Image courtesy of New York Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Design

Pavilions and exhibitions showcased at the 2021 Architecture Venice Biennale have grabbed news headlines for a good portion of the year. As the architecture and design world interrogates the works of numerous architects, curators, and professional design teams through the lens of the latest theme, How Will We Live Together, attention must also be paid to the participation of architecture students and faculty. Highly visible exhibitions have become outlets for educating the world about what architecture is today. Academic contributions add to architecture's growing discourse through research and investigations.

For this year's International Architecture Exhibition, architecture students and faculty from the New York Institute of Technology School of Architecture and Design (SoAD) made an appearance in Venice. Through the leadership of SoAD Dean Maria Perbellini and fellow faculty members, the institution showcased two unique pavilions. Archinect connected with Dean Perbellini to learn more about the school's participation and works showcased this year.

Can you discuss the exhibition you curated, "Architecture as Caregiver," and how the idea came together?

I had the great pleasure to co-curate with Antonino Di Raimo, Professor at the University of Portsmouth, UK, the section “Architecture as Caregiver” at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice Biennale 2021 that is conceived around the relevant question How will we live together? The exhibition “Correlated Resiliencies” within the section “Architecture as Caregiver” features New York Tech, School of Architecture and Design (SoAD)’s faculty and student works in the Italian Pavilion — Resilient Communities at the Tese delle Vergini in the Arsenale, sponsored and promoted by the Italian Ministry of Culture, General Direction for Contemporary Creativity, and curated by Alessandro Melis. 

“Correlated Resiliencies” presents works on Community Design and Resiliency, Urban Ecology and Sustainable Growth, and Computational Design and Performative Technologies. I also supported and facilitated Profs. Marcella Del Signore and Pablo Lorenzo-Eiroa exhibitions at the European Cultural Centre in Palazzo Bembo, Prof. Dong-Sei Kim at the Korean Pavilion — Future School, curated by Hae-Won Shin and commissioned by the Arts Council Korea, and Prof. Christian Pongratz symposium at Spazio Peccioli. The invitation by Alessandro Melis to contribute as a curator and member of the Italian Pavilion’s Advisory Board gave me the opportunity to share the design research that our community of students and faculty has been producing through the lens of sustainability, innovation, and emergent technologies, as it has always been central to our vision.

At SoAD, we focus on the urgency to address correlational crises, to define connectedness, and rebuild a different approach to our economic future. 

NYIT School of Architecture and Design (SoAD) has participated in the Venice Biennale in the past. How did the students and faculty approach this year's theme?

This difficult time has brought us the momentum to critically think about the future we want to have together, to overcome systemic barriers through a more human-built environment that facilitates social interaction, supports the diversity of our collective communities, and where we can catalyze transformative cultural changes. Our participation in the Architecture Venice Biennale remarks our School’s commitment to actionable strategies for a more inclusive approach to the reinvention of our cities, to climate ambitions advancing new knowledge while blurring disciplinary boundaries and working across fields and expertise. 

At SoAD, we focus on the urgency to address correlational crises, to define connectedness, and rebuild a different approach to our economic future. Reflecting on the purpose of education, schools today take on the mandate to provide platforms for ongoing conversations on the role of design innovation as it should be holistically circular in the contribution to promote sustainable and responsible practices in architecture. SoAD's collective efforts to protect public health, safety, and welfare as well as the necessity to accelerate shifts in climate change governance and increase individual engagement have never been more relevant.

Our participation in the Architecture Venice Biennale remarks our School’s commitment to actionable strategies for a more inclusive approach to the reinvention of our cities, to climate ambitions advancing new knowledge while blurring disciplinary boundaries and working across fields and expertise

With the rescheduling and postponing of the 2020 Biennale, were there major changes that were to be made?

Travel limitations in the past 20 months have drastically affected the modalities of our participation in the Venice Biennale, enhancing it with more dynamic and performable vehicles. Since the opening of the venue, we have been following the Biennale from New York through virtual platforms and social media. The unique experience led to the idea of The Italian Virtual Pavilion curated by Alessandro Melis and Tom Kovac, and where I contributed as one of the Creative Directors of a parallel digital platform with projects, installations, and research, exhibitions, lectures, and events, symposia, and workshops.

The pandemic forced the organization of the 17th Architecture Venice Biennale to postpone it one year later for it to open in the Spring of 2021. It was clear to me the intent to infuse the perception of the exhibition with more accessible and essential elements. Having more time to think about the contributions to the National Pavilions added more layers of design sensitivity and expanded the geographic scope of the Biennale. Hashim Sarkis, curator of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice Biennale 2021, appropriately talks about a planetary scale for architecture. Postponing the opening allowed participants to reflect deeply on the challenges of this unprecedented time and translate experiences and design ideas with empathy and humanity.

Design innovation plays a crucial role in addressing integrated strategies, able to not only respond to environmental, health, economic, and social crises, but most of all, to anticipate them.

The school is featuring their exhibition in the Italian Pavilion as well as the Korean Pavilion. How does this opportunity to work with other architects and design professionals impact the students and their growing architecture perspectives?

Global issues of environmental awareness, climate change, sustainable solutions, diversity, inclusion, and social responsibility are infusing curricula. Lecture series, events, and initiatives have become part of design studio projects, and specialized Master’s programs have infused virtual conversations and stimulated symposia and panels (The Future of Cities: Urban Regeneration in a Time of Crisis; Design Innovation: Resilient Cities Learning For Science; Critical Density: Health, Ecology, Economy & Equity; among others). 

Proposing a shared approach to reimagine our future, the Architecture Venice Biennale is the perfect venue to showcase the ambitious design agenda of the School of Architecture and Design at New York Tech. Design innovation plays a crucial role in addressing integrated strategies, able to not only respond to environmental, health, economic, and social crises, but most of all, to anticipate them.

Interested in learning about NYIT program offerings? Check the following links to each program: Architecture, Computational Technologies, M.S. program; Architecture, Health and Design, M.S. program; Architecture, M.Arch. program; Architecture, Urban & Regional Design, M.S. program; Digital Art & Design, M.F.A. - Fine Arts & Technology program; Digital Art & Design, M.F.A. Graphic Design program; and UX/UI Design and Development, M.A. program.