Beschreibung
des Entwurfs-programmes |
If a building is good, why not repeat it?
This studio invites students to question the assumption that every architectural project must be entirely unique. Rather than designing a single building, students will create a fully automated system capable of generating countless variations of high-quality, inspiring designs constructed using timber and bio-materials. Working in small teams, each group will serve as a “housing factory,” tasked with providing thousands of new homes for Zurich over the next decade—homes that can be built quickly, yet remain durable and environmentally responsible.
Historically, architecture has always been able to repeat itself successfully. Architecture was a discipline focused on the serial repetition and iteration of designs, typologies, and construction methods. The modernists made architecture in large quantities their project, with experiments aimed at delivering millions of homes through new approaches to design and manufacturing. Iconic examples like Villa Savoye, the Barcelona Pavilion, and the Californian Case Study Houses were never intended as unique one-offs; they were conceived as prototypes for mass replication.
Today, however, the notion of repeating “good” architecture feels counterintuitive. Economic and cultural circumstances have changed our profession so much that architecture—especially good architecture—is rarely repeated. Good architects work very hard to develop a unique and compelling one-off design, only to start again—almost from scratch—for the next project. When we think about architecture that repeats itself, we often associate it with lazy, uninspiring accumulations of anonymous buildings in our cities or the dreary apartment blocks left behind by the modernist building craze.
However, after a 50-year pause, the question of architecture in large quantities is back on the table. Under the pressure of a global housing crisis and a climate emergency, architecture is again being asked to revisit its multiplication and, therefore, its very core. The age-old question of the mass-produced home is back, bringing with it challenges, controversies, stigmas, and opportunities—this time supported by digital tools, fabrication techniques, and sustainable material systems.
This studio operates at two scales: in-depth and at scale. Students will skill up by exploring digital tools, timber and bio-based materials while addressing conceptual questions about the "why" behind repeatable architecture. Collaborating with BUK, students will design and detail timber and bio-material construction systems for a digitally fabricated and factory-produced housing.
In the second half of the semester, students will deploy their design system as small multifamily housing units across 3 different sites in Zurich using an AI-driven workflow and Rhino/Grasshopper. Throughout this process, they will assess their system’s adaptability, the computational tools employed, and the broader societal implications of replicating architecture. How do we work? What are our unique strengths? Which responsibilities do we embrace—and which do we choose to automate?
Studio Outputs:
The outcomes will focus on Fabrication, Depth, and Scale:
Fabrication (1:20 Model): A digitally fabricated architectural model demonstrating a multi-material construction system.
Depth (BUK Axonometric Drawing): A detailed visual representation of the system's assembly.
Scale: An automated, repeatable housing system illustrated by plans, sections, and renderings for 3+ designs across multiple sites in Zurich.
No prior experience with AI or Rhino/Grasshopper is required. Critical thinking and adaptability, rather than technical expertise, will be the primary driver for success in this studio.
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Thematische und methodische Schwerpunkte |
Entwurf, Konstruktion, Handwerk, AI, Computational Design, Housing, Entrepreneurship, Sustainability |
