The KU-PoliTo Joint Re-DesignBuild Studio is a one-semester study abroad program that offers University of Kansas architecture students an immersive, hands-on experience in architectural restoration and adaptive reuse in the Italian rich cultural and historic environment. Conducted in collaboration with the Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo), the program brings together students and faculty from both institutions to engage in a design-build studio focused on the restoration of historic artifacts and structures in Italy.

Throughout the semester, participants will work closely with KU and PoliTo expert faculty, research facilities, and workshop infrastructure, gaining direct exposure to Italy’s rich architectural heritage and advanced restoration methodologies. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, craftsmanship, and sustainability, encouraging students to develop contemporary interventions that respect and enhance historical contexts and built urban structures.

The exchange fosters a dynamic cross-cultural learning environment, where KU and PoliTo students collaborate on site analysis, material research, construction techniques, and hands-on fabrication. By engaging with real-world restoration projects, students will not only strengthen their design and technical skills but also gain a deeper understanding of the social, cultural, and historical layers of built environments.

This transformative experience prepares students for careers in architecture, preservation, and construction by equipping them with critical problem-solving abilities and practical expertise in restoring the past for the future.

Turin, Italy 
Turin, (or Torino in Italian) has rapidly emerged as a vibrant hub for international students, combining deep cultural heritage with forward-looking innovation. With over 100,000 students enrolled across its universities—including the Politecnico di Torino, one of Europe’s leading schools of architecture and engineering—nearly 15% come from abroad, representing more than 120 nationalities. The city’s strategic location at the crossroads of Italy and Europe makes it highly connected, while its affordable cost of living compared to Milan or Paris enhances accessibility. Beyond academics, Torino offers an unparalleled cultural ecosystem, from world-class museums like the Egyptian Museum to being the birthplace of cinema and Italy’s design and automotive industries. This unique mix of academic excellence, affordability, and cultural dynamism positions Torino as an ideal destination for international students seeking both quality education and an inspiring urban experience.

Turin is an incredible destination city for students of architecture.  Its Baroque heart—shaped by masters like Guarino Guarini and Filippo Juvarra—sets the tone with dramatic domes, inventive geometry, and grand Savoy‑era urban planning. Roman foundations, Renaissance touches, and neoclassical symmetry weave through the city’s grid, creating a sense of order that makes even its most ornate buildings feel grounded and intentional. Yet Turin is far from a static museum. Its early‑20th‑century Art Nouveau (Liberty style) adds whimsy and craftsmanship, while its industrial legacy and contemporary cultural projects introduce modernist clarity and adaptive reuse. The result is a city where arcaded streets, monumental squares, and experimental details coexist seamlessly—an ideal landscape for anyone who loves tracing how architecture evolves.
 

Politecnico di Torino
The School of Architecture and Design at Politecnico di Torino (PoliTo) is a globally recognized leader in architectural education and research, ranked 20th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings by subject Architecture / Built Environment. With a strong international outlook, the school fosters a diverse, cross-cultural learning environment, attracting students and faculty from around the world. PoliTo stands at the forefront of architectural preservation and restoration, blending advanced digital technologies with traditional craftsmanship to safeguard historic structures for future generations. PoliTo’s Restoration and Preservation Program is internationally renowned, offering students access to specialized laboratories, material analysis facilities, and hands-on workshops dedicated to the conservation of historic buildings and artifacts.

All students on the program will enroll in the following courses offered through KU for a total of 12 credits:

• ARCH 509  DesignBuild Studio (6 credits)
• ARCH 627  Building Technologies II (3 credits)
• ARCH 630  Theory of Architecture  (3 credits)

Courses will be taught by KU Architecture faculty, Francesco Carota and Nils Gore, who will lead the program in Italy during the spring term.

In addition, students enrolled in KU Core 34 can complete the Global Culture goal and earn an additional three hours of course credit by completing the spring semester study abroad experience in Turin, Italy and UNIV 342: Sponsored Educational Experience. UNIV 342 is a 3-credit hour asynchronous course that, when combined with a study abroad experience, satisfies the Global Culture goal of KU Core 34.
 

Students on the Architecture in Turin, Italy: Re-DesignBuild Studio program will live in independently sourced student accommodations within Turin.  The PoliTO Accommodation Desk offers a free service to support international students and guests in finding housing in the city.

