/Mensa Measurement

As part of this semester’s assignment, students carried out detailed measurements of the Angewandte’s Mensa. This initial, meticulous documentation serves as the critical basis for their subsequent design project, where they will develop and implement their architectural concepts.

The “Piz Cengalo Landslide” project investigates the devastating landslide that struck the village of Bondo, Switzerland, analyzing its causes, impacts, and the response strategies implemented in its aftermath. This research focuses on the geological and environmental factors that contributed to the disaster, such as glacial retreat, rock instability, and climate change-induced weather patterns.

Through data analysis, case studies, and on-site observations, the project examines the socio-economic and infrastructural consequences of the landslide, highlighting the displacement of residents, destruction of property, and long-term ecological implications. Comparisons to similar natural disasters provide insight into how mountain communities can improve resilience and preparedness against future geohazards.

The study advocates for enhanced monitoring systems, adaptive urban planning, and sustainable risk mitigation strategies. By integrating scientific research with community-driven initiatives, the project proposes comprehensive approaches to safeguarding vulnerable regions from the increasing threats posed by climate change and geological instability.

The “Flood disaster” project explores the devastating floods that struck Germany’s Ahrweiler region in 2021, focusing on the factors that intensified the disaster and the challenges of long-term recovery. Through an analysis of the region’s geography, infrastructure, and policy decisions, the research highlights how steep terrain, outdated flood management practices, and urban development contributed to the scale of the destruction.

The student critically examines the response and reconstruction efforts, shedding light on ecological oversights and the missed opportunity to integrate sustainable and preventative measures into rebuilding plans. The concept of “flood dementia”—a tendency for communities to underestimate future flood risks—is also explored as a barrier to effective long-term resilience.

As part of the investigation, the student evaluates innovative solutions such as the AquaWand mobile flood barrier, which offers a flexible and rapid-response alternative to traditional flood defenses. The research ultimately advocates for a more proactive and ecologically informed approach to flood risk management, emphasizing the importance of community awareness and forward-thinking urban planning.

The design for the new Angewandte University reimagines the spatial organization of studios, workshops, and circulation to support collaborative and adaptive learning. The concept features a single-story building elevated above the ground, accessed via three staircases, symbolically lifting the creative act and fostering openness beneath. Studios, student workspaces, and institutes [A] are housed on the upper level, while a series of workshops [B] are placed below ground, reinforcing the idea of making as a foundational layer of artistic education. Central to the project is a flexible wall system, allowing spaces to be reconfigured in response to shifting academic needs—whether daily or semester-based. This modular approach reflects the dynamic and interdisciplinary nature of contemporary applied arts education, enabling studios to transform and adapt without compromising cohesion.

Rooted in extensive cultural, social, and spatial research, the Guabuliga Market addresses the practical and communal needs of a rural agricultural village in northern Ghana. Designed to provide shade, water, and durable infrastructure, the open-air market pavilion draws from the forms of local summer huts and grain silos, reinterpreting them through a modular architectural system. The structure balances roofscape and floorscape, featuring integrated water access, seating, and a dedicated market space for regional crafts and goods. The roof is composed of two primary components, designed for future expansion, while custom “hooks” embedded in the structural columns invite local appropriation for display and use—allowing the space to evolve organically. Built by local craftsmen and laborers, the project not only created economic opportunities during construction but also introduced new spatial and construction possibilities into the local context. Today, the marketplace functions as both a commercial and social nucleus, enhancing the socio-economic vitality of the village and establishing a new architectural identity for Guabuliga.

ReRoot is a biodesign experiment that investigates how plant roots can become both material and collaborator in the design process. The project draws on the behavior of roots in response to environmental stimuli, using digitally fabricated templates to guide root growth into controlled patterns. Inspired by natural precedents such as the living root bridges of Meghalaya and the work of artists like Diana Scherer, the project merges botanical intelligence with architectural intent. Through a series of iterative experiments using cress and wheatgrass, the team explores how roots can form textile-like or spatial structures—gluing, twisting, and adapting to meshes, foams, and 3D printed scaffolds. ReRoot challenges conventional fabrication logics by positioning plants not as static materials, but as active agents of construction, opening new horizons for circular design, slow fabrication, and multispecies collaboration.

Slime Mould explores the behavior of Physarum polycephalum, a single-celled organism known for its ability to solve spatial problems without a central nervous system. By observing its growth on agar plates, where it connects distributed food sources through highly optimized networks, the project analyzes how natural, non-hierarchical systems can inform architectural and infrastructural planning. These patterns are compared to human-made systems such as transportation grids, revealing the potential for more efficient and adaptive solutions.

Through computational simulations, the project translates slime mould behavior into dynamic spatial models capable of responding to environmental change. This biomimetic approach challenges conventional, top-down design logic and proposes a paradigm rooted in self-organization, emergence, and ecological responsiveness. Positioned at the intersection of biology, computation, and architecture, the work contributes to the growing discourse on how living systems can shape sustainable and resilient design methodologies.

This project investigates how heavy facade systems can express both permanence and transformation. Soultana constructs a dialog between smooth and eroded surfaces using coral limestone panels and adobe earth blocks—each embedded with intricate ventilation, insulation, and structural logic. The dual-wall system articulates the boundary between interior and exterior through precise detailing of substructures, vapor barriers, and acoustic insulation, creating a façade that is as performative as it is expressive. With layered cavities and material transitions, the envelope becomes a climatic mediator while simultaneously telling a story of craft, sedimentation, and decay. The result is an evocative study of how solid construction can be sculpted to engage with both thermal demands and architectural narrative.

Eda’s project transforms the high-tech legacy of the Lloyd’s Building into a warm, human-scaled reinterpretation using sustainable materials and natural construction methods. Through a palette of glulam beams, bamboo rattan weaves, CLT, and bio-based ductwork, the design emphasizes the performative and poetic aspects of building skins. The envelope becomes a layered system—transparent, tactile, and expressive—where ducts and bracing are not hidden but celebrated. By integrating insulation, acoustic layering, and crafted finishes, Eda challenges the coldness of industrial expression and offers an alternative vision rooted in low-carbon construction, tactility, and environmental sensitivity.

Kering Group promotes modern, authentic, and genuine luxury that enables everyone to express his or her unique personality. The company’s mission is to enable its brands to set new limits of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow’s luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. The Kering Group HQ expresses the brand identity through tectonic tension and refined craftsmanship. The tectonic tension of two contrasting systems – heavy masonry and lightweight steel frame construction, focusing on the cuts and assemblages of elements in different scales, transparencies and uses.