Photo: the graduates of Conservation, Visual Communication and Interior Architecture

On Saturday 7 December, the Campus of the Department of environment constructions and design SUPSI in Mendrisio was packed: a real day of celebration, not only for the graduates and their loved ones, but for the entire Department.

Two ceremonies followed one another: in the morning diplomas were awarded to those who had completed the Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, in the afternoon to those who had completed the Bachelor of Arts in Conservation, the Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication and the Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture.

The welcome speeches by the General Director of SUPSI, Franco Gervasoni, the Director of the Department of environment constructions and design, Jean-Pierre Candeloro, and the Undergraduate and Graduate Studies Manager of the Department, Nicla Borioli Pozzorini, emphasised the importance of the community to which we all belong and to which we contribute, and of values such as enthusiasm and passion, but also the outlook that the young recruits will be able to bring and share in the world of work and beyond.

Two recent graduates took the floor at each ceremony – Marta Gadola and Federico Zulian in the morning, Saliù Baldé and Massimo Bordogna in the afternoon – who shared memories and wished their fellow alumni well. For its part, the SUPSI Alumni Association gave everyone a welcome through its representative Emanuele Gianola.

Numerous prizes were awarded during the ceremonies, a sign of the support, closeness and affection of various associations and companies to SUPSI and its graduates.

The two ceremonies were presented by Amanda Prada, Head of the communication for the Department of environment constructions and design, with musical accompaniment by Alberto Guerrera and Mattia Fogato, students of the University of Music of the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana.

‘Every seed contains within itself the beginning of a forest’.
Congratulations again to all the graduates!

All the awards: talent in the spotlight

For years, the TalenThesis Prize has been awarded as a sign of encouragement to the person in each Bachelor’s degree course who has obtained the best grade for their thesis project. Representing the institutions awarding the TalenThesis Prize were Massimo Cereghetti, President of the Società svizzera impresari costruttori Sezione Ticino, and Dario Caramanica, Director of BancaStato.  

The TalenThesis Prizes were awarded to:
Gaia Beatrice Piccoli (Bachelor of Arts in Architecture)
Emanuele Tulipani (Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering)
Alessia Grandoni (Bachelor of Arts in Conservation)
Elena Calò (Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication)
Leandra Guretzki (Bachelor of Arts in Interior Architecture)

The civil engineering firm Passera & Associati – represented by Stefano Campana with colleagues Nicola De Mare and Gianluigi Largo – presented the Structure and Architecture Award to two architecture graduates, emphasising the quality of the structural aspects of their theses: Arianna Ferrari (1st prize) and Sara Comini (2nd prize).

On the other hand, Lorenzo Fraccaroli and Silvia Barrera from dueA architetti awarded prizes to those civil engineering projects in which they found a particular awareness of the need for a confrontation between all the professional figures involved in a project: Fadi Wakji (1st prize) and Stefano Bertola (2nd prize).

The Prize of the Division of Culture and University Studies of the Canton of Ticino, awarded for the first time to a person who contributes to the knowledge, conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage, went to Alessia Grandoni.

Three prizes were awarded as part of the Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication.

The SGV Swiss Graphic Design Association Award was presented by President Lisa Leuch to Saliù Baldè to celebrate a thesis project which, in addition to the contribution of type design, represents an act of valorisation and preservation of indigenous scripts at risk of extinction.

The dpsuisse Viscom Award underlines the close link between SUPSI and the trade associations. Stefano Gazzaniga, Deputy Director of dpsuisse and Head of the Services Department and Italian-speaking Switzerland, presented the award to Matteo Bruno for his project on independent magazines in Ticino (1970–1987).

The Health and Wellbeing Prize awarded by IBSA Foundation went to Mélanie Turano for Cystaware: the creation of an artefact to facilitate the tracking of cystitis symptoms through data physicisation.

Finally, the VSI.ASAI Association of Swiss Interior Architects, with its President Michela Pagani (VSI.ASAI Region of Italian-speaking Switzerland) and Central Committee member Martina Palocci, awarded a VSI.ASAI Encouragement Prize to Chiara Bacciarini and a Special Mention to Leandra Guretzki, recognising various qualities in their projects, including flexibility and poeticity.