The building

SoA Academy is located in a context of excellence related to the world of Italian design and architecture. Both in your free time and during classes, you’ll have the chance to breathe an atmosphere in which arts, nature and innovation all come together in harmony.

The building

DESIGN CENTER

The headquarters of SoA Academy is in the Design Center at San Donà di Piave (Venice), a commercial business area built in 2004 with state-of-the-art materials. The center, which can be recognized by the external rusty Corten, is one of our best subjects for the photography workshops.

The building

SOA STUDIO

State of Art isn’t only an Academy but also a specialized studio for computer graphics. The classroom is indeed located inside the studio; in this way, while students are taking their classes, on the other side of the glass professional artists work on studio projects for clients. This will make you feel you are in a real working environment.

The building

PARCO DELL’ARCHITETTURA

The name of the park located close to the Design Center clearly shows its relation to the Academy: 600 square meters of nature in which we find tall poplar trees, sculptures and artworks. Parco dell’Architettura is open all year and is the right place for a break, in particular in spring and summer, when the artistic installations and the green-belt area can really inspire you.

Academy facilities

CLASSROOM & WORKSTATIONS

The best comfort, the best equipment. SoA Academy’s classroom has state-of-the-art technology to make you feel you’re in a real working environment. The room is equipped with a large 4×3 m. screen for easier viewing and 12 workstations, each one including:

  • two widescreen monitors, a keyboard, a mouse;
  • a Wacom Intuos tablet;
  • comfortable wheelchairs;
  • an Internet connection;
  • additional sockets for further peripherals.

What will you need to bring? Only your will to learn and possibly a portable hard disk to copy the lesson files. In all courses, the workstations remain at your disposal during breaks and after the course hours to maximize your time at SoA Academy, in accordance with teachers’ engagements. Moreover, in summer when it’s 30 degrees in the shade, no need to worry because rooms are air conditioned!

12 seats
hd projector
pen tablet ready
free wifi
air cooled

Facilities

Attention to students, suggestions and useful advice. Attending a SoA Academy course means living a unique human and professional experience, which has to be planned in detail. We’ll do everything in our power to facilitate your life here, to let you save money, to help you group and take advantage of every moment lived in Italy.

Facilities

RELAX AREA & KITCHEN

Here at SoA Academy we work hard. This is why we also have some areas to have fun and relax in. On the terrace – particularly loved by smokers – you can enjoy the sun before sitting again in front of your computer. In the inner relax area, furnished with comfortable armchairs and a sofa, you can have a hot coffee or a cold drink. If you want to have some hot tea or heat something up to eat, you can also use our kitchen equipped with a kettle, a microwave oven and a refrigerator.

Facilities

ACCOMMODATION

SoA Academy has made agreements with some local B&Bs that offer single, double, three-bed and four-bed rooms at a good price-quality ratio. Contact us and we’ll give you all the information you need.

Facilities

LUNCH

SOA classes stimulate both the creativity and the appetite. At SoA we like eating together so if you wish to stay with us, we can have lunch at the Academy, in some restaurants or in a sandwich bar nearby. It’s a good way to socialize and get to know your mates, not only from the ArchViz point of view.

Facilities

VISA

If you are a foreign student, some of you may need a visa to enter Italy. Applications can be made 3 months before you leave. Check here if you need a visa (https://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/home/en) and contact the Italian Embassy/Consulate in your country to know what documents you need to apply. Do you need further information? Contact us and we’ll support you in the process.

Living in

Travelling is a serious thing. Don’t be caught unprepared! Details make the real difference.

Living in

SAN DONA’ DI PIAVE

Whether you decide to join a long or a short course, you might be asking yourself how life is here. Well, San Donà di Piave is a quiet place full of green areas; the right place to get around on foot or by bike and with all the most important facilities: hotels, B&Bs, bars, supermarkets, sports centres and a cinema. The comforts of a small place close to Venice – one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Find out how to get here, read our suggestions and discover the activities you can do in your free time.

Living in

TRANSPORT

By car:the Academy is close to the Noventa di Piave highway exit (A4 highway). In the area surrounding the Academy, there are lots of free parking places.

