© IHT/Professor Astra Zarina

Every Moment a Lesson

Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina

Astra Zarina e Civita di Bagnoregio

Betty R. Torrell
 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The impact of her brilliant, passionate and insightful teaching have carried me to this day, inspiring my work in architecture, urban design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina
and planning as well as my appreciation of history, culture and life.

There is no past we can bring back by longing for it. There is only an eternal now that builds
and creates out of the past something new and better. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Astra Zarina e Civita di Bagnoregio

March 8. 2019
Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy

Betty R. Torrell
Assistant Professor of Architecture + Design
SUNY Alfred State College

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Civita as Classroom
Over the years Civita has served as a living laboratory for dozens of students, who have
surveyed its residents, analyzed its economic base, complied its genealogy, sketched its
buildings, collected its recipes, scrutinized its church restoration, identified its plants…and
other projects.
(Mooney, 2001)
Astra Zarina in Civita
To say that Civita has been the classroom or “living
laboratory” for the Italian Hilltowns program is to
understate Civita’s importance to the students learning
experience.

It also understates the importance of the innovative

didactic methods of Professor Astra Zarina.

What happened on the Italian Hilltowns program in Civita

was a result of the unique nexus of Astra and Civita.

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Civita as Classroom

Through Astra the students were introduced to the

unique patrimony of Civita. She not only shared her
knowledge, but her respect for the inhabitants and their
way of life; and through their example and her vision for
the importance of a life well lived.

In addition to typical academic lectures and slideshows,

the students were expected to consider ‘every moment a
lesson’ from examining the ingenious shape of a kitchen
cutting board in your host mother’s kitchen to the flow of
a staircase descending a hilltown alleyway.

Betty R. Torrell
And the students were encouraged to document
everything. Only by looking carefully, could one really
begin to see and understand.
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Civita as Classroom

The formal curriculum consisted of individual or group

student projects in Civita. Projects were as diverse as
documenting a traditional kitchen or cantine with
measured drawings and photographs to excavating a
cistern, or the inventory of a Civita garden.

Students also participated in Italian language lessons with

the Italian language professor.

Field trips to other hilltowns gave the students an

opportunity to discover lessons in Italy's urban form,
historic monuments, and contemporary architecture.

Betty R. Torrell
Reflection through field-sketching and journaling brought

Zarina, 1980
home the lessons.
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Civita as Classroom

The informal curriculum with Astra could be:

§ Preparing and sharing a didactic dinner
§ Students and Civitonici under the loggia in Tony and
Astra’s garden
§ Swimming at Lago Bolsena
§ Designing and making program-logoed t-shirts
§ Soccer in the piazza
or
§ A campagna fieldtrip in the valley….

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Civita as Classroom

The informal curriculum with the Civitonici could be:

§ Cooking and eating with the host family
§ A trip to the cantina
§ Shopping trips into Bagnoregio
§ Exclusions to chestnut grove
§ Laundry day at the lavatoio
§ Sitting in the piazza
§ Going to church
§ Climbing the bell tower
or
§ A beer at il Forno with your host father….

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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Civita as Classroom

Marenzo, 1966
The students also participated in cultural events:
§ Writing and preforming a melodrama play for la festa
§ Practicing and preforming the madrigal “Non Vidi
Mai” in the church
§ Making and launching a pallone

Torrell, 1979
§ Participating in the infioriati and religious processions
and
§ Sewing a banner as a prize for the palio

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Student Reflections

I entered Professor Zarina’s design studio on my first day

as an architecture student at the University of
Washington, fresh off the prairies of Oklahoma. From
that point in 1976, she guided me on a journey that has
influenced my life to this day.

It did not take me long before I had signed up for the

Italian Studies program she conceived and directed
during the summer and fall of 1977; first in the hilltown
of Civita di Bagnoregio and then in Rome.

That period gave me the grounding for much of my

professional work.

Betty R. Torrell
Ann Hirschi, Architect, IHT ’79
(Torrell, 2014)
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Student Reflections

It was in Civita that Astra introduced me and the other

students to…learning by directly engaging with the
patrimony of the ancient cultures that formed such a rich
environment for all types of human activity. Not just the
architecture, but the agriculture, food, art, literature, and
music.

The impact of her brilliant, passionate and insightful

teaching have carried me to this day, inspiring my work in
architecture, urban design and planning as well as my
appreciation of history, culture and life.

Betty R. Torrell
David Boyd, AIA, IHT Alumnus
(Torrell, 2014)

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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Student Reflections

We also learned that sitting in a classroom was not

enough…one must take personal responsibility to learn
throughout your life in and out of the academic setting.

Her influence lives on in hundreds of buildings and spaces

designed by her students, and in their own personal and
professional lives as well.

Michael Dowd, Architect, IHT ’80

(Torrell, 2014)

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Student Reflections

Not only did she introduce me to the architectural

wonders of Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria and beyond, she
showed how architecture is connected to place, traditions
and people.

Our experience living with a family (Mario and Domenica)

in Civita di Bagnoregio, washing our clothes in the town’s
fontana, preparing and eating fried zucchini blossoms
from Astra’s garden, singing in San Donato gave me a
fuller understanding of architecture and urbanism than
any class I’ve ever taken.

