Yes to Renovation!

For many years now, new buildings have been treated primarily as investments rather than as spatial resources for people. Due to financial speculation, millions of square meters in Europe stand empty and are falling into disrepair or being demolished and replaced: this affects single-family homes and residential buildings as well as industrial and office space. 

If things continue as they are, by 2050 two billion square meters of existing space in Europe will have been transformed through demolition and new construction. This practice creates social, economic, ecological, and cultural problems, as demolition is usually accompanied by the loss of living space, energy, and history. The European Parliamentary Initiative House Europe! aims to draw Europe's attention to this phenomenon in 2025. It focuses on social, ecological, economic, and cultural aspects, thereby contributing to the material and construction transition.

Each group of three students selects one of the predefined projects and develops a research design based on the task at hand, combining classical empirical and creative interventionist methods. The expedition is followed up and presented not only with a scientific report, but also with supplementary media such as podcasts, photography, and journalistic texts.

The “Field Trips” format

Since 2016, Field Trips have provided a framework for master's students in architecture and spatial planning to conduct independent expeditions to a wide variety of European cities. Experimental and art-based methods are used for the field research, which usually lasts six to ten days. Unlike in previous years, the focus is no longer on public space, but on examining existing buildings.

Students develop a research design and write a research proposal for the travel grant. Once the proposal has been approved, the trips can be booked and organized. They conduct the field research independently, evaluate the material, and finally produce a radio feature/podcast, an exhibition contribution, and a report. There will also be workshops on the topics of “radio,” “journalism,” and “photography.”

Course content

• Design a research plan for (partly experimental) field research on the topic of inventory development
• Write and present a research proposal
• Independently plan and implement a research trip
• Collect material in the field using different methods and media and evaluate it scientifically
• Learn to design and implement supplementary communication media (radio/podcast, photography, text) with external input in order to write a scientific report

Team

Visiting professor: Verena Konrad (Vorarlberg Architecture Institute, HouseEurope!)

Supervision: Madlyn Miessgang and Rudolf Scheuvens, future.lab
Tutor: Anna Welwert

visiting professorship

Verena Konrad is an art historian specializing in architecture and design history, curator, author, and cultural manager. Since 2013, she has been director of the Vorarlberg Architecture Institute, a cultural and educational organization dedicated to promoting architecture and building culture. She represents the European initiative HouseEurope! in Austria.

Schedule

Phase 1: Preparation (March/April)

In the first phase, the groups will prepare a research proposal (due April 30). The third session will feature a presentation of the research projects (March 19). Only after this step will the trips be approved.

The preparation phase concludes with a research proposal that outlines the content, methodology, practical arrangements, and financial framework of the expedition. Only after the proposal has been approved can the financial resources be committed.

Phase 2: Expedition (May)

Between May 8 and May 27, 2024, the teams will independently conduct a six- to ten-day expedition to their respective cities. They will observe, conduct interviews, record,
draw, play, intervene... and document their findings.

Phase 3: Evaluation and communication (June)

The results of the expedition will be evaluated and a report will be prepared based on the application. In addition, a radio report will be edited, photo elements will be created, and an exhibition contribution and an article about the project will be written.

Further information

The course is aimed at master's students in the two fields of architecture and spatial planning. Architecture students can have the course credited as a module (10 ECTS) + free electives (2 ECTS). (Crediting in the sense of a module including supplementary subjects is not possible.)

The course will be conducted in groups (approx. 3 students, mixed architecture/spatial planning). In addition to support from the course team, there will be input on photography, radio, and article writing.