Global construction activity is booming. The sector is now responsible for over 40% of global carbon emissions. At the same time, buildings are often designed with an expected lifetime of only 70 years. As a result, the aesthetic dimension of new construction is frequently neglected. Featureless concrete-and-glass blocks now dominate new stock in rural areas and inner cities alike.
In this context, contemporary philosophers such as Roger Scruton and Alain de Botton have re-invigorated debates on the nature and purpose of beauty in the built environment. At the same time, research of neuro-aesthetics is providing mounting evidence that the loss of ornamentation and natural elements in modern designs may threaten human wellbeing. In response, grassroots movements have recently formed in different European countries advocating for a revival of traditional architecture.
This Summer Academy will explore to what extent time-tested elements of traditional architecture, including nature-inspired design, can help reclaim the human connection to the built environment and reduce its environmental impact.
Learning objectives:
We want to address issues of contemporary architecture from an interdisciplinary point of view. At the end of the course, the participants will:
- have learned about the most important contemporary schools of architecture and the historical context behind their development.
- know how the aesthetic experience is formed in the human brain and how neuroscience can inform architectural design.
- gain inspiration on how one can act in their local community to hold city planners and architects accountable with regards to new planning proposals.
- be able to calculate and compare the carbon footprint of different building types.
- have taken part in field-experiment measuring their own experience of beauty in the urban landscape during a field trip to the Italian city of Milano.
Leitung
Michael P. Weinold, Doctoral Researcher at ETH Zurich and the Paul Scherrer Institute
Dr. Mark C. Ballandies, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Zurich and co-founder of WiHi & onocoy
Philippe Schultheiss, Philosopher, Economist and future Minister at the Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich
Guest Speakers
Samuel Leder, University of Zurich, formerly at ETH Zurich
Expert in architecture and art history. Currently program manager of the Urban and Real Estate Management course of studies at the University of Zurich.
Michael Diamant, Self-employed consultant for architecture and urban planning and founder of the “Architectural Uprising” movement (Sweden)
Expert in urban planning and leading figure in the public discourse on new traditional architecture. Heavily involved in building up local communities that hold architects and city planners accountable for new construction projects.
Dr. Martin Röck, Global Building Data Initiative (Austria), formerly at KU Leuven
Expert in life-cycle assessment for sustainable contruction and architectural engineering. Scientific lead in multiple European projects that allows researchers to calculate the carbon footprint of different building types in different countries.
Dr. Alexandros A. Lavdas, Eurac Research (Italy), formerly at UCL (United Kingdom)
Expert in the neuroscience of aesthetic experiences. His research combines eye-tracking derived models with other measurements to gauge physiological responses to different architectural styles.
Koordination
Dr. Meret Tuor, Schweizerische Studienstiftung
Administration
Michelle Hug, Schweizerische Studienstiftung
Arbeitssprache
Englisch
Ort
Magliaso
Zielgruppe
Interested students from all fields of study. (max. 20 Teilnehmende)
Literatur
A reader will be available electronically before the start of the academy.
History of Architecture (recommendations by Samuel Leder)
- Loos (1910), “Ornament and Crime” (English translation of the original German text)
- Le Corbusier (1927) “Toward an Architecture” (English translation of the original French text)
- Bingler & Pedersen (2014), “How to rebuild Architecture”, Opinion in the New York Times
City Planning and Democratic Processes (recommendations by Michael Diamant)
- Hall (1997), “Planning Europe’s Capital Cities: Aspects of 19th Century Urban Development”
- Jørgensen & Philips (2002), “Discourse Analysis as Theory and Method”
Neuroaesthetics (recommendations by Dr. Alexandros Lavdas)
- Lavdas et al. (2021), “Visual Attention Software: A New Tool for Understanding the “Subliminal” Experience of the Built Environment”, Applied Sciences
- Rosas et al. (2023), “Using Eye Tracking to Reveal Responses to the Built Environment and Its Constituents”, Applied Sciences
Sustainability (recommendations by Michael Weinold)
- Crawford (2011), “Sustainability in the Built Environment”, Chapter on LCA
- Röck et al. (20), “Embodied carbon emissions of buildings and how to tame them
Anmeldeschluss: Dienstag, 1. April 2025
