Course Description
The built environment, including human activity, constitutes a highly complex system. Owing to this complexity, no single or universally valid framework exists for evaluating the ecological compatibility of buildings or urban development. Instead, a variety of necessarily imperfect assessment models is available, each addressing specific aspects of sustainability.

This seminar introduces ecological evaluation frameworks relevant to architectural design and develops an intuitive understanding of their underlying principles.

Sustainability is approached not as an external constraint or technical supplement, but as an integral component of architectural thinking. The course aims to enable design approaches in which ecological integration emerges directly from the architectural concept and contributes to sustainable cycles and ways of living.

The seminar situates ecological responsibility within the broader scope of architectural practice, encompassing structural, functional, social, cultural, and artistic dimensions. Particular emphasis is placed on the architect’s role as a cultural actor, whose responsibility extends beyond technical optimization toward shaping meaningful and sustainable environments.

Learning Objectives

The course aims to:

foster an architectural understanding of sustainability as a conceptual and cultural task;

provide critical insight into ecological assessment frameworks and their applicability to design;

support the development of design strategies that integrate ecological considerations from the earliest conceptual stages;

encourage reflective and exploratory approaches to sustainability in architectural practice.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students are able to:

integrate environmental concerns with structural, functional, social, and cultural aspects of architectural design;

develop architectural concepts in which ecological considerations are embedded at a fundamental (“genetic”) level;

apply basic physical principles and simulation techniques to support environmentally responsible design decisions;

prepare a simplified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in accordance with ÖNORM EN 15978;

understand and interpret Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in accordance with EN 15804;

work with environmental databases (e.g. Ökobaudat) to support architectural design decisions.

Semester topic: The Energy Towers of Vienna

 

Since 2014, the City of Vienna has required the implementation of building-integrated solar energy systems. From 2027 onward, building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems will become mandatory in all EU Member States under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Together with broader efforts to decarbonize energy generation, this development poses significant challenges for electricity grids, particularly with regard to managing volatile generation profiles associated with renewable energy sources. At the same time, the structural mismatch between electricity generation and demand continues to increase.

In Germany, electricity grid feed-in is no longer exempt from charges and is no longer remunerated in certain situations, depending on the provisions of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG). In Austria, regulatory measures are still under discussion; however, mandatory feed-in curtailment under specific grid conditions is already in effect. Against this background, energy storage technologies are gaining increasing relevance.

Electrochemical battery storage systems represent a cost-intensive solution with potentially critical environmental impacts. As an alternative, kinetic–potential energy storage systems, i.e. architectural and spatially integrated solutions, may contribute to load balancing and self-consumption optimization. While the achievable storage capacities are comparatively limited, such systems may offer advantages in terms of material use, durability, and life cycle impacts. When pursuing this approach, environmental effects must be carefully assessed through a life cycle assessment (LCA) accompanying the design process.

The seminar paper consists of the development of architectural concepts for kinetic–potential energy storage systems in the urban context of Vienna. The work must explicitly address the goal of achieving a positive life cycle environmental performance. However, assessment is based on the critical and transparent evaluation of environmental impacts, rather than on the attainment of predefined performance targets.

Submission consists of a concept portfolio, including architectural drawings, calculations, and explanatory diagrams.

This seminar is part of the teaching of the Energy Design department. Take a look at the work of our students and our projects and research:
https://energy-design.tumblr.com/

Energy Design is an institutional partner of Ladybug Tools, together with AA, MIT, UCL and other excellent institutions: https://www.ladybug.tools/membership.html#partners