INTRODUCTION
The project stems from the need to create a study space that is open on weekends, and its primary target audience is the students of Roma Tre University, most of whose buildings—housing the various faculties—are located in the San Paolo neighborhood.
The neighborhood, therefore, functions as a veritable open-air university town, bustling every day with large numbers of college students engaged in all sorts of activities: attending classes, studying on their own, taking breaks, and socializing.
Given the abundance of space on campus, the university is able to meet nearly all of its users’ needs, but mostly only on weekdays.
In fact, as of now, students—especially during exam periods—lack the opportunity to find a space that, even on weekends, can meet their need for a place where they can study and meet up.
VOLPI STUDY ROOMS
For the reasons outlined above, the idea of opening a study center in the neighborhood—open specifically on weekends, from morning to evening—is an effective initiative to meet a need widely expressed by the university community based in the neighborhood and beyond.
The Volpi Study Room is located inside the historic Casale Garibaldi, now home to the La città dell’Utopia project (hereinafter LCU), nestled in the heart of the neighborhood, between Via Leonardo da Vinci and Via Chiabrera, right near several campuses of Roma Tre University.
The two locations identified for the project are:
- In its winter configuration, the so-called “media room,” located on the first floor of the building, has already been used for numerous activities organized by La città dell’utopia.
- In the summer setup, the so-called “biosteria” and its associated outdoor spaces are arranged to provide as many seating areas as possible and two distinct spaces—one outdoor and one indoor.
In addition to providing a dedicated space for study, the project aims to increase youth participation within the space by creating a participatory management model that actively involves students firsthand.
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
The Volpi Study Room is scheduled to be open on Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. , thanks to LCU volunteers and university students involved in the Casale projects who have expressed a willingness to assist with the activities.
In particular, the project received a major boost as a result of the collaboration between LCU and the newly formed Meltemi Collective (Political Science, Roma 3).