Ugly Ducklings. Sustainability as an Aesthetic Problem.

   

Description

This field of research (6 CP) takes place in connection with the faculty's project "Zukunft Bau - Pop-up Campus Aachen". The overarching theme is sustainability. The most sustainable approach to architecture is always its preservation. However, reasons of usability or technical obsolescence are often not decisive for the demolition of a building, but also the appreciation of the aesthetics of a certain era. Especially the buildings of the 70s and 80s, the so-called "ugly ducklings", do not correspond to contemporary taste and are therefore often demolished. Architectural photography is able to emphasize the aesthetic qualities of a building, which are not immediately perceptible in reality, and thus to change the judgment about the object. Within the framework of the research field, such buildings are to be tracked down in Aachen's urban space and their architectural qualities made visible again with the help of architectural photographs taken by the students. The aim is to create a new, positive image in this way and thereby preserve the buildings.

This field of research will take place in block appointments. After a theoretical introduction to the function and effect of architectural photography, there will be excursions into the urban space to find suitable objects and analyze them from a building history perspective. In a one-week workshop at the beginning of July, the buildings will then be photographed with the assistance of architectural photographer Prof. Roman Bezjak from the FH Bielefeld. If our funding application is approved, there will be an exhibition of the photographs and an accompanying catalog as part of the Pop-up Campus in September.

 

Module

Field of Research
M.Sc. // all semesters

Dates

On fridays
Start: April 22, 2022

Friday, April 22, 2022, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Friday, May 13, 2022, 9:00 a.m. - 01:00 p.m.
Friday, May 20, 2022, 9:00 a.m. - 01:00 p.m.
Friday, June 24, 2022, 9:00 a.m. - 01:00 p.m.
Friday, July 08, 2022, 9:00 a.m. - 01:00 p.m.
Friday, July 15, 2022, 9:00 a.m. - 01:00 p.m.

Accompanying Content

You can download the corresponding lecture content for follow-up purposes on RWTHMoodle.