Life at Girotondo Horizons
For artists, designers & universities
Time, tools and territory in a National Park at 1060m. Individual residencies of one to three months. Intensive design-build workshops for university cohorts. A professional FabLab running on solar power. In partnership with Politecnico di Milano and IUAV Venezia.
One to three months of uninterrupted time in a National Park, with a professional FabLab, co-living community and the Appennino Reggiano as your working context. We accept artists, designers, architects, researchers and makers whose practice would genuinely benefit from this specific place and its tools.
Residencies are mentored by Julia and Antonio. You have access to the full site, the FabLab, the landscape and the local network. We ask that residents engage with the community in some way — a workshop, a public moment, a collaboration with a local partner. This is not a retreat from the world but an immersion in a different part of it.
Three to ten day intensive design-build workshops for university cohorts. We have developed a model with Politecnico di Milano and IUAV Venezia that integrates site-specific making, circular materials methodology and territorial engagement into a single intensive programme. The results have been documented in an ENEA academic publication as best practice.
Each workshop is designed together with the academic partner around a specific brief. Students work with real constraints — available materials, the landscape, the local community's needs — and produce finished work. Not prototype sketches. Finished objects that remain in the territory.
The tools
The FabLab is not a classroom with a 3D printer in the corner. It is a fully equipped digital fabrication studio running entirely on photovoltaic energy, with circular plastic processing equipment and enough space for a workshop cohort to work simultaneously. It is available to all residents and university groups throughout their stay.
Documented projects
A circular design workshop with 20 students exploring upcycled textile production. Four teams, four days, four finished products made entirely from post-consumer textile waste. The brief: make something beautiful from what already exists.
An architecture and landscape workshop exploring the relationship between built structures and the National Park woodland. Students designed and built outdoor installations using locally sourced timber and found materials. The Gio-Coso chess set structure remains permanently in the forest.
A five-month solo residency for an interior design graduate from PoliMi. Michela worked on the interior design of Girotondo, crafting the interior finishes and helping to design a double bunk bed that will be rolled out across all guest rooms. She also contributed to the running of the site and worked with Antonio on his architectural projects.
A tree propagation and rewilding project in partnership with the National Park. Tavolo-Grow develops practical infrastructure and methodology for native tree propagation in the Appennino Reggiano, combining FabLab-made growing tables with ecological knowledge from National Park staff and residents.
Academic partners
We work with universities and design schools whose methodology aligns with place-based, materials-led and community-engaged practice. Current partnerships and those we are actively building.
The residency and workshop model at Girotondo Horizons has been independently recognised by Italian and European academic and institutional bodies. These citations matter because they document the methodology, not just the place.
"I had such a wonderful stay with the family. My private room was quiet and cosy with a gorgeous view of the mountain range. I'm a graphic designer and writer, so having a peaceful place to work and gain inspiration was really nice. Twice a week a yoga class was held in the evenings — a great way to unwind after a long day working."
Zoe Luglan · ★★★★★ Coliving.com · Six-week creative residency
Individual stay · Coliving.com
"Comfortable coliving in the mountains: private room and all the amenities of a real house, with easy access to hiking trails. I had joy doing work, hikes, boxing training, cooking and chatting with people in the house. I was productive, refreshed, made good friends, and will return again."
Oleksii K · ★★★★★ Coliving.com
Extended stay · Coliving.com
"These five months have taught me a great deal, both in training and personally. I feel grown up and more confident of my abilities and my values — surely thanks to the fact it has been a curious, experimental and 360° experience."
Michela · Interior Design Graduate · Politecnico di Milano
Individual design residency · 2025
"Nestled in the greenery of the Reggio Emilia Apennines with a 360-degree panoramic view, just steps from the Cervarezza Thermal Baths. We enjoyed the hospitality and service."
Maurizio Farina · ★★★★★ Google Review
Stay at Girotondo Horizons
How to apply
We keep the process as simple as possible. We are not looking for a perfect CV — we are looking for a genuine connection between your practice and what this place offers. The most important thing you can tell us is what you want to make here and why here specifically.
Whether you are an individual practitioner looking for time and territory, a programme director considering a field workshop, or a researcher interested in the Girotondo model — we would love to hear from you. Every project starts as a conversation.
We respond to every application personally. Girotondo SRL Benefit · Ventasso, Reggio Emilia · [email protected] · +39 320 727 355