Elisa Lega

Elisa's interests lie in researching on the fields of Design/Architecture/Urbanism, addressing space and inhabitation at different scales.

Her research focuses on developing critical understandings and approaches for the design of spaces, in particular by questioning what an interior space is and which roles it covers in the ever-changing spatial landscape we live in.

Elisa's background covers Interior Architecture, Interior Design, Architecture and she gained a PhD in Spatial Design in 2012 at the Doctorate School of Design, Politecnico di Milano (IT).

Elisa has taught in the Interior Architecture (Ba) and Interior Design (Ma) courses at the School of Architecture and Design, University of Brighton since 2013. Previously she has held a contract professor position in the MSc Interior Design at the School of Design, Politecnico di Milano (IT). Elisa has taught in a selection of European universities members of the GIDE group (Group of International Design Education).

As spatial designer and teacher, Elisa believes it is her responsibility to challenge and support the students in pursuit of learning goals such as being able to establish and articulate a critical position within the world we are living in, to learn how to develop a design process, and cultivate an interest and an understanding on contemporary issues and theories to inform design ideas and strategies.

To engage the students into the design process(es) Elisa adopts different approaches (provocations) which all are, in different ways, meant to generate a reaction in them (and among them).

Each project brief sets a scenario that wants to challenge the way we interpret and use public/urban spaces by questioning aspects of their physical/social/temporal relation with their context. This speculative action is carried out by engaging with the relevant community(ies) or through research-based analysis that informs the beginning of the design process (enquiry, investigation, exploration). Students are supported in the development of their critical position(s) and design proposals through debate/seminar sessions, review and peer review sessions and individual tutorials

A strong focus is given to develop and speculate on narratives (in the sense of aspects of inhabitation) along the different phases of a design process: site analysis, concept development, programme formation, design resolution and design resilience.