Faculty of Architecture: Teaching sustainable design during the first, second and diploma year of studies. Leading courses: Introduction to architectural and urban design, Design of Single Family Housing and diploma projects integrating elements of sustainable design to at least 150 students a year. During the design process cooperation with external experts, local authorities. Integrating UE initiatives into design courses (eg. GROW SusPurPol project).
Designing of single family housing and introduction to design are taught by different units in our school. We decided to change the approach to that subject and incorporate sustainable solutions in first and second year obligatory design studio.
The objective was to create awarness of natural environment and healthy housing environment in the students - future practicing architects. Also give them tools and methods of obtaining knowledge on sustainable solutions.
The ideological assumptions of the urban and architectural design of flats and buildings in compact single-family development and in complexes of low multifamily housing of high intensity:
assuming the principle of unity of architecture and urban layouts,
building an architectural and urban form based on diversely shaped urban interiors,
searching for functional and spatial autonomy and identity,
shaping a healthy and sustainable housing environment,
adjusting the character of established spatial solutions to the surroundings – the context of a place,
considering: caring for the form, shape, proportions, aesthetics, attractiveness and beauty of architecture,
aiming at a suitable, cosy scale of the buildings and urban interiors,
zoning the functions of urban interiors into public, semi-private and private as well as transport and recreational,
designing safe recreational interiors, isolated from vehicular traffic and fumes,
aiming at safe transport layouts with dominating pedestrian traffic,
assuming a criterion of intensive land use, aiming at energy saving and economy of architectural and urban solutions,
individualizing the programme of flats, adjusting their structure and functional solutions to future residents’ requirements,
flexible shaping of the projection of a flat in order to adjust it to a family’s various needs which change over time,
assuring direct contact between a flat and a garden,
aiming at a connection between the interior and the exterior of a flat in functional and spatial solutions,
using rational and ecological technical, material and technological solutions.
For many years, the Chair of Housing Environment, in co-operation with the communes of Ma¸opolska, has been supervising exercises in the urban and architectural design of single-family residential complexes in specific locations and towns on the grounds of individual communes. The educational purpose is to teach urban and architectural design in an assigned context, place, directed at the practical side of performing the profession of an architect in contact with an investor – a commune, taking its needs and expectations into consideration. In the previous years, the students have produced a vice-series of conceptual urban and architectural designs of single-family residential complexes, including:
In the academic year 1999/2000 for the commune of Zakopane
In the academic years 2000/2001, 2001/2002, 2002/2003 for the commune of Krakow, comprising numerous implementations on the grounds of the city of Krakow
In the academic year 2003/2004 for the commune of Zielonk
in the academic year 2004/2005 for the commune of Zielonki and the commune of Mogilany
in the academic year 2005/2006, within the co-operation between the Chair of Housing Environment at the Faculty of Architecture of the Cracow University of Technology and the Office of the Town of Bochnia a topic related to the project “A Blue Print for the Planning and Purchasing Policies for Sustainable Built Development” co-financed within the regional operation INTERREG IIIC 2005-2007, prepared at the Chair of Housing Environment
in the academic year 2006/2007 for the commune of Miechów, 2007/2008 for the town of Oswiecim, 2008/2009 for the town of Zakopane.
200 sustainable housing and urban interior projects a year, multiple seminars, the basic purpose of exercises at the Chair of Housing Environment is to acquire abilities in:
carrying out multifaceted urban analysis for assuming a suitable conception of an urban and architectural solution
knowledge of the principles of urban composition
developing a consistent design in various urban and architectural scales,
producing a critical assessment and rational argumentation as a basis for decision taking in the process of urban design,
designing complexes of detached buildings in various sizes and types of housing, based on the effective technical conditions,
shaping a housing environment from the ecological point of view (in the scale of a complex and a house) according to its users’ requirements,
searching for some regional cultural inspirations and using them in contemporary urban and architectural solutions
consistency of newly designed architecture and landscape
use of modern building technologies (including the use of energy from renewable sources)
graphical and verbal presentation of assumptions and the final designing solution
Integration of sustainable solutions into desing, cooperation with external experts.
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