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Unmasking Space: A Collaborative Platform for and by Students
Last Updated: 2026-06-01 11:32:56
Abstract
A reflection on the structures and norms behind architectural projects and architectural education, Unmasking Space actively questions the content and methodologies of the official curriculum. It aims to recognize students’ voices from below, to disturb and challenge the established values, to value non-hierarchical learning.
Objective
- Students should be able to understand and develop critical positions in relation to other spatial epistemologies introduced and explored in the course. - Students should develop a position on the agency of the architect in relation to the themes explored in the modules of the course. - Students should develop modes of articulating knowledge transfer within a group, in response to the curriculum informed by the contributions of external guests.
Content
This semester, Unmasking Space will engage with the urban scale beyond the rational and efficient forces that shape it, exploring multiple perspectives to understand the city’s dynamics and power structures. A city can be captured on maps, diagrams, and guidebooks but conventional representations often overlook its hidden layers. By experiencing the city through employing alternative learning methods, we aim to uncover relationships and voices excluded from traditional maps and official narratives. – What are critical methods to engage with the city? – What are relevant stories in the city that are concealed, ignored, and left out? – Who defines the city and who benefits from it? – How do architectures reinforce or resist systems of control? Through a series of workshops selected through an open call, the semester will provide an alternation of moments of input, reflection, research and discussion. Intended as a collective, non-hierarchical learning experience, we will explore a variety of case studies, set in Zurich, Neuchâtel, Dakar, Palestine, New York and more. When discussing all of these, from a floating prison to a colonial trade mission, to a wall, we will be guided by a variety of spatial practitioners. We will be shifting the learning spaces - to the city, to our homes, to an informal gathering, aiming to gain a better understanding of how we perform learning in multiple and collective ways. An overview of the previous semester is available on instagram at @unmaskingspace and at the website https://unmasking.space/
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- BSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- ungraded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Signup End
- 03.03.2025
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar |
Unmasking Space: A Collaborative Platform for and by Students
No course on 20.3.2025 (seminar week) and the last two weeks of the semester.
|
|
2 h weekly |