1. The Boni Award commemorates Mario Boni, a property developer who was born in Lugano in 1950 and passed away before his time in 1998.
2. The purpose of the Boni Award is to encourage commitment among the students enrolled in the Mendrisio Academy of Arcitecture of the University of Italian Switzerland, by recognising and honouring, in the framework of the project, students who have distinguished themselves while taking their diplomas in the various workshops by achieving maximum marks.
3. The prize will be awarded to students who demonstrate particular sensitivity to the territory in general in the course of their diploma projects, contributing creatively to the quality of life of individuals and the community.
   The jury shall naturally also give due consideration to aspects of construction and structure and to the quality and effectiveness of the representation.
4. Students who have attended the Academy of Architecture for at least three years are eligible.
5. The jury shall be made up as follows: two members from within the Academy of Architecture, appointed by the Council of the Academy; two external members, appointed by common accord; one member of the family (or a person appointed by the family).
6. The jury shall make its selection, from among the students who have taken their diplomas during the annual summer session, no later than the beginning of the subsequent academic year.
7. The Boni Award comprise an annual cash prize of CHF 10,000.- and shall be assigned in its entirety to one single project.
8. The promoters, acting in agreement with the Academy of Architecture, may modify these regulations.

What is the diploma work in architecture at the arc.usi*

The work for the Diploma consists in a project which the student develops in the course of the last semester of the MSc course. A pass gains 30 ECTS. Each Diploma design studio will generally contain a maximum of 12 students, supervised by a professor and an architect-assistant.

Each year the Commission nominated for the Diploma chooses a single territory as the common theme of all the Diploma design studios. The single territory facilitates the preparation and comprehension of the context in which the project is to be completed.

The professors are assured of flexibility in the choice of the different projects regarding the territory chosen.

The Diploma semester is to be considered a semester of university studies in every respect and entails attendance at the design studios and participation in the school’s cultural life.

The Diploma syllabus involves:

• Individual architectural design work in studio sessions (on a site and topic presented by the faculty member in charge of the design studio) and the related critiques.
• Participation in seminars dealing with the Diploma topic held by the faculty members in charge of the supplementary subjects, assisted by the architect-assistants from the design studios.
• Participation in the field trip to the place chosen for the Diploma.
• Participation in the collective critiques of the Diploma design studios.

The discussion of the Diploma project before the jury is public and constitutes the final examination before graduating as an architect.

For the details, students are referred to the Academy’s Rules of Study.

Students from other universities who intend to enrol in the Diploma course must have successfully attended at least one year of studies of the program at the Academy.

The Diploma/MSc conferred by the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture is legally recognized by UE.

* Source: arc.usi.ch, the academy, plan of studies, diploma