Cultural

Durable appreciation of buildings and urban densification combined with infrastructural improvements define the basis for socio-cultural revaluation Phases of life, new models of living together Economic powerful regions: strong migration, integration, individualization > Ioneliness Economic week regions: emigration, loss of culture

Economical

Efficient construction and maintenance guarantee positive return of investment for architectural projects. A building that requires minimal operating energy is characterized by a well-balanced interaction between its skin, structure, building technology and service procedures.

Ecological

Sustainable Design is hereby defined as the quest for an optimized energy balance throughout the entire lifecycle of a building. Beside heating and cooling demand, grey energy and recycling energy are considered as integral components of planning. The choice of materials is further affected by environmental impact and emotional phenomenology, which close the circle to cultural sustainability.

STUDIO THEMES

Precise construction leads to beautiful detailing. The phenomenology of the materials leads to sensual aspects of spaces. Focusing on the tectonic rules of the material, efficient and aesthetic buildings are developed beyond an understanding of architecture as decorative surfaces.

Multitasking 1 to 20/200/2000

Since the building envelope is one of the key issues, construction in scale 1/20 is not done at the end of the design process. Parallel to plans and sections, urban design and construction are developed over the whole semester. Still, scheduled periods help to focus.

Quality of Life

In the end architecture was invented to increase quality of life. We wonder about true values and think about a paradigm shift from “more quality of life - more energy consumption” to “more quality of life - less recourse consumption”

LEARNING SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Learning Objectives

The Concentration ‘Sustainable Design’ is part of the Master of Science in Architecture Degree Program of the Institute of Architecture and Planning of the University Liechtenstein. Going straight forward to detailing of the buildings envelope, Students develop an aesthetic expression by sensual construction. One could name it tectonics. The projects will be developed on the basis of the strictest Energy-Standards. The design-course will be supported by the four mandatory courses in Building Physics, and Structures, Mechanical Systems and Material Ecology. These mandatory courses are structured in three parts: communication of basic principles, application there of through the use of particular software, and project related integration.

Integration 

The mandatory courses are integrated by experts. The goal of the integration is to use the acquired knowledge of the lectures in the design studio project. Each student works out the key elements of his/her project to reach the goal of high level energy efficiency and a sustainable building structure.

Goals 

Sustainable design requires energy-optimized constructions. The aesthetic is mainly influenced bya precise handling of details. The design project of Studio Schwarz shows the connection from sensualism to material and further on, to construction.

TEAM

Prof. Dipl. Arch. ETH Dietrich Schwarz , Professor für Nachhaltiges Bauen
Dr. Daniel Gstöhl , Projektleiter für Nachhaltiges Bauen