Monday, 5 October 2020 marks the World Architecture Day to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat. This year’s theme is “Toward a better urban future”.
Florian Hertweck, architect and professor at the University of Luxembourg, shares his thoughts about a better urban future and shows how the Master in Architecture contributes to shaping the urban future in Luxembourg and beyond.
“A better urban future achieves the socio-ecological transition: bringing working, housing, commerce, farming, leisure and other activities back together and this reducing the mobility; offering qualitative public spaces and neighbourhoods, where social and cultural diversity prevails. A city no longer dominated by segregation, cars and stress, but by participation, exchange, good air and plenty of physical and mental space. Architecture should be a frontrunner discipline in giving shape to this transition,” says Prof. Florian Hertweck, course director of the Master in Architecture at the University of Luxembourg.
The Master in Architecture educates future architects with additional skills in research and knowledge in the field of urban design specific to European urbanism and globalisation. It aims in particular to develop narratives of a socio-ecological society: How we can live together tomorrow and what steps need to be taken today to approach a sustainable and liveable future?
Students actively engage with this question by contributing to numerous projects like Prospects for Greater Geneva 2050, the Internationale Bauaustellung (IBA, international building exhibition) Alzette-Belval or Prospects for Luxembourg 2050 which all aim at developing spatial design visions for their respective regions across the scales.
MA student Eldin Babic’s project for Greater Geneva aims at interweaving housing, working and farming by investigating a new architectural typology.
Koushik, a 2nd year student in the Master programme, would like to work in the field of design and design exploration. “I always liked the thought of giving my ideas a shape and let them become a reality, so architecture and urbanism fit that role quite accurately,” he says. He also hopes to stay in Luxembourg because he feels that Luxembourg has quite a lot to offer.
Florian Hertweck says: “Our programme and research team enjoys great interest in the public sphere of Luxembourg. Not only among the architectural community, who are interested in an independent voice in the fields of architecture, urban design and urban planning, whose young talents we also train, but also among many citizens, city administrations and politicians who are interested in our production and expertise”.
Leandra, also a 2nd year student, dreams of creating a space where people live, work and spend their free time together. Studying in Luxembourg has been an impressive experience for her: “Coming from a rather isolated country like Kosovo, I have explored architecture and planning in ways I have never done before. I chose to study architecture at the University of Luxembourg because here architecture is considered an evolving field. It anticipates various changes it may be confronted with and changes it has to adapt to in the future.”
About the Master in Architecture
The Master in Architecture is a two-year programme which combines a traditional curriculum of architectural education and a profiled programme structured around three major themes: architecture, European urbanisation and globalisation. The programme is taught in English.
Please see the programme description for more information.