2014-12-11 | International Master's Programme: European Architecture at TTÜ

>>>Current Program Information



11_Workshops at 6 Universities
+ 1 Master’s Thesis [2015-2017]


The two-year training is structured around a series of 8 project workshops + 3 reflective workshops at 6 different higher education institutions: Urban planning as well as architectural and artistic issues – open questions virulent to the cities & regions of the participating universities – will be examined at all scales; multi-dimensional planning processes, design and communication strategies constitute integral parts of a democratic culture of building to transform existing buildings and urban quarters with regard to ecological sustainability. Problems will be resolved in the context of cultural heritage and pre-existing structures.

European Architecture.  International Master’s Programme | Reiseuni_lab ©jp3.de

Studies [120 ECTS credits]

All metropolitan areas of Europe have to rethink and to transform urban or regional neglected districts. The project-oriented workshop sequence enables to focus questions with a local, but superordinate relevance within a defined geographical and cultural context. Next to traditional know-ledge about project work, the handling of complex tasks necessitates scientific, artistic and creative methods to carry out the “design of processes”, to develop analytic examinations, projects and programmes.

1st Semester [3 Workshops, 30 ECTS] 
Baltic Sea Area & Nordic Countries: Architectural Projects, Strategies & Reflections
WS1 Design Reflection 1 [TTÜ]
WS2 Urban Strategies [Tallinn]
WS3 Architecture Project [Helsinki & TTÜ]

2nd Semester [4 Workshops, 30 ECTS]
Central Europe & Israel: Transforming Contexts of Architecture, Art & City 
WS4 Urban Intervention [Ljubljana]
WS5 Transforming Context [Haifa]
WS6 Spatial Strategies [Berlin, Dessau]
WS7 Programming Architecture [Innsbruck]

3rd Semester [3 Workshops, 30 ECTS] 
Lisbon & South Europe: Programming the City, Experiment & Reflection 
WS8 Programming the City [Lisbon]
WS9 Experimental Design [South Europe]
WS10 Design Reflection 2 [UAL]

4th Semester [Master’s Thesis, 30 ECTS] 
Master’s Thesis in research teams with integrated WS11 Design Reflection 3 & Symposium [TTÜ & UAL & Partner Universities].

>>>Curriculum / Study Schedule 2015-17

Professional skills

Students work together with local experts and professors and will be immersed in different approaches to research through design & design thinking, in order to experience the complexity of cultural attitudes toward architecture and urban design. The broader aim is the enrichment of the pan-European architectural discourse and a renewal of architecture education, thus reinforcing students’ range of experiences and sense of social responsibility, vision and capabilities – as necessary skills for a top leadership role in the professional field – within an international and interdisciplinary network.

European Architecture.  International Master’s Programme | Reiseuni_lab ©jp3.dePhilosophy 

Rethinking European Cities
Architectural practice has to deal with complex problems today. The tremendous transformation of the European city requires individuals who are able to perceive things in association, as team-generalists. What are relevant fields today of rethinking cities beyond the limits of growth? How do phenomena such as de-industrialization, touristification or the never-ending urban sprawl affect architect’s profession? And: How do we accumulate architectural knowledge and generate site specific solutions in a socially responsible mind-set, together with students, professors and local experts?

International Education
The new postgraduate programme is a unique and innovative approach to international architectural education: it combines the idea of the classical artist journey with the intensive, interdisciplinary and project-oriented workshop tradition and team-work, focusing on acute topics generating architectural knowledge and dialogue across greater Europe between cities as Tallinn, Lisbon, Helsinki, Berlin, Ljubljana, Innsbruck and Haifa.

Education & Research:
Humboldt‘s Idea of University

Education related to practice in the architecture tradition of university is understood as responsible and social oriented research work on relevant topics of the society.

The reformer Wilhelm von Humboldt, who co-founded the university of Berlin in 1809, formulated the humanistic ideal of the unity of education and research with young people. He initiated a tradition, which until nowadays represents the ideal of the European research university, educating self-responsible individuals as members of a civil society and within lively research contexts.

