Invited lecturers: Anna Livia Frei (IUAV Venise), Sébastien Marot (Visiting professor EPFL), Pierre Caye (CNRS, Centre Jean Pépin, Villejuif), Ludovic Pépion (Centre Jean Pépin, Villejuif), Karin Raith (Universität füˆr Angewandte Kunst, Wien), Sylvain Malfroy (HES Winterthur and Fribourg), Muck Petzet (Accademia di architettura Mendrisio), Tom Avermaete (ETH Zurich).

The notion of "Baukultur" marked a fundamental step towards a comprehensive understanding of the environment. The idea that landscape, historical architectural heritage, and existing built environment could converge to portray the richness and complexity of our future habitat, is now pointing to a comprehensive strategical approach to design. Nevertheless, the culture of the built environment, as inherited from the last century, is not yet aligned with the emerging culture of the socio-ecological transition. At the same time, the critical condition we are now facing demands an imaginative effort. This particular crisis, however, affects the design process very specifically, putting at risk its chance to evolve into a new form of practice. The struggle to emerge from an impellent ecological emergency has pushed the architectural discipline towards techno/normative quick fixes, leaving aside a broader reflection on long-term project thinking.

In 2020 the national strategy for building culture in Switzerland defined 41 measures among which are some targets specifically oriented towards research and education. Mobilized as a federal apparatus, the ETH Domain has committed to take part in some of these measures over the period 2020-2023. However, the parallel mobilization of research on this subject remains to be mapped, in a broad and interdisciplinary understanding of what "Baukultur" can represent today.

 

The course will approach the theme through four distinct moments.

28.03.2022  08:30 - 09:30
The first moment is a general introduction. It focuses on the topicality of such debate and the need for a paradigm shift, both from the theoretical and the methodological point of view.

 

28.03.2022  13:30 - 18:30
The second is the academic debate, on the occasion of an associated public seminar organized by the Habitat Research Center. This will highlight a selection of contributions and experiences from the Architecture section, with perspectives provided by intervention of external experts.

 

11.04.2022  13:30 - 15:00
The third session is dedicated to the synthesis, fruit of reasoned and referenced confrontations of the several positions expessed during the previous week. This moment is also the opportunity for a larger mapping on the subject, related to the international debate.

 

25.04.2022  13:30 - 15:00
The fourth and last session foresees the restitution and discussion of the conclusions given by each participant, including those from the teaching group.