Architecture Theory Thesis Seminar - Thinking/Reading/Writing

The Architecture Theory Thesis Seminar 'Thinking | Reading | Writing' offers students the opportunity to engage the rich conceptual, philosophical and theoretical dimensions of architecture and its influence on culture through research on a topic of their own choice.

The course is specifically designed to accompany students along the exciting journey of their 'thought processes'. Through a series of lectures, group discussions, seminars and workshops, as well as self-study and peer-study periods, the course helps students to develop and practice the necessary skills in thinking, reading and writing to produce advanced forms of academic research.

In this course students will learn to identify areas and topics of their interest and curiosity, and to frame them from perspectives that highlight their positions through a theoretical lens. It is a course that helps students "to feel and to think", "to identify and to frame", "to question and to problematise", and ultimately, "to articulate and to write" rough ideas and thoughts into proper academic research. As such, it is a preparation course for more advanced forms of 'research design' and academic writing in the Masters program and beyond.

In our course students are encouraged to explore contemporary "matters of concern" from an architectural perspective. Thematically, the course is open to the proposal and interests of all our students: on how we speculate on architectural habits and the environment, on architecture and culture, on technologies and the future, on modes of being and existence, of models of design, aesthetics, perception and ethics, on space and time, of atmospheres and politics, and many other phenomena. In this way our students dive into many exciting areas and fields of knowledge that are relevant to architectural knowledge, from philosophy, theory, cultural studies, anthropology, neuroscience, psychology, ecology: a true constellation of possibilities!

Ultimately, students in our course will write an academic "thesis essay" in which they will convey the development of their thoughts and research.