What it means?

The final project – the master thesis – should bring together all your abilities into a thoughtful research and an extremely well-developed project. After all, this will be the core of your portfolio and with that, your future endeavours! Let’s shine.

This studio will accompany and guide you, while we ask ourselves the following: Which buildings will we actually plan and (re-)build in the future? The challenges of our time demand a radical rethink of how we deal with natural resources. What if the demolition of built structures will no longer be easily possible in the future and what impact will this have on the production of architectural designs? Adapting building structures that do justice to the rapid changes in today's society are therefore essential, as is the ability of designers (you!) to develop these transformations to a high standard.

Understanding architecture (including existing structures) in terms of their spatial-structural categories and implementing flexibility and subsequent use as early as the design process is one of the relevant strategies / responses to current issues of re-use and climate-friendly conversions.

Each student will research and find an existing building type from the tri-state region around Germany, NL and Belgium, that was formerly a thriving industrial area (compare: European Blue Banana). This Rhein-Ruhr-Area hosts extremely many structures from the 1960’s to 80s that are just waiting for a purposeful adaptive re-use.

What it takes?

Extremely motivated and skilled students are welcome to the studio. The whole class will research on similar topics so on the one hand there will be a strong sense of togetherness and collective approaches, sharing information and methods between teachers and students alike. The later stages of the project will be when everyone goes into their personal projects. Hard work and good drawing skills are required and will lead to the quality of projects.

What it brings?

Every student shall finish with a personal, highly relevant and individual project, that makes you stand out. The process will enrich your skillset in drawing, conceptualization and beautiful visualization. Acquired skills / production will be:

# Typological research (photo essay, plan drawings, mapping), SEM3

# In-Depth research on one interdisciplinary aspect (e.g. Climate Engineering, Eco-Systems, Structure, Circularity), SEM3

# First project idea with clear conceptual and precise architectural response, SEM3

# Ongoing Consolidation of project (Input external experts), SEM4

# Various Drawings (plan 1:100, section, axonometric), SEM4

# Photo Model 1:50, SEM4

# Layouting Research + Project for Final Presentation / Portfolio, HAND-IN / MASTER PRESENTATION