Bauhaus
Spring
School
12/03 – 21/03/2026

Urban Heat Islands: Understanding the context of climatic, cultural and physical conditions in urban environments.

Urban Heat Islands (UHI): Understanding the context of climatic, cultural and physical conditions in urban environments

Discover the various aspects of the built environment and Urban Heat Islands and learn how to develop more resilient cities!

In this intensive course, participants get an insight into the subject of “urban heat” and are offered the opportunity to develop GIS skills. The course systematically leads participants to learn about the relation between human-made and natural factors on the built environment, and how responsive planning and design strategies serve heat mitigation. During the course, participants are also acquainted to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or professionalise existing GIS-skills to map heat islands and mitigation strategies for different case areas in Cairo. Participants will work with climate data, interpret and discuss them with expert input and leverage their own experience of perceiving urban heat into a scientific context, leading to practical design solutions that respond to urban heat in a spatial, cultural, and social context.


NOTE:
This course includes an attendance phase in Weimar from March 12 to March 21, 2026.

Students (Bachelor from the sixth semester onward and Master students) of disciplines related to spatial development like architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and spatial planning, geography, engineering, international development, and others.

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Philippe Schmidt M.Sc.
(Head of Workshop & Workshop Organiser)
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
bauhaus.ifex: Integrated Urban Development and Design (IUDD), Weimar

Dr. Conrad Philipp
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
ELLIS unit Jena Initiative
www.ellis-jena.ai

Eng. Mohamed Abdel Aziz, M.Sc.
Contract teacher, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar; GIS and Urban Planning Expert

Dr.-Ing. Hassan ElMouelhi, M.Sc.
Technische Universität BerlinHabitat Unit, Berlin

Your application should be submitted until November 2nd, 2025

Required application documents:

  • Letter of Nomination (applicants financed by the BIP scholarship from the partner universities)
  • CV
  • Letter of motivation or a short motivation video (max. 1min)
  • Portfolio
  • English language certificate (test certificate or a letter from your university stating your English language knowledge)

 

The course fee is 300 EURO and includes:

  • Orientation & Support
  • Programme according to description
  • Teaching materials
  • Certificate
  • Free use of library

 

The course fee does not include:

  • Travel costs
  • Accommodation
  • Insurance
     

Participants, coming from the partner universites in the framework of Erasmus BIP scholarship and BUW students don't pay the course fee.

In addition to the Spring School courses, we offer a comprehensive "Service Package", which includes participation in the excursions and social programme, free entrance to the museums, shuttle-service on the day of arrilval and lunch (from Mon - Fri) in the student cafeteria. The booking of the Service Package for €70 is optional.
 
Students who do not take up the Service Package are automatically required to pay a course deposit of €100. This is to protect us against costs incurred by non-participation. Since in this case, the universities will not receive any funding from the European Commission. The deposit will be refunded as soon as the participants start the course in Weimar.

Please note our terms and conditions (admission conditions, cancellation conditions etc.)
 

3 ECTS
BUW students: please check with the academic programme coordinator for credit recognition.

Acquire an interdisciplinary and transcultural perspective on the urban heat island effect and develop an integrated design approach to reduce urban heat.

BLENDED-Course

Part I: Online Phase (still to be defined in detail)
09 - 13 February 2026: meetings, lectures, readings
02 - 06 March 2026: GIS basics
09 March 2026: Group presentations

Part II: on site in Weimar
12 March – 21 March 2026

3 ECTS

Language

The course language is English.

BIP ID/Component Code: 
t.b.c.