Information on studying Architecture (B.A.)
The architecture course is designed to train designers, constructors and planners who can meet the requirements of architectural practice as well as those of science and research.
The university campus in Dessau, an important city in terms of architectural and cultural history, offers an ideal location for the internationally oriented course.
Structure of the architecture degree program
The course has a modular structure. A module is a thematically defined teaching unit for which the typical student time expenditure is shown in credits. The assessment of performance (grades) is based on this time spent.
The timetable and content of the modules can be found in the module description handbooks.
At our university, the architecture degree can be completed in 6 semesters or 8 semesters. In the "Y model" we offer, the first four semesters of both degrees are identical. Students decide whether to complete the 6- or 8-semester degree at the end of the 5th semester. The 8-semester degree program complements the 6-semester degree program with in-depth project studies, a broader range of electives and more practice-related work.
Semester structure Bachelor Architecture 6 semesters [JPG]
Semester structure Bachelor Architecture 8 semesters [JPG]
The 6-semester Bachelor of Arts degree is your first professional qualification. It is also the ideal basis for gaining further qualifications through a supplementary 4-semester Master's course and obtaining an internationally recognized degree as an architect.
With the 8-semester Bachelor of Arts, you acquire the basis for registration with the state chambers of architects, which also entitles you to work as a freelance architect. This 8-semester Bachelor of Arts is notified to the EU in accordance with the Professional Recognition Directive.
1st semester
Design
Communication with oneself, the world, the task, the client and the planning partners is a basic characteristic of architects and enables them to develop ideas and convey them in an understandable way. They learn the basics and methods of design work. They develop an architectural imagination and acquire the ability to credit and discuss Architecture.
CAD
We deal with the systematics and methodology of using computers in Architecture. You will learn the logic and basic principles of digital construction. We create 2-dimensional drawings of increasing complexity using one of the
market-leading CAD systems. The subject enables students to create typical architectural drawings in plan, section and elevation.
This lecture forms the first part of a two-semester cycle on the history of Architecture from antiquity to the present day. It begins with general considerations on the meaning and significance of architectural history for the study of architecture, and then proceeds chronologically from Greek and Roman antiquity through early Christianity, the beginnings of Islamic architecture, the Carolingian Renovatio and the Romanesque period to the Gothic period. In addition to the stylistic development, urban planning, construction and historical aspects of the respective epoch are always considered.
The subject of descriptive geometry teaches comprehensive skills in the field of bound drawing and traditional architectural representation based on applied descriptive geometry. You will learn to create constructions in parallel and central projection in two-dimensional and spatial illustrations. We develop drawing-constructive solution strategies for complex problems through abstraction and reduction to partial and core problems.
Surveying provides an overview of geodetic reference systems and instrument science. We deal with the basics of geometric height measurement, lengths and distance measurements. We create simple site measurements and area calculations and teach methods of building surveys.
The Building Construction I module introduces students to the fundamental relationships between function, form and construction in buildings. You will learn about different building materials and their construction methods. How are typical building materials processed? How does the material behave with regard to statics, heat conduction, fire protection, etc.? You will learn how to independently work out simple construction details for a small building, incorporating aspects of the design concept, building history and building materials science.
The Building Materials Theory module introduces students to the technological, structural and energy-related processing of building materials in construction planning and execution. It teaches the complex relationships between building material characteristics and the function-specific application of materials. How are they produced? How are they processed? What physical properties do they have? How can they be repaired during the life cycle of the building? We deal with mortar, concrete, screeds, silicate wall-building materials, metals, glass and wood.
How do we perceive forms and how do we interpret their shape? The module focuses on the relationship between form, its meaning and its content. Having criteria for the design of bodies or objects is a prerequisite for designing in a timeless and universally understandable way. In order to become independent of soft and subjective criteria, such as fashion or taste, it is necessary to have objective criteria. We analyze examples from Architecture, Nature, Design and Science. In practical courses in the studios, shape experiments in a wide variety of materials are reproduced analogously and tested for their visual effect.
2nd semester
Design II
Communication with oneself, the world, the task, the client and the planning partners is a basic characteristic of architects and enables them to develop ideas and convey them in an understandable way. They learn the basics and methods of design work. You will develop architectural imagination and acquire the ability to credit and exchange ideas about Architecture.
