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The District Architecture Center is pleased to host ABroad Perspective, an exhibition of student design projects from The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning’s Foreign Studies Program, directed by Associate Professor Lavinia Fici Pasquina.

The exhibition features thought-provoking architectural ideas from Rome, Italy, Valletta, Malta, and Pantelleria, Sicily and is organized under five themes: Bridging Habitats; Climbing to Sustained Wellness; Rome: Then and Now—Between Fiction and Reality; Winergy—Envisioning a New Wine Museum in Pantelleria; and Portrayed Architecture: A Portrait Gallery in Malta.

With these projects, students were introduced to concepts of sustainability, equity, and vernacular building materials and techniques, and they were challenged to incorporate the historical lessons of the past and the foreign country’s cultural diversity into a contemporary architectural intervention.

Lavinia Fici Pasquina

“The students come back with a changed perspective as they learn to embrace different cultures and are exposed to social issues,” explains Fici Pasquinia. Additionally, “I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to expose students to different cultures, especially in Europe, which has such a deep history in architecture. I then focus on teaching them how to incorporate the lessons of the past into contemporary architecture. Moreover, I have witnessed the transformational effects that foreign studies have on the personal, professional, and spiritual growth of our students.”

An Italian architect, Lavinia has taught and directed design studios abroad throughout her professional career. She has been able to leverage her Italian citizenship, profession, and connections to provide an enriched experience for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Acknowledgements

ABroad Perspective is organized by Lavinia Fici Pasquina, Associate Professor at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning in cooperation with the District Architecture Center for the SIGAL Gallery.

The exhibition is made possible by The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning.

Organizer: Lavinia Fici Paquina

Digital Consultant: Hussam Elkhrazz

Woodshop Curator: Lorenzo Cardim De Almeida

Exhibit Collaborator: Four Hewes

Student Exhibit Collaborators: Cameron Hennessey and Camila Rodriguez