OFF CAMPUS Nolo +

A new research, teaching and co-design space for the Politecnico living lab

The image captures the inauguration of the "OFF CAMPUS NOLO+" space, as shown by the red sign at the top. A group of seven people, standing in front of a large glass window, celebrates the event by ceremonially cutting a blue ribbon. The atmosphere is formal yet cheerful, with participants smiling while using scissors, and one man in the center holding up a small commemorative plaque.

OFF CAMPUS Nolo+, the new space inside the Mercato Comunale of Viale Monza, opens up new development opportunities for the Politecnico di Milano living lab.

Milan, November 7th 2023 – The inauguration of OFF CAMPUS Nolo +, an expansion of the university space at the Municipal Market of Viale Monza, took place this morning in the presence of and the Rector of Politecnico Donatella Sciuto and Gaia Romani, Councilor for Civic and General Services of the Municipality of Milan. Also in attendance were Alessandro Perego, Vice-Rector for Sustainable Development and Impact at Politecnico, Alessandro Deserti, Director of the Design Department, Davide Fassi, Associate Professor of Design Department and coordinator of the Polimi DESIS Lab, Simone Locatelli, President of the Municipality of Milan, and Nino Aratari of the Ciresola Parents' Association.

The image shows two people, a man and a woman, posing in front of the entrance to the "MERCATO COMUNALE," as indicated by the large yellow sign at the top. Both are dressed in dark jackets and trousers, with the man wearing a pink shirt and the woman a light pink top. The background includes the building's facade with large windows, a wall clock, and several passersby on the street.
The image shows a man speaking to an audience during a presentation. The speaker, positioned on the left, is wearing glasses, a blue jacket, and a brown shirt, and is holding a microphone. Next to him, on the right, is a large monitor displaying a blue slide with the name "Davide Fassi" and his title as coordinator of Off Campus Nolo for the Politecnico di Milano. In the foreground, the heads and shoulders of several seated audience members are visible, while the background consists of a plain white wall with a small green plant in the corner.

OFF CAMPUS Nolo

OFF CAMPUS Nolo, located at number 54, Viale Monza, is the result of the collaboration between the Municipality of Milan and the University. Over three years of operation, this initiative has strengthened Politecnico's presence in the city of Milan and the concept of a university attentive to social challenges, closely connected to the territories and communities. The project was recently honored with the Seoul Design Award 2023 for Sustainable Life, an international design award that celebrates designers or groups who have tackled complex issues of everyday life through innovative projects.

The image shows a man speaking to a seated audience during a presentation in a bright, modern space. The speaker, standing on the right, wears a dark jacket and gestures while speaking into a microphone; next to him, a screen displays a pink slide with the name "Simone Locatelli," President of Milan's Municipio 2. The audience is facing him, while on the left, a television crew with a camera is seen filming the event through a glass partition.

OFF CAMPUS Nolo +

The expansion of Off Campus Nolo addresses the need to provide adequate space to accommodate a larger number of students, interns, and thesis students, in support of various ongoing research and didactics projects.

The activities of OFF CAMPUS Nolo + will extend to different areas, including food recovery, combating poverty, and establishing networks of solidarity in the neighborhood, introducing new project resources in the Market and reinforcing existing collaborations.

The image shows a bright and modern exhibition setup inside an Off Campus NoLo space, characterized by white walls and wooden floors. In the foreground, a long table with a grey marble top holds a variety of publications, including brochures, orange booklets, and photo postcards, carefully arranged. A large flat screen is mounted on the left wall, displaying a blue and pink slide with the text "OFF CAMPUS NOLO+" and the inauguration dates. To the right, along a series of shelves, textual cards are displayed, and further up, there is a large topographic map of the surrounding area. The lighting is natural, coming from a gridded window on the left wall.

In particular, the "SOSpesa" project, active since November 2020, will be consolidated. This initiative weekly donates 20 reduced-price grocery packages of fresh products to vulnerable individuals in the neighborhood, purchased within the Municipal Market.

Planned courses include "Designing in a Multispecies World" from the School of Design, open to international students, and a series of seminars linked to "Il Vocabolario di Quartiere". The latter project has engaged hundreds of residents in constructing shared meanings related to everyday life.

The image shows a crowd of people gathered in a covered market corridor for the opening of the "OFF CAMPUS NOLO+" space, marked by the long red sign on the right. The people are facing a glass partition looking into the exhibition space, where a screen and presentations are visible. To the left, light blue tables with glasses are set up for a reception, while the ceiling features paddle fans and industrial lighting.

OFF CAMPUS Nolo + also represents an opportunity to expand the programming of cultural and scientific events and activities aimed at the neighborhood. These are open to the entire city's public, thanks to the recent redevelopment of the market's outdoor space in spring 2023, marked by the inauguration of "OUT. Il cortile sociale" in the former waste storage area, now transformed into a public square.

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