Erasmus+ students from Poliarte visit us to design socio-emotional shelters | Partnership

Earlier this month, we welcomed a group of students from Poliarte, an Italian university of Fine Arts and Design, accompanied by their lecturer Paola Naponelli. The visit, organized by Bianca da Silva from the International Office, was part of the Erasmus+ mobility program.

As part of their stay, a workshop on emotional shelters was held, focusing on the principles of neuroarchitecture, a discipline that explores how the spaces we inhabit influence our emotions, body, and health. The students had the opportunity to design their own shelter, exploring how form, light, materials, and environment can foster balance and emotional wellbeing.

The workshop was conceived and led by Pedro Coelho, Head of the Interior Design area, and had the collaboration of Workshop Coordinator Hernani Silva, who guided the group through the practical development of their projects. After several days of work on our campus, the experience concluded with the final presentation of the emotional shelters, an activity that highlighted the connection between design, emotion, and health from a creative and human perspective.