In collaboration with faculty and students from Berlin and other US architecture programs, this summer academy will build upon the summer 2010-2018 programs and continue the exploration of possibilities to design an urban architectural environment for a low carbon lifestyle. This intense design program will investigate technical requirements and architectural opportunities. In addition to ISU faculty, leading Berlin professionals will work with groups of students on ideas and potentials. Sunlight is energy, but it is the source that makes form legible. The obvious architectural issue will be paired with concepts to minimize the loss of energy throughout the winter and strategies to prevent overheating in the summer. The summer academy Berlin is considered a laboratory to investigate in shaping forms that contribute to the goals of sustainability. Designing buildings, which do not work for only one functional setting will be a major aspect of the architects’ work. Creating the form draws from a dialogue with the urban context, the circulation, the construction system and the energy performance of the skin and the spatial composition. Energy performance software will be integrated into the design process. Due to the construction needs after the reunification of Germany, Berlin has become a field laboratory for energy efficient design in many new residential, commercial and governmental constructions. Thus, field trips to energy efficient buildings and visit to professional offices in Berlin, and its vicinity will complement the course outline.

The 2019 summer academy will continue participating in the ongoing challenge: providing affordable housing within the inner city limits.  In the last years economically driven interest started to develop most of the empty sites, which allowed for straight forward design approaches. What is left are infill situations which ask for innovative design approaches. The summer academy will focus on those sites.  In addition to the changing scenario of the cities profile, short term housing is needed for refugees who come to Berlin. Instead of addressing this urgent need with temporary housing, the focus of the summer academy is to investigate design approaches which allow satisfying the immediate challenges and future needs of the city.

We therefore will explore the possibility of typological approaches, dealing with structure,  circulation,  the building envelope and last not least changing program. Adaptability to change will be the main principle for design decisions. This is not only the case in terms of space arrangements to accommodate different users but also with regard to sustainability issues.  Mitigation and adaptation to a changing climate have a major impact on how the build environment eventually will perform as buildings need to achieve more with less. The result can be seen as a balance between social, economic, environmental und individual needs.
 
The inherent quality of a building type allows for adaptation or not. Considering this potential we aim to explore the possibility to develop a design strategy which allows a building to perform as well under different climate conditions, to be more precise the one today and the one of the future. As Stephane Hallegatte, a French meteorologist outlined, it is no longer the question to build for one climate zone, instead, with the lifespan of buildings in mind, they need to be able to adapt and relate to two climate conditions: current and future.
 
This summer academy aims to detect those architectural elements in building typology, which have proven to withstand the continuous challenges of dynamic societies. While architecture magazines elaborate on zero carbon building standards, the public attention starts to address the challenges of global warming and an increasing world population. Attempting to adapt to a rapidly changing climate, architecture as a profession is more than ever challenged to create spaces, which cater to those constantly changing conditions. Demographic changes provide further challenges demanding reuse and reprogramming of building structures.  The summer academy will look into developing design strategies which will meet short terms need as well as long term goals. The result will be on exhibit to the public opening with a reception.
 

SCHEDULE – BERLIN 2019 – Subject to change (accurate as of 03-15-2019)
GLASS BOX BERLIN

• FIELD TRIP MAGDEBURG ARNOLD GLASS (CHRISTIAN)
• STAGE CUTTING EDGE MATERIALS (CHRISTIAN)
• AHU & YEE (CCNY)
• Claudia Lueling MATERIALS

Students are responsible for securing their own housing.
Here is the full list of accommodations close to the ANCB studio site:

https://www.ancb.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=10135313