Bauhaus.Modul: Environments in Media, Art and Architecture – Adaptation as Design Praxis - Einzelansicht

In response to the current climate, health, and social crises, we will re-actualize the integral concept of "Environments" first introduced by artists and architects in the 1960s, including Allan Kaprow and Nicolas Schöffer. Through their open settings, they wanted to enable collective processes of design and participation, involving all actors (human and non-human) in a specific place. As open, process-based situations, Environments allow for a practice that aims to reevaluate boundaries, roles, and concepts in architecture, the social, and the natural world by reframing the relationships between designers, buildings, users, and the natural world. Our goal is to explore adaptive actions and processes for a future design practice. The course will develop speculative scenarios of adaptation in various media, images, video, A.I., etc.

The interdisciplinary theme and course involve students from different faculties. Environments, first developed in art in the 1960s, have found their way into media theory and experimental architectural practice. A symposium at the beginning of the semester will bring these developments together. The seminar projects will allow students to specifically address and develop responses to some of the global and local challenges of our time.

In this course, students will learn about current architectural research and developments, and practice a holistic design approach that considers multiple actors (human and non-human). Students will be asked to address current challenges (climate, energy, social, health, etc.) in a speculative design scenario and work collaboratively on an interdisciplinary topic.

After an introduction to the seminar topic, a symposium on interdisciplinary Environments with student presentations and group discussions will provide a common knowledge base. A visit to an adaptive high-rise for hands-on experience and documentation marks the beginning of the seminar project. This will be developed in interdisciplinary teams for mutual learning and complementation of skills. A playful approach will help to design adaptation scenarios in a holistic way.

This interdisciplinary seminar is open to students of media, art and design, and architecture. The course combines theory and practice, speculative design and a site visit to an adaptive high-rise in Stuttgart. The seminar will be partly in class and partly online.

Interested students are asked to apply by email by October 10, 2023. Please send a short message with your name, matriculation number, field of study and a sentence why you are interested in this course to Marie Ulber (marie.ulber@uni-weimar.de). To ensure equal opportunity for all students, only applications via email (not Bison!) will be considered.

Presentation of a research topic, speculative design projects

The course is open to all Bachelor and Master students of the Faculties of Architecture and Urbanism, Art and Design, and Media as part of the "Bauhaus.Moduls". Before registering, please contact your academic advisor to clarify whether this course can be credited to your curriculum. If necessary, you can sign a learning agreement before the course starts.