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052-0715-25L 2 Credits BSC , MSC D-ARCH

Topology

Lecturers & Examiners: Dr. Matthias Vollmer, Dr. Philipp Urech
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-01 11:30:29

Abstract

The Topology elective course series delves into the multifaceted nature of places. In the Autumn Semester 2025, the focus will be on urban biodiversity. Students from D-ARCH and D-BAUG will examine how biodiversity can be fostered within urban environments and develop forward-looking concepts through the interplay of digital tools with urban and ecological systems.

Objective

This Elective Course offers students a chance to deepen their spatial perception through a site-specific lens rooted in landscape architecture. Participants will engage with 3D point cloud technologies and other spatial sensing tools to analyze the complexity of urban landscapes. The aim is to develop new methods of reading, editing, and representing these entangled spaces across physical and digital layers.

Content

Course participants will become acquainted with working methods involving digital models produced through laser scanning and combined with sound. They will learn how a laser-scanning survey is conducted, how raw data is processed and analyzed, and how point cloud models are transformed. These models provide new ways to interact with spatial qualities as an audiovisual experience. Building on this knowledge, students will document and analyze a case-study site to reveal its topological potentials and sensory qualities. This understanding will be deepened through point cloud modeling and audiovisual composition. In particular, we will develop a new, comprehensive sectional model of a topologically interesting site situation. Collected samples from the field will then be assembled and built into an interactive application in the «Large-scale Virtualization and Modeling Lab» (LVML). The software taught is open-source and can be installed on private laptops, facilitating applicability beyond the course.

Resources

Lecture Notes

Literature will be provided during the course.More information provided onhttps://lvml.ethz.ch/

Learning Materials (Links)

General Information

Language
English
Levels
BSC , MSC
Frequency
Semesterly recurring

Examination

Type
ungraded semester performance

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
colloquium Topology
Keine Lehrveranstaltung am 20.10.2025 (Seminarwoche) sowie in den beiden letzten Semesterwochen (vor Schlussabgaben). Unterrichtssprachen: Deutsch und Englisch / Teaching languages: German and English.
  • Mon 13:45-15:30 (HIL H 40.8)
2 h weekly

Offered In