Betty R. Torrell
Professor David Goble Ph.D., IHT ’79
(Torrell, 2014)

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11
 Goethe and
His Italian

© IHT/Professor Astra Zarina

Friends.
-
Drawing by
Friedrich

Every Moment a Lesson

Bury.
-
Goethe
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
Museum,
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Student Reflections Düsseldorf
-
http:
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She taught me how to look at urban structure and how to

pay attention to historical layers. But she also taught me
also about literature and music. And, moreover, the way
architecture is always the result of arts and behaviors;
architecture as a human scene, history as a heritage to
preserve carefully while we are looking to the future.

She taught me about masterpieces, but also about

mistakes and illusions. She taught me that we are not
only made by our brain, but by instinct and pleasure. She
taught me to appreciate everything growing, because
that is how the future happens.

Betty R. Torrell
Enrico Morteo, Architect, IHT Student ’79, IHT Teaching Assistant ’80
(Torrell, 2014)
12
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Methods and Means

Pedagogy
Astra’s teaching methods were innovative and intuitive. It
was when writing a review of the semester for my Alfred
State Studio Sorrento Course Narrative did I come to
understand how closely Professor Zarina’s pedagogy
paralleled an Applied Learning model well before David
A. Kolb published his ground-breaking experiential
learning theory (ELT) in 1984.

Zarina, 1980

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Methods and Means

Applied Learning
Applied learning pedagogies share a design fundamental:
the nurturing of learning and growth through a reflective,
experiential process that takes students out of the
traditional classroom setting. The approach is grounded
in the conviction that learning is maximized when it is
active, engaged, and collaborative. (Ash & Clayton, 2009)

Astra’s Applied Learning pedagogy, (knowledge, action

and reflect), gave the students the process to Identify
and align with the rich culture of Civita.

Zarina, 1980

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Methods and Means

The Transformative Moment

As evidenced by the students reflections, Astra’s teaching
was transformative. This transformation of the student
relies on the shift in “ their own (the students’)
perspective of the world based on their interpretations of
their personal experiences”. (Gargon and Collay, 2006)

Meyer and Land (2006) describe this process of learning

that to gain a new insight or perspective on the world,
one must change oneself and hence lose one part of
one’s old self. Astra’s method’s enabled Civita to be the
crucible of learning and transformation in the sense
above. And this legacy has shaped each student’s vision
of the world and through their work the built
environment. Betty R. Torrell
15 1
 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina
I roamed the countryside searching for answers to things I did not understand.
Leonardo da Vinci

Thank You
I would like to thank:
• Giovanni Attili for the invitation to be here today,
• The Commune of Bagnoregio for making this event
possible,
• All my friends in Civita for always making me feel
welcome here,
• my Italian parents in Civita, Gesuina and Zefire Medori
• Tony for his ongoing support for my work,
• Lauris for his collaboration on this presentation and as
always in my life,
and

Betty R. Torrell
• Astra for that transformative moment in Civita that
changed my life.
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Addendum A

Seminar Images: Memorial Groundbreaking

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Addendum A

Seminar Images: Reception

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Addendum A

Seminar Images: Reception

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Addendum A

Seminar Images: Reception

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Addendum A

Seminar Images:
Dedication of Astra Zarina Room in Palazzo Alemanni

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Addendum A

Seminar Images: Presentations

Betty R. Torrell
Tony Costa Heywood Steven Holl
22 Tommaso Ponziani
 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Addendum A

Seminar Images: Presentations

Sandro Rocchi Clark Pickett

Betty R. Torrell
Enrico Morteo Giovanni Attili

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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina – Addendum A

Seminar Images: Presentations

Antonella Bastoni

Betty R. Torrell
Luciana Vergaro Betty R. Torrell
24 Giancarlo Baciarello
 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina

References
Ash, S.L. & Clayton, P.H. (2009). Generating, deepening and documenting learning: the power of critical
reflection in applied learning. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education, Vol. I, Fall 2009, p. 25-48.

Gargon, G.W. Jr. & Collay, M. (2006). Constructivist learning design: key questions for teaching to standards.
Teaching Theology and Religion, Vol. 11, Issue, July 2008, p. 167.

Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential Learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

Marenzio, L. (1966). Ten madrigals for mixed voices. (Ed. Arnold, D.). London.

Meyer, J.H.F., Land, R. & Baillie (Eds.) (2006). Threshold concepts and transformational learning – Educational
Futures: Rethinking Theory and Practice. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

Mooney, C.J. (2001). Notes from academe -- sketches of hope on an Italian hillside. The Chronicle of Higher
Education, Vol. XLVII, Number 47, p. A48.

Torrell, B.R. (1979). Italian Hilltowns Schedule Summer, Civita Di Bagnoregio.

Torrell, B.R. (2014). Institute of Classical Architecture and Art Arthur Ross Award Nomination for Astra Zarina.

Betty R. Torrell
Seattle, Washington.

Zarina, A. (1980). Italian Hilltown Program 1980. Seattle, Washington: University of Washington.

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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina

Photograph Citations

All photographs by R. Lauris Bitners and Betty R. Torrell unless otherwise noted below:

Page 2 – Right: Photo courtesy of the Astra Zarina Archives

Page 6 – Right/Upper: Enrico Morteo
Page 11 – Right: Photo courtesy of the Astra Zarina Archives
Page 15 – Right/Lower: Michael Lewallen

Betty R. Torrell
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 © IHT/Professor Astra Zarina
Every Moment a Lesson
Alfred State College –Department of Architecture + Design
The Didactic Pedagogy of Astra Zarina

Fine

© 2019 Betty R. Torrell

Betty R. Torrell
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