Teaching

The construction of the building envelope largely determines the energy requirements and the shape of a building. Therefore, our courses should enable students to design, plan, and construct façades which deal effectively with issues of energy and light. This we do in terms of integrated teaching, whose basic philosophy is based on the three subsystems of a building – building envelope, supporting structure, building systems – in collaboration with other disciplines, such as building climatology, structural engineering and industrial partners.

Due to the nature of the different systems from different perspectives, students learn that the building envelope is not to be considered in isolation, but as part of an integral whole, since it is in the integration of the building subsystems that efficiency is improved. The chair offers several courses with different emphasis and depth to give the students the opportunity to practice and learn integrative, interdisciplinary design and planning. Thus, students are challenged and encouraged to think and plan holistically.