Master Design Studio Common Futures

A global transformation towards a circular economy requires local changes in the construction sector. A large proportion of future global construction activity will take place in growth regions, which therefore offer the greatest potential for avoiding emissions. Digital design and manufacturing methods can enable innovative concepts for the use of renewable and natural materials in construction, thus opening up solutions to these global challenges based on digital and circular construction methods.

 

The potential of digital technologies for sustainable construction must be redefined and researched in each case from the specific local socio-economic, climatic and architectural context. In this studio, we are focusing on the African continent in order to learn from the heterogeneous cultural and architectural approaches of traditional construction methods in different African regions.

 

We develop experimental concepts of circular construction in dialogue with local partners and assess their transformation potential in terms of both prototypical implementation and their chances of bringing about long-term sustainable change towards climate-friendly construction.

 

The collective insights gained from the studio will be applied in the context of a construction week in Africa in summer 2025, in preparation for a longer-term international engagement of the professorship.