All students have unique things to consider when studying abroad. A Traveler Profile is a set of personal factors, characteristics or life experiences that could impact daily life abroad. Your individual Traveler Profile may include things such as your age, foreign language proficiency, gender, medical history, medication use, mental health, mobility, piercings and tattoos, travel experience, and more. 

SAGE is dedicated to creating international engagement opportunities that meet the needs of all our students and providing resources to support you through the process of studying abroad. Before selecting a program, consider how your Traveler Profile may impact your experience abroad in unique ways and talk with your Program Coordinator about any program-specific concerns. Students with documented disabilities should discuss any accommodation needs with their Program Coordinator early in the planning process. 

Check our Traveler Profile pages linked below for information specific to you and other students who may be on your program. 

• Adult Learners and Non-Traditional Students
• First Generation Students
• Physical and Mental Health Histories
• Religious, Spiritual, and Non-Religious Students
• Sexual and Gender Diversity
• Students of Color Abroad
• Students with Children
• Students with Financial Need
• Veterans, Active Duty, and ROTC
• Visible and Invisible Disabilities 

This program is open only to 3rd year Architecture students who will enroll in ARCH 509 during the study abroad program.  All students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing at the University of Kansas in order to participate in study abroad. 

The confirmed program cost for the Architecture in Turin, Italy: Re-DesignBuild Studio will be available early in the Fall semester.  Students can use the following estimates for planning purposes:

• KU Tuition and Study Abroad Required Fees:  ~ $7,500
• Study Abroad Program Fee:  ~ $3,125
• Airfare, Housing, Meals, and Personal Expenses:  ~$8,500

Scholarships

• KU students are eligible to apply for the Study Abroad Merit and Need Based Scholarships for the Spring term.  
• The Architecture Department also offers scholarships for study abroad. Learn more here.
• Pell Grant recipients are eligible to apply for the Gilman Scholarship, a nationally competitive scholarship for Pell Grant recipients. Awards range from $3,000-$5,000 and all eligible students are encouraged to apply. Contact KU Study Abroad for more information.
• Visit the KU Study Abroad Costs & Funding page for additional information. 

Professor Francesco Carota, Italian-Born architect and researcher is qualified to lead a study abroad program in Italy. His research, teaching and professional work focuses on the design and understanding of the intertwined relations that weave architecture and urban development process together, particularly in less developed countries. On the topic of transcultural practices in architecture, he published a variety of academic articles and he coedited the volume China Goes Urban. The City to Come for Skira Editore. His last book, New Silk Road. The Architecture of the Belt and Road Initiative, (2025 Birkhauser), brings global architectural objects to critique and problematize the simplification of world architecture through taxonomic scientific frameworks, resisting the idea that urban architecture is a stable knowledge object, a thing that can be studied with the same (universal) framework wherever we are. 

In addition to academic publishing, he dedicated a great deal of effort to disseminating research and architectural culture to the broader public. He was scientific director of an exhibition on Chinese architecture and urbanization held at the MAO, Museum of Oriental Art in Turin, Italy, co-curator of the Italian Pavilion at the Shenzhen Design Week – 2018 Edition, and co-curator of the exhibition Design Assemblies at the Singapore Design Week - 2023. Other than carrying on academic activities, he works as a licensed architect, and he is the cofounder and principal of the architecture and design firm Calibro Zero Srl. His work and voice as a curator and designer appeared in different media sources, and among the many the Italian magazine Domus, the Singapore based title d+a Design and Architecture, the fashion magazine Vogue and the architecture platform Archdaily. 

Professor Nils Gore is a Professor at the University of Kansas, a licensed architect, and has taught designbuild studios since 1999 on projects located in Kansas, Mississippi, and New Orleans. The work has won design awards from the AIA, AIAS and the ACSA; and has been published in numerous scholarly journals and books. Since 2004 he has also led study abroad programs in nine different European countries, and in several Italian cities. He is a graduate of Kansas State University and the Harvard Graduate School of Design and has taught at the Boston Architectural College, Mississippi State University, and the University of Kansas.

For more information, contact:

Francesco Carota, Assistant Professor
University of Kansas
Architecture Department
francesco.carota@ku.edu 

Nils Gore, Professor
University of Kansas
Architecture Department
ngore@ku.edu