Social Architecture

Housing is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Growing and aging populations, persistent urbanisation, world-wide migration, and increasing number of single householders in Western countries mean that billions of new dwellings will be needed in the coming decades. The course will take the resulting ecological, economical, and social problems as an impetus to examine innovative and engaged models of housing. It is the aim to discuss different aspects of dwelling with the help of historical and contemporary examples, and to get to know possible courses of action. The range of the course will extend from the utopian projects of the nineteenth century up to contemporary examples of buildings for refugees and concepts of sharing.

Knowledge of historical and current communal forms of housing - understanding of the associated societal, social and political concepts as well as the economic and ecological contexts - discussion of 'elementary' housing needs - critical discussion of the examples treated - discussion of possible architectural strategies in the context of political, societal, economic and ecological framework conditions

• Sustainable cities and communities

In presence

90% lectures, 10% seminars

written paper, to be submitted at the beginning of the exams session