Beyond Germany’s tradition and not entirely unchallenged in times of financial crises, today the European universities represents a critical and open-minded institution for the architecture discipline and its’ high-quality teaching and research; multi-perspective investigations of relevant questions and the genesis of knowledge are worked out by students and professors in cooperative low hierarchies and interdisciplinary project contexts. Learning, teaching and research work are integral parts of project work also as a didactic method.

The topics deal real problems and future options of living spaces of concrete urban societies nowadays, developed in dialogue with local governors and responsible activists.
 

Regularities [2015-2017]:

Double Degree
Master of Science (M.Sc.), TTÜ Tallinn
Master in Architecture, UAL Lisbon
Length
2 years, full-time
Language of Instruction
English (TOEFL, see admission conditions at ttu.ee)
Admission Requirements
Min. Bachelor Degree (or equivalent) in architecture, 
working experience, excellent portfolio, language skills
Start of Studies
1st of September 
Application
>>>Updated – please note at TTÜ

Scholarships by TTÜ with Reiseuni_lab
The 2-year „European Architecture Scholarship“ is available for selected students of Portugal and Estonia; the „Reiseuni_lab Scholarship“ is available once a year for registered international students of TTÜ from all other countries.
Tuition Fee
2.750 EUR per semester
*plus living + travel costs + registration fee ca. 100 EUR

Reiseuni_lab: European Architecture Dialogue

The Reiseuni_lab utilizes the reformation of the European system of higher education “after Bologna“, to generate and exchange knowledge between cities and institutions – interdisciplinary architecture faculties, schools of fine art, non-academic institutions – within the frame of a research-oriented postgraduate Master’s programme.

In 2008, the Reiseuni_Lab was founded in Berlin by Dagmar Jäger & Christian Pieper with the aim, to initiate a European pioneer architectural research platform & think tank with universities, professors, stakeholders and young professionals as real laboratory about controversial problems of European urban living today.

The Reiseuni Charter – concept & starting point of the project in 2008 – is condensing the philosophy of the network in 7 points. Four ‚Kitchen Round Tables’ in Berlin with professors & students of art, architecture and urban planning served not only to share menus throughout Europe, but also to enter into the discourse about research experiences in international contexts.

The first conference, the ‘European Architecture Dialogue 1’ took place at BTU Cottbus in 2010. After following EAD-conferences in Innsbruck, Kiel, Berlin and Tallinn, today, the interdisciplinary lab integrates professionals of about 10 universities of Europe & Israel. The Academy of the Arts, Berlin is supporting the network since 2009 as platform for exhibitions and meetings.
  

Partner Universities / Network

[1] Estonia: 
Tallinn University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Department of Architecture & Urban Design; Prof. Irina Raud; Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dagmar Jäger: Head of the programme (2013-17)
[2] Portugal: 
UAL Universidade Autònoma de Lisboa, Departamento de Arquitectura, Prof. Dr. Ricardo Carvalho: Director do Departamento
[3] Austria: 
University of Innsbruck, Faculty of Architecture, Univ.-Prof. Arch. DI Dr. Maria Schneider: Institute of Urban & Regional Design
[4] Israel: 
NB School of Design Haifa, Department of Architecture, Prof. Horacio Schwartz: Professor of Architecture Project, Lenka Cederbaum: B.A Arch., Senior Lecturer
[5] Germany: 
Berlin University of the Arts – HZT, Inter-University Centre for Dance, Berlin, Prof. Rhys Martin: Director of MA Solo Dance
[6] Slovenia: 
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Architecture, Prof. Maruša Zorec: Professor of architecture & rehabilitation
[7] Germany: 
Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, Dr. Claudia Perren: Director of Bauhaus Dessau Foundation
[8] Finland: 
Alvar Aalto Academy, Esa Laaksonen: Director of A.A. Academy with Emil Urbel: Architect, Lecturer at TTÜ, Tallinn
[9] Berlin: 
Reiseuni_lab, Dagmar Jäger & Christian Pieper + Members + Supporters


Conception + Text: Dagmar Jäger


Developed + Supported by: Reiseuni_lab www.reiseuni.eujp3_Christian Pieper

Disclaimer: This post describes the master's degree programme for the classes which started in 2015 and 2016 at TUT. The content of this post is not contractually binding. Tallinn University of Technology www.ttu.ee/en reserves all rights to change the information without prior notice.