User-centered design...with a twist

The name Zaccaria Briani is one you likely won't find in any Who's Who of architects. Yet when a wealthy city comissioned a prestigious architect to replace an existing structure, those who ranked among the most powerful in government insisted that the architect consult Briani.

The resulting structure was not a showpiece by any means. However, it was not only a huge improvement on its predecessor, it was also vastly ahead of its time in terms of lighting, ventilation, exercise facilities, and even plumbing.

The expertise that Briani brought to his consulting gig was the bare fact that he carried a life sentence in Venice's prison system. The "new prison," or "Prigione Nuovo" in the Venetian dialect--the product of his collaboration with Antonio da Ponte (of Rialto bridge fame)--was completed in the year 1614.

Source: "Venice from the Ground Up," by James H.S. McGregor, Cambridge MA:2006, pp. 226-227.