DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: March 13th, 2026
COURSE START: Sept 7th or Nov 2nd, 2026
SCHOLARSHIPS AMOUNT
• Scholarships covering from 5.000€ to 8.000€ of the total tuition fee both for the Academic Master's Programme and the Dual Award Master's Programme.
INTRO
In a world where design often looks the same everywhere, rediscovering the vernacular means reconnecting with identity, place, and culture.
The vernacular is born from local wisdom, the spontaneous design of everyday life, shaped by tradition and necessity.
Participants are invited to explore their own cultural roots and transform them into a contemporary product. The challenge is to reinterpret an object, material, or technique from local heritage, giving it new meaning for today’s world, authentic, sustainable, and forward-looking.
BRIEF
Reinterpret a vernacular element, an object, craft, or local habit, through the lens of contemporary product design. The goal is to translate traditional wisdom into a design that feels both rooted and forward-looking.
The project should explore how cultural identity, material knowledge, and everyday rituals can generate new meanings in a globalised world. Analyse the logic behind vernacular design, its adaptability, simplicity, and sustainability, and transform these values into innovative proposals. Outcomes should demonstrate how tradition can evolve, how the familiar can become new, and how design can act as a bridge between memory and modernity, heritage and future.
APPLY NOW When you submit your project you will receive an immediate confirmation email that your submission was received. If you do not receive a confirmation, let us know at: competitions@domusacademy.itRequired materials
ADDITIONAL FOR DUAL AWARD MASTER
- 2 Reference Letters
- IELTS 5.5 in all parts or recognized equivalent certificate to be submitted within 3 months before the course start date. (not mandatory)