Design Studio

In the early 21st century, more people than ever before are living in urban areas or in cities. The accelerating urbanization is one of the great challenges of our time and unchecked haphazard urbanization is a serious threat to both the environment and to the social and economic balance of society. Urbanization must be channelled into responsible sustainable and liveable urban forms and high-quality urban design plays a key role in creating these sustainable living environments. In consequence there is a steadily growing demand for highly skilled professionals in the field of sustainable urban design, and a demand for adequate education.

Urban designers work at all levels of scale from regions to neighbourhoods, blocks, streets and places, sometimes even down to details like benches and lamp posts. Sustainable urban design must provide for distinctive, attractive, engaging and inclusive public spaces with the potential of creating a sense of identity.

The course Urban Recycling deals with complex situations in complex environments. As this is an advanced level course, the work requires a high level of independent work, where students take responsibility for their own learning process. It is also important that students keep an open and lively discussion about their work with teachers as well as with fellow students.

Aim

The aim of the design course Sustainable Urban Recycling is to develop the students’ skills in designing strategic visions for sustainable built environments with reference to current international trends regarding processes of urban transformation. This is primarily achieved by the students carrying out an advanced design assignment parallel with them being stimulated to describe, analyse and evaluate urban environments, structures, contexts and development strategies from architectural, ecological, humanist and socio-economic perspectives. This course specifically emphasizes street oriented development, which provides access to shops, service and residential dwellings from common streets, pathways or sidewalks. Street oriented urban design focuses on mixed-use development and a pedestrian-friendly street grid that is well-connected to surrounding urban areas. Many people sharing the same public spaces contributes to a sense of identity, belonging and safety.

Study Trip

Within the course we make a study trip which is combined with a workshop. During the previous years we made trips to the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland. Even if you have been to those places before, this study trip will show the cities from a different point of view – that of an urban designer, as we engage in various visits, tours and get lectures from local professionals.

Guest Teachers, Lecturers

The design studio is frequently visited by invited professionals from the field of architecture, urban design and landscape architecture. They contribute to the design studio by giving lectures, engaging in the presentations as jury members or by discussing students' projects during tutorials. The following list includes some of the participating professionals who were part of the course in the last years.

Andreas Mayor (Sydväst), Jenny Osuldsen (Ax:son Johnson Guest Professor, Snøhetta), Björn Ekelund (Warm In The Winter), Tess Broekmans (Uhrhan Urban Design), Harrison Fraker (Ax:son Johnson Guest Professor, UC Berkeley), Daniel Wasden (Lund Municipality), Åsa Bjerndell (White Arkitekter), Markus Krauss (Transsolar), Morten Leicht Jeppsen (SLA)

Requirements

Obligatory for those participating in this design studio is the theoretical course ASBN06 Urban Recycling Theory and Methods

Credits: 15hec

Studio Leader: Louise Lövenstierne

Course Examiner: Peter Siöström