Elective Master of Architectural Theory – Ecological Building

Elective Master

(3 ECTS)

Language:        German

Time:                 First event: Monday, October 13, 2025, 14:30-16:00

Room:               C.A.R.L., Claßenstr. 11, room 201.
                           Further events: weekly on Mondays, same time and place.

Lecturer:          Dr. Frédéric Schnee.  

In this elective course, we will examine the concept of ecology from the perspective of architectural theory. Through historical case studies, we will explore how ecological knowledge has been applied in architecture. One example is “careful urban renewal,” which was advocated by Hardt-Waltherr Hämer in the context of the International Building Exhibition Berlin (1984–87). The “ecological urban redevelopment” strategies pursued there, formulated by urban planner Margrit Kennedy in the context of the Federal Environment Agency, continue to impact current debates. During the seminar, we will also discuss terms such as “radical ecology” and “environmentalism,” which influenced architecture in the 1970s and 1980s. Additionally, we will analyze experimental ecological designs formulated in response to the ongoing ecological movement.