Alfred State College (ASC) students studying at Sant’Anna Institute (Sorrento, Italy) presented architectural redesign proposals for the Church of San Paolo. This was the first time a project focused on a religious site.
Warren Auty, Theresa D'Amato-Neff, Connor Dolan, Kathy Galindo, Cole Kornow, Caley (CJ) Larsen, Sarah O'Connor, Megan Pinzel, James Prendergast, Faith Rinella, Alessandra Santoro, and Anthony Woods spent the semester in Italy.
The Church of San Paolo, a historic and spiritual landmark within the local community, offers a rich context shaped by centuries of architectural evolution and cultural significance. The project invited students to reflect on the relationship between heritage and contemporary design, approaching the site not only as a structure, but as a space of memory and identity.
Over the course of the semester, students approached the project with a focus on design, historical research, and community context. Their work reflects not only technical skill, but also a thoughtful interpretation of place, demonstrating how architecture can serve as a bridge between past and future.
The presentation offered an opportunity for the students to share these proposals with the community, highlighting the role of international academic collaboration in fostering cultural exchange, creative inquiry, and meaningful engagement with local heritage.
D'Amato-Neff, Dolan, and Larsen reflected on the experience. “As a student body from a small-town college, the opportunity to do work outside of our country and on an international scale was an invaluable experience. It broadened all our mindsets to a much larger scale of thought, yet we maintained an intimate class setting that made us uniquely our own. Without the opportunity to travel abroad and practice architecture outside of our home, we would have never learned the distinctiveness of our profession across each nation, which is a lesson that has made each of us more well-rounded students and aspiring architects.”
Alfred State has partnered with Sant’Anna for seventeen years. Led this semester by Associate Professor Alan Vlakancic, historic buildings became living laboratories where students connected academic study with direct engagement in local history, culture, and the community.
The students concluded, “We are eternally grateful to Sant’Anna for hosting us and providing this opportunity, and to Professor Alan Vlakancic, who worked hard to ensure this experience was the greatest it could be!”