Margherita Manfra, a renowned Italian architect, will present how to best utilize public spaces at 10:30 a.m. today, Nov. 7, as part of the Rome Center's Design Lecture Series. The talk will be held in the Rome Center's historic campus located in Palazzo Taverna in Rome, Italy. The event is also available to the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville's campus and community members virtually via YouTube.

Manfra is co-founder of Orizzontale, an architects' collective based in Rome. Moreover, Manfra facilitates work that spans the fields of architecture, urbanism, public art, and do-it-yourself practice at Orizzontale. More specifically, members of the collective experiment with new approaches to the city's public spaces through architectural projects enriched with interdisciplinary collaborations to engage local communities.

Orizzontale, under the direction of Manfra,  promoted projects of common relational spaces since 2010. These projects provided exposure for both dismissed and unseen images of the city. In addition, Orrizontale's projects represent opportunities to experiment with collaboration between city dwellers and urban commons. Furthermore, Orrizontale tests the boundaries of the architectural creation process.

"The Design Lecture Series is an interesting opportunity to further share the Italian cultural heritage with our American students," said Francesca Riccardo, adjunct professor of architecture at the Rome Program and coordinator of the series.

The Rome Center's Design Lecture Series invites Italian guests in the areas of architecture, interior design, and landscape to share their professional expertise, work methods, projects, and design challenges. The series aims expose students to the Italian design culture and share inspiring design ideas.