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052-0716-25L 2 Credits BSC , MSC D-ARCH , D-BAUG

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Topology

Lecturers & Examiners: Dr. Matthias Vollmer, Dr. Philipp Urech

VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-01 11:32:57

Abstract

The elective course "Topology" in the Spring Semester of 2025 will investigate places in Zürich. We will embark the participants on a terrain between science and art that we will shape through spatial mapping and imagination, adopting different perceptual perspectives supported by technology, literature and history.

Objective

This elective course gives architecture students the opportunity to further develop their perception of space through a site-specific approach in the field of landscape architecture. The students will learn to use 3D point cloud technology and other spatial sensing technologies in order to analyze complex urban landscape and develop new ways of editing and representing these intertwined spaces.

Content

This course enhances digital literacy for students at D-ARCH and D-BAUG. It builds on a long standing specialization in the spatial exploration of urban landscapes, and integrates digital methods continuously developed at the Landscape Virtualization and Modeling Lab (LVML). Students will become acquainted to working with point cloud models produced with laser-scanning technology. They will learn to use a Terrestrial Laser Scanner to digitalize the site of investigation and reveal its place-specific character, sensory qualities and potential for change. Collected samples from the field will be assembled for interactive audiovisual use in the Laboratory. Through a series of steps, the students will learn how a laser-scanning survey is conducted, how the raw data is processed, how point cloud models are assembled, what qualities these models can provide to analyze, explore and represent space as an audiovisual experience. This understanding will be gained through digital modeling and audiovisual composition. In particular, we will develop a new, comprehensive sectional model of a topologically interesting site situation. All software required is open source and can also be installed on private laptops, facilitating work from home if necessary.

Resources

Literature

Literature will be provided during the course.

Learning Materials (Links)

Main link
Information

General Information

Language: English
Levels: BSC , MSC
Frequency: Semesterly recurring

Examination

Type: ungraded semester performance

Sprachen: Englisch und Deutsch

Course Components

Type	Title	Time & Place	Hours
colloquium	Topology Teaching languages: English (German, French). No course on 20.3.2025 (seminar week) and in the last two weeks of the semester.	Thu 15:45-17:30 (HIL H 40.8)	2 h weekly

Offered In

Architektur Bachelor
- Wahlfächer und Vertiefungsarbeiten
  - Wahlfächer
    - Landschaft und Urbane Studien
Bauingenieurwissenschaften Master
- Wahlfächer (Den Studierenden steht das gesamte Lehrangebot der ETH Zürich und der Universität Zürich zur individuellen Auswahl offen.)
  - Empfohlene Wahlfächer des Studiengangs
Raumentwicklung und Infrastruktursysteme Master
- Master-Studium (Studienreglement 2021)
  - Vertiefungsfächer
    - Vertiefung in Raum- und Landschaftsentwicklung
Landschaftsarchitektur Master
- Kernfächer (Die Kernfächer bauen auf den Grundlagenfächern auf und vermitteln grundlegendes, breites Wissen in den Kernbereichen der Landschaftsarchitektur in Relation zum Entwurfsunterricht. Die Kernfächer sind teils obligatorisch zu absolvieren, teils frei wählbar. Weitere Einzelheiten, namentlich über das Belegen dieser Fächer, für die Leistungskontrollen und zur Kompensation nicht bestandener Fächer, sind in Art. 27 und Art. 31 Abs. 4 geregelt.)
  - Wählbare Kernfächer