After successful completion of the course, students are able to identify and categorise the cultural characteristics of a region. Participants are familiarised with various methods of recording building cultures and learn to summarise research content in scientific papers, to formulate scientific project outlines for potential funding bodies and to present research content. In detail, the module covers skills development with the following focal points:
- Categorise different aspects of architecture in a specific cultural context.
- Deriving framework conditions for planning and building in a specific built environment
- Work in an interdisciplinary manner
- Define and pitch research questions (to be presented in a short presentation)
- Describe a suitable methodology.
- Carry out research and fieldwork.
- Plan a research project in architecture.
- Learn about funding opportunities and estimate a rough budget for such a project.
- Outline a work plan, organise a necessary consortium.
- Summarise the research results in scientific articles.
Architecture is a reflection of people's culture and identity. It is influenced by its surroundings as well as by the history, culture and needs of the people who design, realise and use it. One of the effects of the globalisation of architecture is that the built environment in cities and villages around the world is taking on a uniform appearance, which is causing the traditional forms of architecture that have been adapted over centuries to the environment, landscape, climate and socio-cultural factors to be forgotten. This not only results in a loss of tradition, but traditional building techniques and floor plan solutions are also being forgotten, which often leads to climatic problems. As a result, many architects have been and continue to be concerned with traditional building forms, which they use as a source of inspiration to develop new architectural approaches based on traditional construction methods. A well-founded examination of the existing built environment and the corresponding cultural environment and its history is essential.
The Cultural Spaces module offers students a wide range of opportunities to engage with research in architecture and the socio-cultural framework conditions of architecture. Various parts of the module are offered for this purpose:
As part of LVA 251.906 VO Application-oriented methods of architectural research, the cultural space being worked on during the semester is presented on the basis of current or completed projects. People with different areas of expertise who have already carried out research in the region will be invited.
As part of the lecture exercise 251.907 VU Introduction to interdisciplinary research in architecture, a wide variety of methods of research and documentation are explained in lectures, which are then applied during an excursion. In addition to the course supervisors, the work is accompanied by experts on site.
In seminar 251.908 SE Comparative Architectural Research: Cultural Space - Identity - Architecture, the task - after intensive introductions to academic work - is to produce articles that deal with a current topic in the region on the basis of the data collected. The aim is to write a paper that could be published at a specialist conference or in a specialist journal.
The lecture series 251.906 VO Application-oriented methods of architectural research creates a basis that enables students to develop and present their own project ideas. Researchers present the "making of" research projects and representatives of research funding centres explain how research is supported.
This semester, the UNESCO World Heritage region of Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut will be used as a research region in the course. This World Heritage region was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 because it has been inhabited since prehistoric times and has been continuously used as a settlement area since then, which in turn has led to a special building tradition that has been developed over the centuries, especially by the inhabitants who were involved in salt mining. This has resulted in a unity of landscape, economy, architecture and settlement form. The aim of the module is to analyse this and develop ideas for its preservation or ideas on what a building style could look like in line with the attributes of the World Heritage Site.
The project is carried out as research in teaching as part of the Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape Inventory project in collaboration with the World Heritage Site Management and relevant local stakeholders.
Lecture series on research projects | research methodology | scientific work.
Practical exercises on research
Supervision in building survey, urban analysis, and preparation of papers and research outlines.
