How can architecture respond to the primary needs of humankind?
Yacademy’s course in Architecture for Humanity aims to train professional designers in composing meaningful architecture even in the most complex contexts, to bring quality where you have always designed by playing down, beauty where you are used to not seeing it.
With this in mind, Yacademy envisioned an extensive program including special lectures, teaching modules, workshops, and visits focusing on diverse aspects of humanitarian design, from the understanding of anthropological phenomena to accurate context analysis, on both global and local scale.
At the end of the course, students will acquire a method spendable in any context, capable of optimizing resources and design inputs to give rise, under any conditions, to educated and refined architectural phenomena.
Such is the purpose of the course in Architecture for Humanity, an educational program meant for young designers and graduates who want to refine their architectural skills and sensitivity in the humanitarian, social, and emergency field.
Key Information
- 3 scholarships are available, each covering the entire enrollment fee.
- The classes will take place in Bologna, Italy, in a medieval building located in the historical city centre. However, online attendance is possible as well.
- The course will start in March 2026 and finish in May 2026, with a frequency of around 3 days per week.
- All modules and activities – lessons, special lectures, workshops, and visits – can be held in Italian or English. In any case, translation into English is always available.
- The application deadline is 19 December 2025.
Structure: Special Lectures, Workshop, and Placement
Special Lectures by Foster + Partners, El Equipo Mazzanti, Tatiana Bilbao Estudio
Yacademy’s mission is to bring young talented architects into contact with the greatest interpreters of contemporary architecture. With this purpose, the Architecture for Humanity educational program offers a series of special lectures held by the most renowned architects in the field of humanitarian design.
Thus, the course will feature Tatiana Bilbao as guest lecturer focusing on her social housing project in Acuña, Mexico, developed to create an affordable housing prototype for the neighborhoods of the region affected by a series of tornadoes with a particularly devastating impact. Focusing on public spaces to complement the urban life with limited budget, this project shows how to design for a community in a state of emergency.
Addressing post-catastrophe planning is also the core of Nicola Scaranaro’s lecture. A Partner at the notorious studio Foster + Partners, he will discuss the project of the London-based firm to redesign the city of Antakya after the earthquake that hit Turkey in 2023. The residents’ sense of belonging and the emotional geographies are two essential elements of their research.
Besides, Giancarlo Mazzanti will deal with the importance of culture by describing his studio’s project España Library in Colombia.
Other speeches will include Emmanuel Ramírez from Estudio MMX, Gunter Klix from Architectural Pioneering Consultants, Shigeru Ban, ELEMENTAL, José Selgas and Lucía Cano. Some of the guest lecturers will also share their opinions about the projects students will be developing for the design workshop during the critique sessions.
Design Workshop: Sustainable shelters for transitioning communities
Yacademy’s Architecture for Humanity course aims at providing students with effective skills to respond to human needs in any context. The design workshop meets exactly this purpose, being a crucial step of Yacademy’s educational program.
The design workshop for the course in Architecture for Humanity is tutored by Anna Heringer, whose architectural vision focuses on sustainability and improving lives. Crucial to her design approach is the use of local materials and already available resources, and she is an honorary professor of the UNESCO Chair of Earthen Architecture, Building Cultures, and Sustainable Development.
The workshop, which includes IOM, the International Organization of Migrations of the United Nations, as scientific supervisor, will deal with the design of shelter models for the Somali population, imagining sustainable housing solutions, both repeatable and low cost. Watch the video to learn more!
The main objective of the workshop is to present suggestions aimed at improving the quality of life of internally displaced people, ensuring safer and proper spaces, suitable to the families’ needs.
Divided into groups and tutored by the renowned architect, young designers will thus have the opportunity to enhance their personal and professional skills, refining their ability to work within a team on a real design challenge.
After the Course: Placement Opportunities
What do you do once the course is over?
Finding your own place in the labor market is one of the biggest challenges in architecture. To help Architecture for Humanity students unlock their career with a true job opportunity, Yacademy guarantees each designer a proposal of collaboration with one of its partner firms.
Some of the architectural practices with the greatest expertise in relation to humanitarian design are Tatiana Bilbao Estudio, El Equipo Mazzanti, TAMassociati, Estudio MMX, Foster + Partners, Shigeru Ban – Architects, Anna Heringer Architecture, ARW.
Yacademy’s placement program includes a collaboration proposal that has a minimum duration of 2 months and guaranteed remuneration consistently with regulatory requirements.
The placement for the course will be activated between June and September 2026, after a thorough process. Yacademy’s placement office will take into consideration the preferences and inclinations of the students, so as to find the best possible match.
The collaboration is an opportunity for students to perfect their skills, work and interact with some of the world’s leading firms, and have a real chance to build a solid network useful for their future.
How to Apply: Admission and Scholarships
Do you think Yacademy’s Architecture for Humanity course might be the right key to unlock your potential as a designer?
Here are some hints on the application process and requirements:
- To ensure a high level of educational experience and immediate placement of students in the most distinguished professional settings, the students will be selected by a committee comprising partners from some of the world’s top firms. The admission to the course is based on the evaluation of the curriculum vitae, a motivational letter, and a portfolio.
- The course in Architecture for Humanity is addressed to students and graduates in Architectural Sciences or other equivalent titles. The Selection Committee may however admit students with different qualifications.
- By applying for the Architecture for Humanity course, you will automatically become eligible for one of the three scholarships covering the entire enrollment fee, consistently with the Selection Committee’s evaluation.
For more information and to apply, visit Yacademy!
