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063-0901-00L 2 Credits MSC , NDS D-ARCH
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Construction History: The Construction Site and Its Technology

Konstruktionsgeschichte: Herstellungstechnik und Baustelle

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. Dr. Stefan Holzer
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-01 11:30:32

Abstract

History of the construction site and its technology

Objective

Introduction to Construction History and the so-called "building archeology": ability to perform a "cloe reading" of historic built fabric, based on an in-depth knowledge on historic production techniques, both in the workshop and on the construction site itself. The focus is on constructions in stone.

Content

This lecture series deals with the history of the production of buildings. This history draws heavily on pictorial and archival sources, but the lecture will always establish the link to traces observable on site. In that sense, the lecture is an introduction to the wide topic of "building archeology". Among others, we will cover the following topics: - construction materials, tools and tooling of construction elements - material flow and economic boundary conditions of the construction site - construction site technology and construction machinery (scaffolding, cranes, etc.) - history of building production The autumn semester is primarily dedicated to building with stone: from quarrying to dressing and lifting. We consider tools, construction site technology such as scaffolding, centring and other temporary works, cranes. We study all types of stone constructions, from foundations to walls to vaults, from concrete-like rubble stone through small dressed stone to huge monoliths. The spring term lecture, conversely, is mostly dedicated to timber construction and to the evolution of structural concepts over time.

Resources

Lecture Notes

PDFs of the lecture slides will be provided before the lecture. Furthermore, the audience will be granted access to recent journal articles and book chapters providing in-depth insight into the topics covered by the lecture.

Learning Materials (Links)

General Information

Language
German
Levels
MSC , NDS
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
session examination
Mode
written 45 minutes
Aids
Wörterbuch (nicht elektronisch)
Digital
The exam takes place on devices provided by ETH Zurich.

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture with exercise Konstruktionsgeschichte: Herstellungstechnik und Baustelle
Keine Lehrveranstaltung am 23.10.2025 (Seminarwoche) sowie in den beiden letzten Semesterwochen (vor Schlussabgaben).
  • Thu 08:00-09:35 (HIL E 1)
2 h weekly

Offered In