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Unmasking Space: Work, Work, Work. On the so-called Architect, Labour and the Field
Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:13:59
Abstract
Unmasking Space, is a student-led elective course which aims to critically reflect on the current knowledge production in architecture education, while bringing attention to learning forms, voices, and methods that are currently under-acknowledged in the institution. Through multidirectional knowledge exchange and immersive activities, the course experiments with diverse forms of learning.
Objective
This semester, Unmasking Space wants to challenge the role model of the ideal architect as promoted in university and working culture. In their 2021 analysis, 'ENGAGE D-ARCH', Engage Arts described the 'ideal architect' as being promoted at ETH as follows: “academic, intellectual, male, white, western, straight, from a wealthy or architectural family, overworked, well-dressed, a genius designer, childless or not taking on parental responsibilities, and thriving through connections (...)” Five years later, we’re asking: where do we stand now?
Content
The title of this semester is “Work, Work, Work: On the so-called Architect, Labour and the Field” we will deal with working conditions in architecture, in both education and professional practice. Topics will range from excessive workloads and precarity to strategies of resistance and collectives. By questioning authorship in architecture, we seek to encourage moving beyond the figure of the solitary genius, and to acknowledge the multiple forms of labour that are part of architectural production. This includes rethinking who else could be considered an architect, highlighting alternative role models, and developing counter-canons that challenge dominant images of expertise and authority.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- BSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- ungraded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar | Unmasking Space: Work, Work, Work. On the so-called Architect, Labour and the Field |
|
2 h weekly |