Courses on offer in the winter semester 2027
The Housing Design professorship offers a design studio and two seminars. As part of a thesis studio (B.Sc. and M.Sc.), an excursion to Rome/Bravetta is also offered.
A House in Transformation – 3rd core module in the B.Sc. in Architektur (Architecture)
‘In the exhibition, architectural concepts of model and type are intertwined. If type is to be repeated, and model to be emulated, these two ideas turn out not to be far apart. In *The House Transformed*, drawings, models and a few buildings speculate on culturally embedded domestic ideas often left on the margins of our conversation about the power of architecture.”
*The House Transformed*, curated by Mónica Ponce de Léon with Shoshana Torn and Massimo Giannone, Princeton School of Architecture, 25 September 2025–7 February 2026‘Had
the existing building not been there, we would never have dared to draw such forms, profiles and cornices … As a further development of the existing building, it seemed possible to us.’
Summacumfemmer, 2023 (quoted from Ulrich Brinkmann: ‘It Could Have Been Like This’, Bauwelt 3.2026)
The exhibit *The House Transformed* was first shown from September 2025 at the School of Architecture, Princeton University, and from March 2026 at the Van Alen Institute in Brooklyn. It explored the extent to which different forms of cohabitation – amongst friends as an extended family, alone, in a neighbourhood with flatmates, in the context of ageing with dignity, whilst playing and working from home – can be illustrated within a single household, using the example of a house in the broadest sense. It followed the thesis of the philosopher Emanuele Coccia, who links the concept of ‘home’ to a chosen and promising form of intimacy – encompassing objects, people, animals, plants, atmospheres, events, images and memories.
Taking as our starting point the idea of the house as a place for social and ecological transformations, we turn our attention to local conditions and the often-overlooked second-row building stock in Weimar. ‘The House in Transformation’ refers to both – the potential changes in our social relationships and the alterations we might impose on an existing, unremarkable and quite functional house when its purpose changes. For this speculative investigation, we have access to the building of the Keßler GmbH book and art printing works.
The project, which encompasses all essential dimensions of an architectural project whilst taking into account design-relevant structural specialisations, is carried out in groups and is supported by weekly consultations, several colloquia and guest lectures. The studio is aimed at third-semester students on the BSc in Architektur (Architecture) programme. A prerequisite for participation is a willingness to undertake intensive work in the studio and to experiment with drawing, model-making and Photography, as well as other suitable methods of representation. The design studio is complemented by two one-day excursions to houses in Radebeul and Schwarzburg.
Time: Winter semester 2026/27
Studio: Tuesday 10:00–17:00
Location: Weimar
Academic staff: Verena von Beckerath, Till Hoffmann, Hanna Maria Schlösser
Guest lecture: TBC
Classification: 3rd core module in the B.Sc. in Architecture
Bravetta – Open Thesis Studio (B.Sc./M.Sc.) in the winter semester 2027
‘From the Gianicolo, a popular residential hill offering a wonderful view over ancient Rome, Via Bravetta winds its way gently down towards the sea, following the contours of the hill. Closer to the city lay the villas with their extensive parks; further out were the country estates and scattered villages.
All in all, the Bravetta neighbourhood seems comparatively unremarkable. Much of it has fallen into a state of dormancy; many of the residents have grown up here and grown old. Some houses look as though they have hardly changed in decades. It is precisely this that creates a distinctive atmosphere, somewhere between the city and the outskirts, between improvised urbanisation and the leisurely pace of the former Campagna Romana.”
Lola Randl, May 2026
At the heart of Lola Randl’s research lies the former car repair workshop ‘officinacittà’ in the Roman suburb of Bravetta, where she founded a Planetary (Garden) Institute. The institute is not a concrete facility – she describes it rather as an operational misunderstanding or a placeholder that creates the very space in which observation can take place. Taking this institute as her starting point, she seeks to examine the city, nature and urban agriculture at their points of transition and overlap. Writing and film serve as her means of interweaving these elements.
