Living the space: fourteen voices on contemporary living

Florence, May 15, 2025

What will the house of tomorrow look like? Which spaces will remain essential, and which will need to adapt to the new needs of modern life? These are the questions that guided the second-year students of the Master’s Degree in Interior Design at Accademia Italiana in designing fourteen innovative housing solutions, under the guidance of professors Davide Lucia and Michela Tonelli.

The backdrop for the project is the Unité d'Habitation, the iconic residential complex designed by Swiss architect Le Corbusier, built between the late 1940s and early 1950s in Marseille. This housing model is one of the greatest expressions of the Modern Movement, embodying the vision of a vertical, self-sufficient city where collective life and individual spaces coexist.

Drawing inspiration from this concept, the students explored the needs of contemporary living, imagining spaces that cater to the profiles of diverse inhabitants. Each project reflects the habits, desires, and challenges of those who live in the home, addressing themes such as flexibility and the pursuit of well-being even in limited spaces. Light, materials, and design solutions were chosen with the aim of creating functional and welcoming environments, capable of adapting to an ever-evolving lifestyle.

The setup and graphic boards were curated by second-year students from the Master’s Degrees in Interior Design and Product Design, within the Graphic Design course. Thanks to their creativity, the design ideas became tangible experiences, with accurate layouts and illustrations that clearly and evocatively narrate each proposal.

The Unité d'Habitation, with its modular architecture and innovative concept, proved to be the perfect setting to test these design visions. A symbolic place, where the concept of living is reimagined, inviting reflection on how spaces can improve quality of life.

In an era where the cost of space is rising and quality is often declining, these fourteen projects offer a concrete and creative response, suggesting that contemporary living can be intelligent, sustainable, and full of meaning.