Specializing Master in Contract Design

Contract Design represents a specific sector of professional applications relating to the design, management and organisation of resources helpful in realising internal and external spaces with specific intended uses. Its objective is to improve the individual well-being of users, and the relations with other users and operators in those spaces, considering all their needs.

Contract projects are mainly diffused in the Office/Workplaces, Retail, Real Estate, Hospitality, Culture, Marine sectors, and are broadening to include new types of internal and external spaces and ways of using them.


EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Master seeks to train professional profiles with knowledge and skills for placement in architectural practices, manufacturing companies developing contract products, real estate companies and contractors, and service and design consultancies. These technical and design skills will allow a potential placement as Contract Design Specialist, R&D Developer, and Project and Design Manager.


TRAINING OBJECTIVES

Contract Design represents a specific sector of professional applications relating to the design,
management and organisation of resources helpful in realising internal and external spaces with specific intended uses. Its objective is to improve the individual well-being of users, and the relations with other users and operators in those spaces, considering all their needs.

Contract projects are mainly diffused in the Office/ Workplaces, Retail, Real Estate, Hospitality, Culture, Marine sectors, and are broadening to include new types of internal and external spaces and ways of using them.

The Master Course aims to train professionals capable of developing and managing contract projects, guaranteeing their quality and consistency with design requirements. To achieve this objective, the Master course transfers advanced knowledge about design and manufacturing processes and the tools supporting the correct interaction between designers, clients and companies.

The training course is organised in modules that primarily deal with the following topics: analysis and synthesis of the design processes; organisation, management and realisation of the contract project; evaluation of the correspondence between client's requirements and detailed project; coherence with international directives and certifications.


Attendance:

- Attendance is compulsory for at least 75 per cent of the programme activities.

TRAINING COURSE

The Master course combines face-to-face and interactive teaching, adopting a learning-by-doing approach, with targeted design exercises, lectures, testimonials, case studies, and company visits.


MODULE 1:
Contract design as a business growth strategy

The module transfers knowledge, methods and tools useful for understanding and rethinking business models, marketing aspects, and product typologies. It highlights strategic development opportunities for companies operating in the Contract sector in the context of a growing demand for customised solutions in line with clients' needs. It also deepens quality aspects and distinctive elements of Made in Italy Contract compared to international competitors, considering the growing demand for beautiful and well-made Italian products.


MODULE 2:
Graphic representation techniques of projects

The module transfers knowledge, methods and tools useful to effectively represent the project in its different phases: from conceptual sketches in the preliminary phase, to 3D modelling, and the description of complex solutions through advanced data-driven representation systems and technical specifications.


MODULE 3:
Technologies and production processes for Contract

The module transfers knowledge, methods and tools useful to identify technical constraints of different nature to develop solutions in accordance with the available material and manufacturing budgets and resources. Particular attention is dedicated to materials and construction feasibility in relation to new performance, construction and finishing solutions.


MODULE 4:

Off-the-shelf and custom-made products and solutions, and analysis of financial profitability
The module transfers knowledge, methods and tools useful to control and assess the costs of specific technical solutions, choosing between off-the-shelf and customised products. In particular, it aims to transmit skills to evaluate investments, compare budgets and cost forecasts, and consider investments in manufacturing equipment and the most correct depreciation formulas.


MODULE 5:
Product design, project and supply management

The module transfers notions of project and supply management. It illustrates methods and tools useful to support the different phases of the product development process: conception, preliminary technical verification, economic verification, engineering, identification of suppliers, pre-series (with mock-ups and prototypes), production start-up, also in view of the certification of the proposed solutions.


MODULE 6:
Assessments of the qualitative parameters in Contract applications

Contract realisations increasingly concern aspects related to the well-being of users of spaces and services. The module proposes a human-centred approach and transfers knowledge, methods and tools useful for designing, monitoring and controlling aspects such as lighting, acoustic quality, environmental hygiene, and air quality. In particular, it introduces problems and solutions bound to lighting, noise reduction and creation of acoustic patterns, air purification, air conditioning, and sanitary safety, in connection to the development of the related technical, building automation and energy management systems.


MODULE 7:
Product and system certifications

The module transfers knowledge, methods and tools useful to understand key issues and normative references of the Contract sector in local and international markets and to learn how to structure technical specifications. The module introduces basic notions to facilitate compliance with national and international regulations. To this end, it gives indications to guide professional that operate in a rapidly evolving context increasingly driven by issues related to environmental sustainability in understanding and learning how to apply international protocols such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), WELL (Well Building Standard), and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method).


MODULE 8:
Design workshops

The Master course is realised in collaboration with leading companies in the furniture and contract sectors.

The design workshops simulate a professional activity (objectives, timeframe, available resources) starting from realistic briefs and projects already realised by the Master's partner companies.

The Master offers three design workshops, focusing on three different situations and phases in which companies and professional studios deal with contract design:

Detailed design phase and industrialisation/production of the product starting from a well-defined project The objective is to start from a project characterised by a high level of specifications and description of the solutions, to transform it into a detailed solution that takes into account the given technical and economic constraints.

Project development phase starting from a given concept The objective is to start from a project characterised by a low level of specifications (concept), contributing to the design technical and economic feasibility assessment phases of the solution.

Conceptualisation phase of the design idea starting from a brief.

The aim is to start from a brief, formulating both conceptual and technical solutions so that students are project's authors and not ‘technical translators' as in the previous workshops.


MODULE 9:

Professionalising project or curricular internship in companies and professional studios lasting at least 375 hours.

Requirements:

Applications will be evaluated by the Commission of the Master Course based on the following criteria:
• CV;
• Final graduating grade;
• Professional experience;
• Knowledge of bi/tridimensional representation
software;
• Knowledge of the English language.

Final acceptance could require an interview. The selections will take place in chronological order based on thedate of receipt of the application, until available places are over.
Applicants must hold a Bachelor or Master Degree in Architecture, Industrial Design, Product design, Interior design, Building Engineering. International students will be evaluated based on equivalent degrees in their home countries.