The research initiative Crossing Cultures introduces an innovative pedagogical model, immersing London-based architecture students in a Calabrian village through residencies, in collaboration with a local non-profit organisation (NPO). Since 2016, the program has addressed societal issues of migration and depopulation, fostering a community of practice with locals, asylum seekers, and other newcomers. Since 2020, the residencies, Studio South, have worked with the London-based design studio. They have disrupted traditional pedagogy, emphasising students as research partners, fostering hybrid roles, and transcending research-practice boundaries. The findings reveal a convergence of students' and the NPOs concerns, endorsing residencies as a model bridging academia and practice for societal impact.