Francesca Giofrè (Sapienza University of Rome) will give a talk "Architecture for prisons. A Methodology to Read and Design Spaces for and with Users".

In Italy, prisons lack architecture, and only a handful of scholars have studied the subject in depth from an architectural perspective. Only a few architects have dealt with prison architecture over time, as the design of prisons has mostly been regarded as pure technicism, exercised by in-house technical offices.

The paper discusses the evolution of Italian prison typologies and how spaces influence the habits of users. It shows the methodology and results of action research developed in Rebibbia Prison in Rome, the largest women's prison in Italy, and discusses the initial results of ongoing research in Casal del Marmo Juvenile Prison in Rome.

Design plays a strategic role in fostering an environment that respects human dignity, and gives a sense of belonging and integration into the neighbourhood and wider community. It can also promote a specific use of the space, a good perception and positively influence the behaviour of the users.

About Francesca Giofrè

Francesca Giofrè is an architect, PhD and Associate Professor in Architectural Technology at the Department of Architecture and Design, Faculty of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. “Innovative design for a healthy environment’ is one of her research areas, and her research activities build on the analysis of the needs of ‘fragile’ and institutionalized persons to find suitable architectural and technological solutions. She's written several books and scientific papers on the subject, which you can find here.