Department Mission

Mission

The Department of Architecture (DIDA) is one of the organisational units of the University of Florence (UNIFI). It is responsible for coordinating scientific research and teaching activities, working in close collaboration with the School of Architecture, which is primarily responsible for teaching matters. The Department enjoys administrative and managerial autonomy, governed by its own internal statutes.

DIDA defines its scientific and educational field within the context of design culture and design science, understood as an integrated synthesis of aesthetic and humanistic, technical and scientific, and economic and organisational components. This vision is structured around the following disciplinary areas: architectural design, drawing, history of architecture, conservation and restoration, building science and technology, architectural technology, valuation and appraisal, design, fashion, urban design and spatial planning, landscape design, and environmental engineering. With its interdisciplinary programme covering all areas of design, DIDA is unique in Italy.

The quality of teaching is seen as closely linked to the quality of research and the ability to generate cultural, social and economic impacts, with benefits for the local area and the scientific community. This vision takes into account the available expertise and resources (academic and technical-administrative staff, infrastructure, laboratories), the potential for development and the critical issues identified by the main evaluation exercises (VQR, ASN indicators, SUA-RD).

As part of the UNIFI university system, the DIDA works in close collaboration with the academic and administrative bodies. The Department’s founding values include the protection of freedom of research and teaching, respect for human dignity, gender equality, and the promotion of diversity. The main objective is to promote the cultural and professional development of the entire university community, the education of students, the advancement of scientific knowledge, and to contribute to the economic, social and cultural development of the local area, with a view to environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.

The city of Florence, with its architectural and cultural heritage of global significance, provides a particularly favourable setting for the Department’s activities. Against this backdrop, the aim is to strengthen the links between Florence, architecture, cultural heritage, the landscape and the local area, whilst at the same time promoting strategic sectors such as design and fashion – fields in which Florence, and Tuscany more generally, have a long-standing history and enjoy international prestige.

The Department has translated its vision into policies, strategies and objectives set out over a three-year period (2025–2027), in line with the University’s strategic plan. Planning is supported by a structured system of quantitative and qualitative indicators, with baseline values (2025 baseline), expected targets at the end of the three-year period and associated improvement measures, which enable the continuous monitoring of results and the assessment of the effectiveness of the strategies adopted.

The monitoring system in place involves periodic reviews (annual, half-yearly or quarterly, depending on the indicator), carried out by the Department’s governing bodies, delegates and the Quality Assurance system, ensuring continuous monitoring of progress and the possible adjustment of strategies in light of the results achieved.

In order to implement its policies and strategies in the fields of education, research, innovation and social development, the Department enters into collaboration agreements with economic, social and cultural stakeholders – both public and private – at local, national and international levels. These take the form of:

• competitive research projects (national, European, PNRR);
• technology transfer and innovation activities;
• joint laboratories and shared infrastructure;
• third-mission initiatives and scientific dissemination.

It is within this framework that the research units, inter-university centres, joint laboratories and the DiDALabs network operate; these constitute essential infrastructure for the development of these activities.

The Department’s objectives are in line with the University’s policies and strategic guidelines and are set out in accordance with the 2025–2027 Departmental Development Plan. These are linked to the available resources – in terms of teaching and technical-administrative staff, financial, infrastructural and technological resources – and are developed on the basis of a structured analysis of the internal and external context, formalised through a SWOT analysis and the participatory planning process described in the PSD.

When setting objectives, account is taken of the main evaluation criteria, including the results of the 2015–2019 Quality Assessment (VQR), the ASN’s scientific productivity indicators, the contents of the SUA-RD, and the outcomes of the Department’s monitoring and review activities, as well as a comparison with university and national benchmarks. The objectives are also linked to quantitative indicators with baseline values and three-year targets, defined for the various strategic areas (teaching, internationalisation, research, third mission), and are supported by operational measures, dedicated resources and tools for regular monitoring, as set out in the departmental plan.

The governance and Quality Assurance (QA) system, integrated with those of the University and the School of Architecture, ensures the continuous monitoring of consistency between objectives, resources and outcomes through the review and updating of the Plan, thereby ensuring the sustainability of strategies and continuous improvement.