Abstract:

Building with existing structures – a European challenge of growing importance

Since the signing of the Charta of Venice at the latest in 1964, the preservation of monuments and historic buildings is of high importance in Europe. However, Germany for instance is proving that dealing with heritage buildings cannot be the only objective: On the one hand 69% of habitable space in Germany were built after 1945 with only a very small percentage being heritage-listed or set within a heritage context. On the other hand, most building parts have an average life expectancy of 30 to 50 years. Especially the responsibilities of reducing carbon emissions in Europe till 2020 rely largely on the comprehensive refurbishment of existing buildings. Apart from technical aspects this is primarily a design challenge. Building with existing structures, meaning the refurbishment and extension of ordinary buildings is a principal task for architects and therefore should form an integral part of their education.

Master program „ Bauen mit Bestand “

A new distance study program called “Bauen mit Bestand” (building with existing structures) offered by Wismar University of Applied Sciences is going to focus on this underdeveloped architectural skill and providing a higher qualification in a specialised area. Students with a successful completion of a 4-year program in architecture or architecture related fields (240 ECTS) are eligible to apply. Project-based studying forms an essential element of the course by being assigned 60 ECTS either directly or in direct connection with realistic projects following the example of professional practice. Besides architectural core competencies such as design, the course will deal with disciplinarily related areas and their connection to design through nationally uniform and concrete projects in every semester. Following a final thesis, students will be awarded a Master’s degree (M. Sc. / 90 ECTS).

Distance study in architectural education – a new didactic approach with a strong focus on practice

Realising this practice-orientation with a high artistic demand in distance study is a European innovation and will be achieved by a completely new teaching concept of directly linking scientific and practice-based skills. The team around Prof. Georg Giebeler and Uta Gelbke has established a network of architects especially successful in the field of building with existing structures. With the help of this network the one-on-one tutoring common in architectural education can be offered locally throughout the country. Creating uniform assignments prevents inconsistencies and allows for a direct comparison of students’ projects. An essential part of the program are the workshops, held twice a year where exams will be taken, completed projects will be presented and students will be informed about new assignments for the semester to come. Within the spatial-contextual form of the workshop the established network of external lecturers will be completed by students representing a centre of excellence for building with existing structures.

Keywords:

Teaching concept, Refurbishment, Building with existing structures.