Teaching outside the classroom. The case of the School of Architecture and Cultural Heritage in Syracuse

Education in architecture according to the model proposed by the Italian Ministry of University is based on a broad-based educational programme, which combines lectures, workshop activities and field experiences. The outcomes of the latter are strongly influenced by the territorial context of the course and by the opportunity to systemise the knowledge acquired in the course into real action. The paper discusses the integrative teaching experiences held at the School of Architecture and Cultural Heritage in Syracuse, University of Catania (Italy) within the Master's Degree Course in Architecture. A project experience, applied to a concrete case, is set up to train students in the restoration, reuse and conservation of cultural heritage. This experience leads the students to an immersive experience in the built environment. This includes the active involvement of people potentially interested in the project, local authorities and stakeholders. A similar approach is taken within the disciplines of architectural history for in-house internships at the School of Architecture and Cultural Heritage. In these activities, students are guided to experience the critical reading of original document preserved in the School's project archive. As a result, the teaching experience offers a simplified contact between education and research. The paper shows how student evaluations highlight a greater interest in such experiences than in learning in face-to-face courses. Teaching outside the classroom seems to lead students to a deeper awareness of the knowledge and design issues of the built environment and to a more integrative approach to the development of the final degree dissertation.