Architecture & Interior Design

About ISI Florence

Established in 2001, ISI Florence is a study abroad program rooted in the liberal arts tradition and internationally recognized for the high caliber of its faculty and wide range of student services. ISI Florence is committed to providing students with a safe and rewarding educational experience of exceptional quality both in and out of the classroom and is supported by endless opportunities for cultural immersion and exchange. True to its extraordinary setting in the cradle of the Renaissance, ISI Florence aims to inspire students to strive for learning which will make their semester abroad a life-changing experience.

With several thousand years of civilization woven into its legendary urban texture, Florence embodies all that the Renaissance sought to bring back to life. Bordered by its famous countryside of pine- and cypress-dotted hills, lush vineyards, and olive groves, the Florence of today is an innovative European cultural center, as well as a university city. While living in Florence, students will have the opportunity to walk the same medieval streets as Dante, look upon the great works of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, and stand within the massive halls that housed Medici businesses, all built on top of Roman and Etruscan ruins. Iconic Via Tornabuoni offers insights into Florence’s thriving love of fashion in the shadow of Brunelleschi’s great dome, Santa Maria del Fiore. Surrounded by statuesque relics of the Renaissance and the push of progress, Florence offers both depth of ancient character and a melding of past, present, and future.

Semester Architecture Design Studio Program

The Institute runs a number of semester and summer program tracks in architecture, design, landscape architecture, structural engineering and more. Thanks to the high caliber of its faculty, who are practicing professionals, and the Institute’s partnership with the Università degli Studi di Firenze, the programs offer a unique opportunity to work on in-progress architectural projects in the city of Florence and nearby towns in Tuscany in diverse and stimulating historic urban contexts. All courses are accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

Qualified Applicants
The programs are open to architecture students who have completed at least two years of study in the discipline.

Curriculum

The semester program consists of a requires design studio course and one or more approved architectural electives, Italian language (all levels available) and free electives from the Institute's offerings. Participants are required to enroll in the following curriculum:

• Design Studio or Interior Design Studio Course (5-6 credits)
• Architecture Elective: Architecture in Context or Survey and Drawing (3 credits)
• Italian Language: The Florence Experience (4 credits)
• Free Elective (3 credits)

Our Unique Immersive Experience

The studio and elective courses, all taught by practicing architects and academics, are designed to integrate in-class teaching with visits to construction sites and field trips to other relevant destinations. Students sketch on-site and evaluate ideas for a team project—the culmination of the advanced design studio course. The program also encourages mastery and skillful integration of the complex set of variables—artistic, technical, and philosophical—that underlie the successful design of any constructed environment. Students end the program with a team project drawing from their unique experiences both in the classroom and across the “citywide campus” of Florence.

Studio Facilities and Academic Resources 

The program offers students spacious and bright design studios in the historic center of Florence, equipped with review and seminar rooms, design computing laboratory, architecture library, modeling studio, and exhibition gallery. Annually updated software packages in the design computing laboratory include the complete Autodesk Suite (AutoCAD, Revit, Maya, 3D Studio Max), Adobe Design Premium Creative Suite (Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop, Form Z), and large format color printers and plotters. The Architecture Design Studio is entirely networked for student laptop wireless access. All participants are provided with their own individual drafting tables and workspace; these facilities are available until midnight seven days a week.

Strategic Partnerships

ISI Florence’s partners include Roger Williams University, School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation, Marywood University School of Architecture, Università degli Studi di Firenze Facoltà di Architettura, and others.

Application

All students are required to submit a completed application and submit current transcripts and meet all prerequisite requirements. Admission is selective.
Apply now to begin the application and review process and discuss the program with an admissions specialist.