Grand Paris – Hors les murs : programme de workshop et diplômes AIGP–UNIFE (2013-2014)

This research-teaching collaboration connects the Atelier International du Grand Paris (AIGP) and the Università degli Studi di Ferrara – Dipartimento di Architettura (UNIFE-DA) around a shared investigation of the Grand Paris metropolitan transformation. The programme combines two study trips to Paris with eight Master II diploma projects developed by UNIFE-DA students. It is structured as a design-research process grounded in fieldwork, collective seminars at AIGP, and dialogue with local institutional actors—particularly the Mairie d’Ivry-sur-Seine and APUR. The study trips serve to identify and refine sites, questions, and stakeholders; the diplomas transform these inputs into analytical narratives and project proposals addressing infrastructures, landscapes, and urban change at metropolitan scale. - Partners and governance AIGP team involved - Deputy General Manager: Manuel Bamberger, Secretary General: Sandrine Sartori, Architect, Project Manager: Isabelle Bertrand, Architect-Urban Planner, Communications and Press Officer: Hoda Hamzeh, Urban Planner, Research Manager: Aurélien Lazerges, Architect, Research Manager: David Malaud, Cartographer: Mélodie Martin. UNIFE-DA team involved - Academic lead: Prof. Roméo Farinella (Director, Laboratorio di Sintesi Finale, Master II), Scientific and didactic coordination France–Italy: Alessandro delli Ponti (architect-urbanist; member of the AIGP International Scientific Council; co-director of Paris-based diplomas at UNIFE-DA). - Objectives : Build a situated, up-to-date understanding of Grand Paris territories through direct field exposure and expert exchange. Define and consolidate diploma sites and research questions with the support of metropolitan institutions. Produce design-research proposals connecting strategic infrastructures, landscapes, and urban projects across scales. Strengthen a stable Franco-Italian platform for teaching and research on contemporary metropolitan projects. - Study area / thematic frame : The shared frame prioritises the EPA-ORSA territories, understood as a metropolitan gateway and an interface between Paris and the second ring. Three interrelated sectors guide the initial work: Paris 13ᵉ – Ivry-sur-Seine (Seine / RER interface), Senia – MIN de Rungis – RN7, Les Ardoines – Villeneuve-Prairie (A86 / river / rail network). These references are refined collectively during the study trips. - Method and activities : Two study trips (2013–2014): site visits, working sessions at AIGP, and meetings with local stakeholders either hosted at AIGP or on site. Eight Master II diplomas: individual and grouped design-research projects developed from field materials and institutional dialogue, supervised by UNIFE-DA and accompanied by AIGP. - Outputs and dissemination : Eight diploma projects (analysis, scenarios, and metropolitan project proposals). An interim public restitution in spring/summer 2014. A joint AIGP–UNIFE workshop in autumn 2014 as synthesis and foundation for future cooperation. Outputs may be presented or published non-commercially by both institutions with full credit to authors and partners. - Expected contribution : By linking academic production, design practice, and metropolitan governance, the programme supports a deeper operational reading of Grand Paris transformation while building a durable collaboration pathway between AIGP and UNIFE-DA.