Open, Process-Oriented Thinking
The Master’s programme at the Institute of Architecture (IAR) is designed to further develop the professional and creative competencies of future architects. It equips students to respond actively and responsibly to the profound transformations of our time and to contribute to shaping the built environment.
Building on a solid Bachelor’s education, the programme fosters an open and process-oriented mindset. Students are encouraged to approach complex architectural challenges creatively, critically, and systematically. We understand the Master’s programme as a research-driven and experimental learning process — a journey into the unknown. In doing so, students not only develop their own architectural position, but also contribute to future architectural discourse and practice.
Open Architectur
The design module Focus Project, worth 12 ECTS credits, forms the core element of the Master’s programme. Its central aim is the development of an independent architectural attitude shaped by responsibility, self-efficacy, and a conscious understanding of the respective context of action.
Architecture is understood as part of a complex network of social, economic, and ecological relationships. The built environment is explored as a living space in which questions of coexistence and the responsible use of resources play a central role.
Under the term Open Architecture, we investigate approaches that understand architecture systemically and conceive buildings as open and evolving living environments. Recognising that architecture in times of transformation can only be planned to a limited extent opens new perspectives on strategies, processes, and aesthetic expression.
Diversity
The Master’s programme at the IAR attracts students from around the world whose diverse cultural backgrounds and perspectives enrich the learning environment in meaningful ways. This diversity enables established architectural languages and conventions to be critically questioned and reinterpreted.
As a result, innovative approaches, methods, and solutions emerge that reflect architecture as a dynamic and continuously evolving discipline
