Starting May 7, GAMeC—in collaboration with Cantieri d’alta quota, EX., and Studio Folder—presents an in-depth course dedicated to the architecture and role of alpine bivouacs over the past century. The course is designed for professionals and scholars in the field, as well as for enthusiasts of art and culture.

The program will explore the origins and evolution of these shelters, analyzing their architectural and functional features—from the earliest examples to contemporary innovations focused on sustainability, environmental integration, and adapting to new ways of experiencing the mountains. Special attention will be given to the communal dimension of bivouacs, seen as spaces for sharing and meeting, blending the intimacy of shelter with the collective experience of place.

Through a series of case studies, the course will examine the current state of the art, highlighting the most recent and innovative designs and mapping out a geography of architectural practices in this field.

Sessions will be held on Google Meet on Wednesday evenings from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. (CET).

REGISTRATION

This initiative also marks the beginning of the process leading to the reconstruction of the Aldo Frattini Bivouac along the Alta Via delle Orobie Bergamasche, designed by EX. The development of the new structure will be featured in a June exhibition at GAMeC’s Spazio Zero, showcasing installations, research materials, drawings, and sketches.

The course will conclude with a guided tour of the exhibition led by architect and museum educator Manuela Bandini, offering a moment of reflection on the relationship between high-altitude architecture and human impact, as part of the Thinking Like a Mountain – The Orobie Biennial program.

COURSE PROGRAM
(Italian Language)

May 7, 8:00 p.m.
Histories | From the origins to today: design, evolution, social interaction
Luca Gibello and Matteo De Bellis

May 14, 8:00 p.m.
Technologies | The current state of the art: materials, performance, challenges
EX. and Stefano Girodo

May 21, 8:00 p.m.
Geographies | Mapping to plan
Studio Folder and Roberto Dini

June 11, 5:30 p.m.
Guided tour at GAMeC
Manuela Bandini

REGISTRATION

For more information:
Email: servizieducativi@gamec.it

Speakers

Luca Gibello
Architect and architecture historian. He earned his degree and Ph.D. at the Polytechnic University of Turin, where he also taught Contemporary Architectural History and History of Criticism and Architectural Literature. Founding member of Il Giornale dell’Architettura, he was its editor-in-chief from 2004 to 2024. He authored several publications, including Cantieri d’alta quota (2011) and Rifugiarsi tra le vette (2016). He is the founder and current president of the cultural association Cantieri d’alta quota.

Matteo De Bellis
Architect and photographer, graduated in Sustainable Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Turin. His work focuses on the relationship between humans, nature, and design, with a focus on high-altitude structures. He combines a love for the mountains with experience in cycle tourism and hiking, using drone photography to capture the dialogue between people and nature.

EX.
A design and research collective operating at the intersection of art, landscape, technology, and architecture. Founded by Andrea Cassi and Michele Versaci.

Andrea Cassi
Graduated from the Polytechnic University of Turin, with a thesis developed at the MIT Senseable City Lab. He has taught at architecture schools in Turin and Milan, and is currently a faculty member at IAAD, Turin. Passionate about mountaineering, he’s realized various projects and installations in alpine environments. Partner at Carlo Ratti Associati.

Michele Versaci
Earned a degree in Building Engineering and Architecture from the University of Catania. His experimental kinetic pavilion at ETH Zurich received multiple awards. After experiences with renowned international firms, he now leads strategy and competitions at Park Associati and is pursuing a Ph.D. at the Polytechnic University of Milan on circular economy in architecture.

Stefano Girodo
Architect at Leap Factory, a Turin-based company specializing in ecological construction in sensitive natural contexts, especially mountains. He earned a Ph.D. from the Institute of Mountain Architecture at the Polytechnic of Turin. A member of Cantieri d’alta quota, he has authored several publications on architecture in mountain settings.

Marco Ferrari
Co-founder of Studio Folder, a Milan-based interdisciplinary design and research studio. His research explores visual and cartographic representation politics. Co-author of A Moving Border: Alpine Cartographies of Climate Change (2019), he has taught at Columbia GSAPP and currently directs the Master’s in Information Design at the Design Academy Eindhoven.

Roberto Dini
Architect, Ph.D., and Associate Professor at the Polytechnic of Turin, focusing on contemporary alpine architecture and landscape. Director and scientific board member of the Institute of Mountain Architecture (IAM), founder and editor of ArchAlp magazine, and author of several books, including La montagna di Carlo Mollino (2023) and Andare per Rifugi (2020).

Manuela Bandini
Architect and art history educator, with experience in both public and private architectural projects. She has participated in numerous competitions, conferences, and publications. Since 1999, she has collaborated with GAMeC’s Educational Department, specializing in contemporary art, public spaces, architecture, and design.