By train: the train stop you’re looking for is called “San Donà di Piave – Jesolo”.

By plane:we suggest you land at Marco Polo airport in Venice as it is well-connected by bus to San Donà di Piave.

Living in

CLIMATE

Italy has a temperate climate with humid and foggy winters and hot and muggy summers.

Winter temperatures are between 0 and 5°C. The coldest months are between December and March.

The high summer temperatures range between 25 and 40°C.The hottest months are June, July and August.

Living in

TRIPS

During weekends you will not get bored!

San Donà is indeed located just a few kilometers from Venice (30 minutes by train) and Treviso (1 hour by coach). And more! Padua and Vicenza are only few of the many cities that you can easily reach form San Donà (take the train and when you get to Venezia Mestre station, you will find many trains connect with the biggest Italian cities).

Living in

SPORT

If you are a sporty and you’d like to practice during your stay for the course, contact us for further information on gyms, swimming pools and sport centers close to the Academy

Thanks to SoA Academy’s proximity to the River Piave, you can go walking or running along its banks and watch the sunrise or the sunset from the riverside park.

Living in

TIPPING

In Italy service is included in the prices but if you feel satisfied with the service, tips are welcome.

Facilities

FAQ

Here are some questions related to our courses and facilities that SoA Academy students frequently ask. If you can’t find an answer to your doubts, send us an email and we’ll give you a reply soon. There are no silly questions but only clever answers.

VISA

Do I need a visa?

Check at the following website https://vistoperitalia.esteri.it/home.aspx if you need a visa. Please, make sure you’ve all documents in order to stay in Italy and remember not to apply for the visa at the last minute.

If my visa application is rejected, can I have a refund of the course fees?

If your visa gets refused, contact us promptly and we’ll do whatever needed to help you getting it. Notethat we’ll do our best to help you getting a visa, but we can’t guarantee anything. Please, remember not to apply for a visa too late, otherwise, if your application is refused, we won’t have time enough to help you and you might lose what you’ve already paid. Total or partial refunds may be applied in accordance with what listed in the contract signed during the registration.

Once I've registered for the course, can you provide an invitation letter for the Embassy/Consulate in my country saying the reason why I'm travelling to Italy??

Once you’ve paid for the course, we can give you an invitation letter for the Italian Embassy/Consulate in your country.

Can I use a toursit visa instead of a study visa?

Yes, you can. To us it isn’t important if you have a tourist visa or a study visa. Anyway, most of the time, it’s easier to get a tourist visa rather than a study visa. Just do what it’s better to get it!

LUNCH

Where can I eat during the course weeks?

Academy offers you two lunches, for two lunches you’re free to go where you want and for one lunch we usually go in local restaurant.

I have some food intolerance, how can you help me?

Write to us and we’ll find a solution that can help you.

ACCOMMODATION

Is the accommodation included in the course fees?

No, it isn’t.

How do I book the hotel?

We’ll give you all information on how to book you room at the affiliated B&B.

When do I have to pay for the accommodation?

You’ll arrange everything directly with the B&B.

I’m enrolled in the Masterclass and I’m staying in your affiliated B&B. I want to visit Italy during the weekends so I won’t be in the B&B. Can I get a refund for the days I’m not staying there?

No, you can’t. The special price can only be made if you stay all nights in the B&B.

Where can I wash my clothes?

In San Donà there are some Laundromat. Further information on your arrival.

MORE

How long does it take from Marco Polo airport to San Donà?

From the Marco Polo airport to San Donà, it takes 30/40 minutes by bus. By taxi, it takes about 20 minutes. Contact us to have information on a taxi driver with special rates.

How many days before the course starts to I have to arrive?

We’d suggest you to arrive two days before the beginning of the course so you can acclimatize and meet your mates.

When I arrive in San Donà, will I have to visit you at the Academy to register?

No, there’s no need to. Once you’ve completed your online registration and paid the full amount, you don’t need to register again. We’ll be waiting for you at the Academy around 9 am on the first day of course..