Chair of Foundations of Architectural Design
In its teaching and research, the chair focuses on architectural design as a form of shaping action: from the smallest possible intervention to the transformation of entire structures. The foundations of design are not assumed to be fixed, but rather seen as contradictory and in a state of constant flux: What should we build or rebuild, why, and with what architectural expression? For whom, with what resources—and: should we even be building or rebuilding at all? We seek answers to these questions at the chair through direct “action”: We physically engage with real construction sites, creatively redirect material flows, collectively transform places, and become caring co-users of our built environment ourselves. Sometimes we decide to do nothing at all. Only through concrete, deeply engaged immersion in the specific case—through learning “firsthand”—do broader contexts reveal themselves to us. This closeness to the things helps us to weave “time” into our actions: Correcting and repairing, we move forward step by step in a fragile world, full of optimism and creative energy. Through research, the professorship “elevates” this knowledge and makes it accessible to practice and science.