Meta-design strategies for affordability in university housing

Authors

  • Oscar Eugenio Bellini Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
  • Fausto Martorana Politecnico di Milano (Italy)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69143/2464-9309/17172025

Keywords:

economic accessibility, low cost, university residence, support tools, economic sustainability

Abstract

Access to university housing is increasingly hindered by high construction costs, which inevitably lead to economically burdensome and often unaffordable fees. This situation limits the participation in higher education of many capable and deserving students who lack financial means. Through the comparative analysis of a set of affordable and international university residences, the paper investigates design and process paradigms which, at the building scale, suggest low-cost solutions that make such developments less economically demanding without necessarily compromising architectural quality. This ongoing research aims to develop a meta-design support tool for creating new university residences that are both low-cost and high-quality.

 

Article info

Received: 17/03/2025; Revised: 25/04/2025; Accepted: 29/04/2025

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Author Biographies

Oscar Eugenio Bellini, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)

Architect and PhD, he is an Associate Professor of Architectural Technology at the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC). His research focuses primarily on public and university housing, environmental sustainability, and techno-typological innovation in residential design.
E-mail: oscar.bellini@polimi.it

Fausto Martorana, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)

Master’s graduate in Architecture and Urban Design, he is currently an extracurricular intern at HOME_Lab – Innovative Solutions for Student Accommodation, within the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), where he is assisting with research on university housing.
E-mail: fausto.martorana@polimi.it

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Minimisation of finishes in the case studies: (credit: A. Goula). AGATHÓN 17 | 2025

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Published

30-06-2025

How to Cite

Bellini, O. E. and Martorana, F. (2025) “Meta-design strategies for affordability in university housing”, AGATHÓN | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, 17, pp. 256–269. doi: 10.69143/2464-9309/17172025.