Francesca Vargiu of the renowned Domus Academy of Milan, Italy, and Elena Pacenti, Director of the Domus Academy School of Design at NSAD, will hold a discussion on Italian Design approaches to interior settings at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NSAD) on Thursday, Aug. 8, from 6 p.m. to 7: 30 p.m. The discussion outlines the humanistic roots of the Italian Design approach and how it applies to interior design techniques and evolving trends such as globalization, the blurring of interior and exterior spaces, and multi-purpose space functions.

The Italian Design approach forms the foundation of the recently-created Bachelor of Interior Design program offered through San Diego’s Domus Academy School of Design at NSAD. The Domus Academy School of Design at NSAD emphasizes the study and application of global design approaches through an Italian Design perspective; it is a collaborative effort between NSAD and the award-winning Domus Academy in Milan, Italy, which has consistently been named among the World’s Best Design Schools by Businessweek magazine.

Who:  Featured speaker Francesca Vargiu of Domus Academy in Milan, Italy; Moderator Elena Pacenti, Director of the Domus Academy School of Design at NSAD/NewSchool of Architecture and Design. Formerly with Domus Academy in Milan, Italy.
When: Thursday, Aug. 8. 6 – 7:30 p.m.  Appetizers and beverages served.
Where: NewSchool of Architecture and Design, located in downtown San Diego’s East Village. Please check in at the front desk at 705 Park Ave (corner of G Str. and 12th Ave. /Park Blvd.). We will direct you from there to the upstairs gallery space.
RSVP/Additional Information: Please RSVP by Aug. 7 to NSAD PR Manager Anna Cearley at [email protected]

About Francesca Vargiu

Francesca Vargiu oversees the Master Progam in Urban Vision and Architectural Design at Domus Academy in Milan. Her expertise involves applying Italian Design techniques to spaces that range from small interior spaces to wide-scale urban areas. She is co-founder of KICK.OFFICE, a Milan-based studio she opened in 2009 with Mario Abruzzese. A graduate of  Politecnico di Milano and Esquela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura in Madrid, Spain (ETSAM), Vargiu’s thesis research explored contemporary conditions of urban crisis and architectural applications to spaces of social invention and spatial transformation, with a focus on Deheishe Refugee Camp – West Bank.  In 2008, she took part in the international research project ‘Decolonizing Architecture’ and worked for its first exhibition ‘Design by Destruction: Oush Grab Military Base’ at Bozar, Bruxelles in November 2008. The work has been also displayed in various International Architectural Exhibitions, such as at Venice Biennal 2008, COAC Barcelona 2009, Istanbul Biennial 2009, Rotterdam Biennial 2009 and Edinburgh Art Festival 2010.

About Elena Pacenti

Elena Pacenti is Director of San Diego’s Domus Academy School of Design at NSAD. She formerly directed the Design School at Domus Academy in Italy, and she brings to NSAD the Domus Academy emphasis on advanced design methodologies for anticipating needs and trends in a continuously evolving society. She was director of the Domus Academy Research Center from 2002 through 2009, where she oversaw the development and coordination of design innovation research projects for the European Union and for government and private groups in Italy. In 2011, she established the Master in Service and Experience Design program at Domus Academy. Pacenti has an undergraduate degree in architecture and a Ph.D in industrial design, both from the Politecnico di Milano.

About Domus Academy School of Design at NSAD/Bachelor of Interior Design Program
The San Diego-based Domus Academy School of Design at NSAD is inspired by the quality and innovation of Italian design education leader Domus Academy in Milan, Italy.  This collaborative relationship includes developing educational offerings in design-related fields, starting with the launch of a new bachelor’s degree in Interior Design in fall 2013.  Domus Academy School of Design at NSAD incorporates global design into the interior design curriculum through classes in San Diego and by offering all students in the interior design program the opportunity to study abroad at Domus Academy in Milan, Italy - at no additional tuition cost. The Domus Academy School of Design at NSAD is supported and guided by an advisory board of leading designers from around the world. NSAD’s interdisciplinary offerings of design-related programs include interior design, architecture, construction management and digital media arts.