The Faculty of Architecture and Social Sciences has existed at the Higher School of Technology, Economics and Culture Leipzig (HTWK Leipzig) since 1992. Students can specialize in a variety of fields, from planning, conservation and restoration of monuments to design and architectural history; the first stage of study takes three years, the second, master's degree - two. Now we bring to your attention four bachelor's degree projects out of 43 defended ones. Students were offered three topics to choose from, as well as, for active and responsible people, the opportunity to independently choose the topic of their work - of course, with the subsequent approval of the topic by the professors. Defense and presentation of projects took place on July 15-18, according to tradition - in the premises of the former spinning mill Alte Spinnerei. The materials selected for publication are not united by any general principle, but the authors of all projects received a high score: from 1.8 to 1.0 points (a unit is considered the highest score according to the rating system adopted in Germany); the topics of two projects out of four were proposed by students, not teachers.
Here is what the dean of the faculty, professor says about student work.
Annette Menting:
“This year 43 students were allowed to defend bachelor's projects. Some of the applicants proposed their own topics, which indicates the high interest of future specialists in the problems that society poses to us today. The topics offered to the students to choose from also revealed the creativity and creativity of the graduates' thinking. It is important that, unlike construction specialties, our task is to develop precisely creative design, a creative view of modern architecture. ***
Joint House
Experimental social housing in Medellin, Colombia
Ivan Ilyakov (topic suggested by a student)
As an example for working with a social housing project, the author took the Colombian city of Medellin - annually 30 thousand former peasants move there, who settle on the outskirts, replenishing the favelas. The government decided to relocate people from poor areas to new houses - a project of such a residential complex of social orientation is proposed by Ivan Ilyakov in his thesis.
The complex, which is fundamentally for the author, is multifunctional: it includes residential, retail, administrative areas, a kindergarten, parking (alternatively), an open-air cinema and a cafe. Open terraces between apartments, a courtyard area and a media center-library are designed to improve communication between residents.
The proximity of the main transport artery of the city of Colombia Avenue and the church of San Juan De Dios located on the border of the site are taken into account. The church, as an important element of socialization of residents and an integral part of the life of Colombians, is included in the complex.
The courtyard of the complex is two-level, the ground floor is occupied by a kindergarten and a parking lot, on the second level there is a pedestrian zone.
As a response to globalism and unification, the author proposes to use the local building material - Guadua bamboo (height up to 30 meters and stem diameter up to 25 cm). The facade of the house is made of it, which at the same time serves as a fence and protection from the sun. In addition, the author proposes to use the crushed remains of demolished buildings to fill the gabions (metal mesh boxes), of which the external, non-bearing walls of the complex are made.
Trigon Media Center
Media Hub in the historic center of Leipzig
Kilian Möllmann
The media center project in Leipzig, between the Thomaskirchhof church and the market square (Marktplatz), aims to unite the historic city center into a single ensemble. The location of the building takes into account the traditional walking trails of this part of the city. The glazing of the first floor contributes to the visual "transparency" of the building. Cubes and floor plans emphasize the location of the entrances and exits on three sides.
The significance of such sights as the old market square, Tomaskirche and Petersstrasse is underlined by three glazed facades overlooking them. Free space inside the building is divided into zones depending on the intended pastime: workplaces with computers and wi-fi, reading rooms, a children's corner, a lounge area. The upper floors provide viewing platforms, as well as rooms for lectures, creative meetings, exhibitions and presentations.
Danube wave
Administrative building for creative professions on the Danube Canal in Vienna
Nadezhda Povtareva
Recently, much attention has been paid to the development and support of creative professions in Europe. Art clusters are being created, enterprises and industrial zones are revitalized, turning them into cultural centers. In Vienna, at the same time, the authorities are planning to transform the embankments along the Danube Canal (Donaukanal) into recreational areas with restaurants and pedestrian promenades.
Students were asked to use as a foundation an artificial island of former defensive structures - sluices, designed at the beginning of the twentieth century by the architect Otto Wagner.
It was necessary to create an administrative building with a total area of 5000-6000 m2, including rooms from 100 to 500 m2, a presentation room for up to 500 people, two staff suites and a small showroom for a permanent exhibition of Otto Wagner's work.
In this project, much attention is paid to the use of a flat roof, which continues the pedestrian zone and serves as an observation deck. Thanks to the use of open stairs and ramps, several levels of the embankment are included in a single promenade, while the stairs themselves form a kind of architectural "art object".
Despite its large size, the building looks light and transparent due to full facade glazing and the use of internal glass partitions. The façade is formed by alternating polished metal and glass panels. At the same time, the facade facing the river resembles a wave with its broken lines.
The administration building and the exhibition hall are separate structures, which will separate the working people from the tourists and visitors. The buildings are positioned at an angle to each other in such a way that the space between them directs the eyes of visitors to the Otto Wagner building of the Danube Canal Locks located on the opposite bank.
Fortress Koblenz - new opportunities for free spaces
Elizabeth Pabst (student suggested topic)
Koblenz is located in the northern part of the Middle Rhine Valley, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002. The city was built in 1815-1834 as a Prussian fortress and consisted of various defensive structures. Individual fortifications were within sight, as forts, fortifications and trenches formed a single defensive system. Today, the visual connection between individual buildings has been lost and many buildings are not accessible to visitors. The aim of this project is the reconstruction of the fortress ruins, which are an important element of the history of the city, and the creation of new walking routes.
