CANCELLED Sustainable Architecture (2018)

Welcome to Sustainable Architecture


 Description: Sustainable architecture requires inter-disciplinary collaboration at every stage in the design process as opposed to the current methodology and approach applied by the majority of the building industry.

Buildings account for approximately 40 % of the global energy use. On top of that their urban organization highly influences the amount of fuel used for transportation. Buildings also accounts for vast amounts of material resource and production of waste. Sustainable architecture should therefore aim to bring down the use of fossil fuels and reduce the emission of carbon dioxides, and should aim to relate to and benefit from sun and wind, climate and topography. Sustainable architecture should also aim to apply material resources based on life cycle considerations. Thus, sustainable architecture has a lot to do with building physics. These can be measured and calculated, and the technical aspects of sustainable architecture are easy to acknowledge though sometimes hard to handle.

Sustainable architecture must also address social aspects such as creating good life conditions for human beings. These aspects are harder to define or measure but are a crucial part of sustainable settlement. Sustainable architecture must aim at designing urban buildings where ideals of respect for nature, moderation and reflection goes hand in hand with human urge for material comfort, desire, experience, well-being and richness of life. The duality calls for an answer: The days of uncritical material expansion and abundance may be over but we still urge for a good and rich life: How is this expressed in place, space, materials, architecture?

The course focuses on: Integrated design processes that can unite technical, functional and aesthetic concerns through design and construction, and aims to present a diversity of research and architectural positions in the field of sustainable architecture.

The PhD student is required to write a 3 to 5-page (max. 2400 characters with spaces per page) essay with references to the course presentations and literature in order to obtain the full 5 ECTS.


Organizer: Associate Professor Michael Lauring, mlau@create.aau.dk

Lecturers: Associate Professor Michael Lauring, CREATE, Asspciate Professor Camilla Brunsgaard, CREATE, Associate Professor Lars Brorson Fich, CREATE, Associate Professor Ellen Kathrine Hansen, CREATE and Associate Professor Isak Worre Foged, CREATE.

ECTS: 3 ECTS, but can be 5 ECTS if students make a post-course submission of a written essay assignment

Time: 12-14 November 2018

Place: Aalborg University

Zip code:

City: Aalborg

Number of seats: 15

Deadline: 1 October 2018


Important information concerning PhD courses We have over some time experienced problems with no-show for both project and general courses. It has now reached a point where we are forced to take action. Therefore, the Doctoral School has decided to introduce a no-show fee of DKK 5,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately three months before start. This can hopefully also provide new students a chance to register for courses during the year. We look forward to your registrations.