Category: 2025 SACD Program

Alabaster Sculptures

We’ve been working really hard all semester on completing our alabaster sculptures. We learned how to use various tools to sculpt our creations, and as promised in a previous post, here are our final sculptures. First, we want to showcase some work-in-progress photos. And now, our final masterpieces. A big thank you to our Alabaster teachers, Jacopo and Cristiano, for...

Adventures in Rome: Days 3 and 4

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, and this trip proved that saying true in every way. Day three started with the Roman Forum, which turned out to be one of the trip highlights. Wladek guided us through the ruins, telling stories that brought everything to life. The Forum was the center of ancient Roman public life, basically their...

Adventures in Rome: Days 1 and 2

After weeks of lectures, slideshows, and readings, we finally made it to Rome, and it was nothing like what we imagined. Everything we had learned in class suddenly felt real the moment we stepped off the bus and walked into our first church. On June 13, our first stop was Chiesa del Gesù, followed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, and...

Design, Craft, Culture: Coursework in Volterra

Our time in Volterra has been filled with hands-on learning, local traditions, and creative challenges that have pushed us as students and designers. Through our studio work, alabaster sculpting, and Italian language and culture classes, we’ve had the chance to connect deeply with the historical city of Volterra, its materials, its people, and its rhythms of everyday life. Here’s a...

Museums, Towers, and Great Architecture: Trip to Florence

On Thursday, May 29th, the SACD study abroad group took a trip to Florence. Our first stop of the day was the Hospital of Innocence, which was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. This was one of the first buildings of the Italian Renaissance to incorporate classical architectural principles such as symmetry, proportion, and the use of columns and rounded arches. However,...

Sketching and Sightseeing: Trip to Siena

It’s hard to believe how quickly the weeks are flying by here in Volterra. Between class projects and day trips, we’ve been soaking in as much as we can. Siena was an amazing experience, and seeing these historic spaces in person reminded us why we’re passionate about architecture in the first place.  I have to say, Siena’s Cathedral of Santa...

Ruins, Routines, and Really Good Coffee: Volterra Week One

On May 3rd, 2025, after a long journey, all of us SACD students finally arrived in Volterra! Located in the Tuscany region of Italy, Volterra (originally known as Velathri to the Etruscans) is a small walled hilltop town that dates back to before the 8th century BC. Staying in Volterra while learning about how it evolved over time has already...