal storage capacity typical of thick, monolithic walls.

Environmental energy Spontaneous architecture, as an alliance between nature and construction, exemplifies how natural factors—sun, materials, geographic location of the land—are used to improve indoor climatic comfort. New technologies, such as solar panels, ventilation, and cooling systems, are now in use, and their functional integration is currently a subject of research, including aesthetic research.

Sustainability The architectural project is responsible for energy requirements, related to the production of materials, their use, and their recycling, as well as for environmental and energy management during the building's life.

Building techniques and products Until the 18th century, architecture used simple materials and artifacts—masonry and wood—shaped through artisanal processes, determining the various production systems. After industrialization, materials and products became complex and intelligent, studied to meet specific performance requirements, and took on convenient and variable forms and sizes.

The project is committed to coordinating with the requirements imposed by both the work and the rules of the market and production. The designer knows and organizes the project also thanks to new products and performances. Today, there is a continuous exchange between the production of materials, technologies, and construction systems.

The designer is given the freedom of assembly, preferring a flexible system where construction systems and techniques proposed by the industry allow the designer to assemble different components in a unique and contextualized way.

The design of details, the junctions between the different products made available by the industry, generates a kind of technological craftsmanship that identifies each work by giving it architectural quality. This approach leads the designer to act like a designer, in close relation to production, construction, and the project.

Envelope, structure, systems The relevance of the expression of constructive truth (framework) as a criterion of project quality is wavering. Today, other techniques are taking important roles in interpreting a quality project—the skin, the envelope, the installation technique. The building can assume multiple structural forms; the envelope becomes performative, defining the project's meaning.

Sinuous Filter

MOdAM - Museum and School of Fashion. João Luis Carrilho da Graça, Camillo Botticini, Stefano Ferracini

The MOdAM project is conceived as a pavilion in the park, an osmotic element that, despite being intensely urban, integrates with the surrounding open space, becoming a necessary component and the central element of the park’s design.The suspended enclosure multiplies the park’s levels, integrating the required functions into a dimension that transcends the spatial categories of inside and outside, creating a temporal and spatial continuum across the various functional levels. The architecture results from the interaction of three foundational conditions: identifying the theme, rationalizing and optimizing the functional program, and contextual insertion. The functions are spread across three main levels, separating the spaces dedicated to the Museum, located on the underground level, from the Fashion School on the elevated level, with the primary intention of uniting and facilitating interaction between the common functions within a single space at the park’s level. This choice refers to aspects with broad urban implications, such as the relationship with the park, particularly to the northeast, and those with the interventions planned by the Fashion City Plan.

The predominantly horizontal development of the volume contrasts with the verticality of the surrounding buildings, rebalancing the urban composition and acting as a physical link between the park and the Fashion City. A central element of the architectural approach of MOdAM is the characterization of the ground floor at park level, which is almost entirely open, transparent, and without boundaries.The arrangement of the glass elements allows free movement between the paved spaces, providing access to the Museum, the School, or simply leading to the park, which, in a Corbusian manner, entirely maintains its surface thanks to the "suspension" of the School’s volume. The ground floor of MOdAM is conceived as the main distribution point, housing common spaces where everything happens and everything is visible.

In this free layout, the visitor identifies a large distribution axis that organizes the different uses: the Museum entrance, access to the School, and the starting or ending point of a walk through the park. The light that vertically penetrates the building creates a system of visual relationships between the inside and outside, between covered and uncovered areas. In these vertical margins, the building can be fully perceived. From the balcony of the classrooms, a privileged spot reserved for students, the gaze travels and intersects along the building’s section, crossing paths with the visitors on the ground floor and reaching the gardens of the Museum’s patios on the underground level. Open-air staircases within each patio connect the different floors, creating a suggestive synergy of use that reaches its peak during the summer months. These paths, oriented according to the routes established in the park’s design, serve as escape routes and provide an additional point of integration with the context.

The sinuous movement of the roof, associated with the sculptural idea of a body delicately resting on the park, encloses within it the response to spatial requirements related to ceiling heights—higher in the technical laboratories compared to the classrooms. The same undulating effect is repeated in the underground level, where gentle slope variations stimulate the Museum’s exhibition path and address, as in the School, specific needs concerning the essential heights of different spaces.

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