CAD II
You will acquire in-depth skills in the use of profession-specific
CAD software. We create simple buildings as spatial models from intelligent components in BIM (Building Information Modeling). Rendering processes are used to create photorealistic representations using surface design and lighting.
The lecture forms the second part of the two-semester cycle on the history of Architecture from antiquity to the present. The summer semester lecture follows on directly from the winter semester. It begins with the modern period and proceeds chronologically from the Renaissance and Baroque through Classicism and Historicism to Modernism, Post-War Modernism and Post-Modernism. In addition to the stylistic development, urban planning, constructive and historical aspects of the respective epoch are always considered.
Students learn the necessary vocabulary for describing and discussing architectural topics in English through various forms of exercises and with the help of media content. They are sensitized to pronunciation and rhetoric in the presentation of design concepts and in English-language communication with clients and construction partners. Students develop an understanding of the approach, jargon and stylistics of Architecture in English-speaking countries.
You will learn to understand different building materials and their construction methods and how to use them in planning. We create the detailed and work planning for a small-scale object, such as a detached house. You will learn how to combine structural planning with the architectural design concept, structural design and building climate considerations. Key topics include foundations, flat and pitched roofs, ceilings and floors, as well as staircase constructions.
They acquire knowledge about the criteria of comfort in living and
working spaces, physical principles of heat transfer, requirements for winter and summer thermal insulation, moisture protection, sound insulation, room acoustics and the lighting of rooms. After completing the module, they will be able to construct and assess building components according to building physics criteria in accordance with the architectural design concept.
The module deals with the three-dimensional criteria of our visual perception. Important topics include the relationship between detail and large form, volume and density contrasts, composition criteria, criteria for the perception of volume, volume deformation and joining as well as the basic rules of proportion theory.
3rd semester
In the Design module, you will develop complex multi-storey buildings with differentiated room programs. You will learn to combine function, design and technology. We look at the social relevance of Architecture and deal with the careful use of material and ecological resources. You will learn how to produce an architectural design - from the analysis of the existing situation, through initial spatial and functional ideas, to detailed elaboration and presentation.
Building theory supports the design process. It teaches the basics, facts and requirements for the proper design and function of different types of buildings. You will learn how to organize buildings and operational processes sensibly and understand the logic of typical organizational structures and building systems. For example, we deal with the typology of access concepts, the distinction between serving and serviced spaces, building law requirements and barrier-free construction.
The module provides an insight into central questions of Architecture that have recurred throughout history. The lecture series focuses on practical questions of architectural design and shows how aspects of construction, function and form intertwine. You will learn to discuss architectural theory topics based on key positions.
The Urban Development / Urban Planning I module is the first part of a two-semester introduction to the basics of urban development and urban planning and their interrelationships. Interactive lectures introduce students to the historical development, legal and technical framework, current fields of action and challenges as well as actors in urban development and urban planning. In the seminars, students learn basic tools and methods of urban planning and spatial analysis and urban design. Practical courses at different scales deepen the understanding of inter-scale and interdisciplinary contexts from the building to the urban region and cultural landscape.
The Building Construction III module focuses on the theoretical understanding and practical implementation of skeleton structures. You will learn how to translate a conceptual idea into a realizable object and how to present your planning in working and detailed plans. We deal with timber construction and issues of timber protection as well as steel and reinforced concrete structures.
You will learn which structural systems underlie real buildings. What forces act on supporting structures? What are the load-bearing capacities of the various building materials? We determine the loads on common structures (ceilings, walls, roofs), look at different load-bearing systems (beams, arches, frames, etc.) and determine the internal forces on simple structural systems.
Students learn to capture spatial situations by using two-dimensional tools. Without having to know perspective rules, three-dimensional relationships are nevertheless drawn. This is essentially done through the equal observation of object and intermediate space - an essential technique for later being able to see and measure alignments and true slopes. The module is a school of seeing and training in basic compositional understanding.
In practical courses, you will learn how to divide a sheet spatially and how to depict individual objects and entire compositional groups confidently and correctly. We will look at graphic techniques for depicting light and shadow, strong and weak contrasts, lines and solids. We work on short impromptu sketches as well as detailed representations in large formats.
