Cover photo: Render of the Kore pendant lamp, a project by the group of Giuliana Bonaccorso, Laura D’Alessio, Aurora Filesi, Delfina Valanzano, and Giovanna Scarico.
How can lighting be used to make a student residence more welcoming and to “set the mood”? How can light serve as the primary tool for interpreting and transforming space and furnishings? In a nutshell, these are the questions that students in the Product Design and Interior Design programs at Accademia Italiana in Rome were asked to address.
The idea for the “Living the Atmosphere” workshop emerged from a dialogue between A.A.G. Stucchi—a company specializing in track lighting systems and already a partner of Accademia Italiana—and the editorial team of ATMOSFERA Mag, the digital magazine that explores the world of light in all its forms and nuances, with a keen eye on the latest trends and experimental creativity, published by A.A.G. Stucchi. The students were encouraged to think outside the box and adopt an experimental approach, while always keeping in mind the practical feasibility and viability of their ideas. They worked in groups, and their work was then evaluated by representatives from the company and the magazine: the “winning” team was an all-female group consisting of Giuliana Bonaccorso, Laura D’Alessio, Aurora Filesi, Delfina Valanzano, and Giovanna Scarico, who created a modular and adaptable design based on the use of the circle as a basic shape.
The Brief and the Origins of the “Living the Atmosphere” Competition
The focus of A.A.G. Stucchi and ATMOSFERA Mag on young design talent forms the foundation of their partnership with Accademia Italiana: on one hand, a center of excellence in education; on the other, a company and a magazine deeply embedded in the world of contemporary design.
Given its specialization, A.A.G. Stucchi proposed working on open, adaptable, and reconfigurable systems (though not necessarily track-based). At the same time, ATMOSFERA Mag emphasized the concept of design as content, requesting an outcome that could be easily shared and integrated into a cultural discourse on light.
The brief focused on the student residence, a hybrid space—often shared—where functions intertwine and overlap, sometimes in a chaotic manner. This condition makes student residences an ideal context for exploring the relationship between space, daily behaviors, and the quality of the atmosphere. Each project submitted by the students addressed the question: within a student space, how can the integration/interaction of light with the existing elements (which are also to be designed) define its functional, emotional, and relational qualities? The environments considered were numerous, as were the housing solutions for students living away from home: studio apartments, shared rooms, apartments, and university dormitories.
The Winning Project of the “Living the Atmosphere”Competition
The project submitted by Giuliana Bonaccorso, Laura D’Alessio, Aurora Filesi, Delfina Valanzano, and Giovanna Scarico was deemed the most relevant to the theme, thanks to its in-depth critical analysis and the central role of light as a design element. The proposal was also compelling due to its ability to create a recognizable and intentional atmosphere, its potential feasibility, and, overall, the quality of the resulting design.
The proposal stems from the sacrosanct premise that students living away from home exist in a state of limbo between their family home—associated with security and memories—and their rented apartment, perceived as a precarious, functional space that is often shared against their will. The students explain: “In this context, light ceases to be a mere technical tool and becomes a filter capable of mediating between the coldness of the university dorm room and the warmth of home, integrating the need for concentration with emotional needs, and transforming a temporary environment into a real home. The goal is to allow students to stop feeling like guests and begin to fully inhabit their daily lives.”
In practical terms, the group’s proposal is based on the repetition of the circle as a creative concept across various structural and lighting elements, perceived as soft and welcoming. Consequently, the proposed apartment features curved partitions without sharp edges; the lighting focuses on the common area, which serves as a living room, kitchen, and study area, and includes the installation of circular pendant lights—also designed by the students—in the size and quantity necessary to fulfill the visual function, with particular attention to the sofa area and the table. The dual-output fixtures are equipped with warm dimming, which allows them to support the circadian rhythm by varying between warm and cool light throughout the day. The entire system is managed by the Casambi home automation system, which is easy to program and control.
According to the professors and jury members, the proposal “…demonstrated that light can be an active structural element of space, capable of organizing, transforming, and making a complex and ever-changing environment—such as that of student housing—livable.”