The thesis studio is based on a collaboration with Lola Randl, who, as a former Villa Massimo Rome Prize winner, gave a presentation at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar in May 2026 and is currently represented at the ACC with an exhibition project. An excursion to Rome and Bravetta from 29 October to 2 November 2026 serves as a preparatory seminar for the thematic and methodological development of a Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis. In addition to a visit to the former car repair workshop and discussions with Lola Randl and others, walks in the Bravetta area are planned, featuring observations and reflections on, amongst other things, the Buon Pastore complex, the Porta Pamphili, the Valle dei Casali, Forte Bravetta and Corviale.
Time: winter semester 2026/27
Location: Weimar
Academic staff: Verena von Beckerath, Till Hoffmann, Hanna Maria Schlösser
Guest lecturer: TBC
Classification: BSc and MSc in Architecture
Otto Steidle – Publication
: Seminar in the M.Sc. in Architektur (Architecture)
‘As I consider the sensible, collective use of existing resources, quality of life, and the productivity of the individual and society to be among the most important issues facing urban society today, I endeavour to explore and express this theme.’
From: Integrated Living, Biberach Architektur Talks, 1989
The third part of a series of seminars on the life and work of the architect Otto Steidle (1943–2004) builds on the insights gained so far. Following visits to Otto Steidle’s projects in Munich and Lower Bavaria during the winter semester of 2025/26, the seminar focused in the summer semester of 2026 on the architect’s projects as well as on other key figures and buildings from the 1980s in Berlin. The highlight of a three-day excursion was a visit to the International Centre for Scientific Encounters (IBZ, 1980–83) and the retirement home at Schlesisches Tor (1985–87).
At first glance, both (residential) buildings exhibit numerous parallels: they respond to the structure of the Wilhelminian-era city and complement it spatially. Generously proportioned circulation routes connect spaces that are designed for both individuals and communities. Artistic approaches have become an integral part of the Architektur through close collaboration. At the same time, both buildings have taken very different paths since their completion. To this day, the IBZ offers an international community of scientists a vibrant and almost ideal living environment. The refurbishment, preservation and renewal of the building’s architecture form part of the IBZ’s agenda. The retirement home on Köpenicker Straße, by contrast, currently requires a reorientation which, beyond urgent professional refurbishment, must also address questions of ownership, use, operation and long-term preservation against the backdrop of its Architektur.
The comparison of the two buildings, using the media of drawing and Photography, will be explored in depth during the seminar and contextualised through written contributions. The seminar aims to prepare a publication to be released as part of the NOA (Notes on Architecture) series by the Housing Design professorship.
Time: Summer semester 2026
Seminar: Wednesdays, 2.00 pm, plus additional sessions as required
Locations: Weimar, Berlin
Academic staff: Verena von Beckerath, Till Hoffmann
Guest lecturer: Leonard Steidle, TBC
Classification: Seminar (3 ECTS) in the M.Sc. in Architektur (Architecture)
Fundamentals of Building Theory – Seminar in the B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Urbanism
The seminar teaches the fundamentals of building theory and comprises a joint exploration of specific situations in Weimar, a drawing exercise, various discussion formats and a final presentation in the form of an exhibit. The starting point for the seminar is an examination of local conditions and the often-overlooked secondary row of buildings in Weimar. The Keßler GmbH book and art printing works on Erfurter Straße and Washingtonstraße serves as the starting point and a case study for the investigations. After jointly developing the criteria, the students set out to identify and describe comparable locations. The focus is on exploring the cultural, spatial and ecological potential of second-row buildings and open spaces.
The seminar is aimed at students on the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree programmes in Urbanism. The aim is to raise participants’ awareness of architectural themes and issues relating to Urban Design.
Time: winter semester 2026/27
Seminar: Wednesday 09:15–10:45
Venue: Weimar
Academic staff: Verena von Beckerath, Hanna Maria Schlösser
Course classification: B.Sc. in Urbanism, M.Sc. in Urbanism