Morgan Powers, Engineering Perspectives of the Renaissance and Sustainability: Florence Summer 2024
In Florence, I live in a ground-floor apartment on Borgo Pinti about 15 minutes northeast of the Duomo. This apartment houses six girls, including me. When you walk in, there is a long, tiled hallway that stretches the entire length of the apartment. On the right, there is a small room with a washer, and directly next to it is a bathroom that three of my roommates share. After the bathroom, there is a large kitchen/dining room space with a window that looks out into the courtyard. On the left, there is a small living room with a double bedroom attached to it that has another courtyard entrance. From the main hallway, a smaller corridor on the left contains two single bedrooms, one of which contains a bathroom. At the end of the hallway is my room – a double bedroom with a connected full bathroom.
The girls I live with are all Pitt engineering students: four of whom are bioengineers, one is a civil engineer, and I am an industrial engineer. This blend of majors is the perfect mix because we have different interests, but we all can bond over our mutual desire to travel the world. With an open floor plan, the apartment allows us to spend endless hours hanging out between the kitchen and living room. It is the perfect place for us to relax after class, cook authentic Italian cuisine, and discuss our weekend adventures. Our apartment is a beautiful example of Italian design, and I doubt I will ever live in such a unique place ever again.
While I love the open concept, cozy rooms, and living space, there is one major drawback. Since most of the buildings in Florence are centuries old, they do not have the structural capabilities to implement new technology. Specifically, these buildings cannot utilize air conditioning, so we must find new ways to cool the apartment down. At the beginning of May, the temperatures are relatively cool, causing the apartment to be slightly cold. However, the end of the month proves to be very different. The sweltering temperatures cause the apartment to warm up a lot; there is no escape from the heat in the summer. Although the old style of the buildings – thick, stone walls and shaded overhangs – cool down the rooms, it still cannot stop the humidity from seeping in.
Even with this slight discomfort, I barely spend much time in the apartment outside of sleeping and resting in between classes. My apartment is far enough from the center of the city that I find myself sitting in coffee shops, walking near the river, and visiting different piazzas during my free time. Instead of sitting in my room for extended periods, I try to explore the beautiful city of Florence. I know that I don’t have much time here, so I want to enjoy it as much as I can.
I am very lucky to get this chance to live in this beautiful place with these amazing people. While I may not have been best friends with my five roommates before the trip, we have created a bond that will last beyond our time in Florence. Our apartment creates a warm, friendly environment that allows us to get to know each other and create meaningful memories. I would not trade this apartment or the experiences with my roommates for the world. I truly cannot imagine living anywhere other than Borgo Pinti while I am here.
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