A place for teaching, higher education and research in the field of design

Iuav remains a point of reference for Italian and international architectural and urban planning culture also thanks to its history that has seen the presence of great designers (Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Carlo Scarpa, Carlo Aymonino, Vittorio Gregotti, Aldo Rossi, Tadao Ando among others). But the specificity of the Iuav School has also established itself in the areas of Design, Fashion, Theater and the Arts with unique educational offerings in the national university scene in terms of teaching methodologies and placement levels.

Iuav inaugurated the first doctorate in design subjects in Italy and opened new strands of research and training: history of architecture, study of urban policies, restoration, design, artistic research in the fields of visual and performing arts and cinema.
With its research projects, Iuav has led the way in studies on sustainability, climate change and ecological transition, design for reconstruction in territories affected by wars or catastrophic events. Today the university stands as a center of innovative and anticipatory planning and research, in a city like Venice that is a laboratory of culture and a new model of urban sustainability.

Having always been a point of reference for international architectural culture, Iuav today offers teaching and higher education in all disciplines united by the study of design, which is what defines and builds the quality of the spaces and environment in which we live: Architecture, Visual Arts, Design, Fashion, Urbanism and Planning, Theater and Performing Arts. Disciplines connected by dialogues and exchanges that make the educational environment of Iuav unparalleled in the panorama of Italian universities. The effective and innovative teaching method includes laboratory experiences and intensive workshops led by internationally renowned faculty and professionals. Numerous opportunities for apprenticeshipsat firms, companies and institutions are guaranteed, including as a substitute for the practical test provided by the State Examinations, and in anticipation of future professional activity. Iuav's educational offerings include 5 bachelor's degree courses, 1 five-year single-cycle degree course, 10 master's degree courses, and numerous proposals for higher education: 20 master's degrees, 3 postgraduate courses, a School of Specialization in Architectural Heritage and Landscape, and a Doctorate in Architecture, City and Design.

Iuav research focuses on the most pressing issues of contemporary and public debate: from the climate crisis(rising waters, warming of the Planet, mass migration), to environmental and social sustainability (recycling, energy conservation, new poverty and inequality, new urban dimensions). It focuses on the areas of urban and territorial reconstruction following wars or catastrophic events, on heritage as it relates to conservation, restoration, landscape, identity; it explores the global dimension of tourism and its reflections on the distortion of historic centers.

Iuav research also concerns the Made in Italy in its cultural, economic, symbolic and political dimensions and is connected to the cultural and creative industriese for what concerns management, innovation and communication of tangible and intangible cultural heritage and design in the field of fashion design and the arts.

The fundamental structure for the conduct of university research is the department of Design Cultures.