Ca' Foscari is transforming the city of Venice: the Venetian skyline now encompasses a new building complex, which features exposed brickwork and copper. The city's surface was actually extended by a few metres in order to host the new student residential complex, which Ca' Foscari inaugurated today with DoveVivo, the largest co-living company in Europe.
"The San Giobbe student residential complex is an important project which was slowed down because of the pandemic," Professor Tiziana Lippiello, Rector of Ca' Foscari, has stated. "Nevertheless, we are here today to finally inaugurate this building, which we hope will attract students from other regions in Italy and from abroad. Ca' Foscari is committed to providing its community with improved services, starting with accommodation. Sustainability, services, and the requalification of this part of the city are the main features of this project. Our next challenge is to complete the student residential complex of the Science Campus in Mestre. With these additional facilities, the university will be able to offer housing to a total of 1,000 members of our community."
The complex has been designed by architect Vittorio Spigai where Le Corbusier once imagined the city hospital, which was never built. The residence hosts 229 students and offers quality services, as well as spaces that are open to the public. The staff members of Ca’ Foscari who are involved in the project are the Project Manager, architect Marlene Magnanini, and the Technical Manager, engineer Tiziano Pompele.
The complex includes seven buildings, each of which has five floors, totalling approximately 6,600 square metres. It is among the most sustainable buildings in Venice — an A2 energy-rated building with solar panels for heating and electricity, rainwater harvesting, and energy-saving technology. For example, bedroom windows are fitted with sensors that inhibit the functioning of the heating and cooling system if the windows are open. Moreover, presence detectors and brightness sensors allow for an optimal management of the lighting system in rooms and corridors.
Following a European competition, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice entrusted the management of the building to DoveVivo, the largest co-living company in Europe. DoveVivo manages over 1,500 buildings, 9 student residences and 8,000 beds in 15 European cities.
The ground floor includes facilities such as a café-snack bar and rehearsal studios for music and theatre, which are open to the local community, as stipulated in an agreement between Ca’ Foscari and the Municipality of Venice. The remaining floors host student rooms and services.
Architectural quality
Materials, colours and textures (such as exposed brickwork, slightly oxidised copper roofing and curved tiles) have been selected to create harmony between the new complex and the existing campus, as well as with the Venetian context.
The architect is professor Vittorio Spigai, who collaborated with architects Massimiliano Condotta and Maurizio Brufatto, and engineers Fausto Frezza and Pierluigi Da Col. The construction work was carried out by CMB, a company from Carpi.
What the new residential complex offers
The planning of spaces, which was overseen by the university, merges solutions proposed by DoveVivo in collaboration with Lombardini 22, a leading architecture studio in Italy which also works internationally.
The Campus provides students with an ideal balance of private and communal spaces. It offers single and twin en-suite rooms which are completely furnished and include everything necessary for the students' comfort.
The students who rent a room on campus will feel that they belong to a community thanks to the common areas which are designed to suit their needs: study rooms, living and lounge areas, the gym, the internal laundry room, the rooftop terrace with a spectacular view of the lagoon and the inner courtyard with the café which is open to the public. Here, students can have something to eat and drink and even enjoy an aperitif while admiring the Venetian sunset.
The monthly rent includes utilities, wi-fi, customer care, maintenance, 24/7 assistance, and a reception. There are a total of 229 beds available, of which 138 are reserved to students who qualify for the right to education scholarship. For further information on availability and costs, please refer to the Student Residences page
