Duration
40h Th
Number of credits
| Master in architecture, professional focus in architecture and urban planning | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Whether described as a catastrophe, a crisis, or a collapse, the current ecological situation entails, willingly or unwillingly, a profound civilisational transformation. In particular, it requires us to rethink our ways of designing, building, and shaping environments, and more broadly our technical, material, and dwelling cultures.
Designed as a prospective and collaborative learning environment, this course invites students to deepen their reflection on the societal role and modes of action of architects in the age of the Anthropocene and its socio-ecological disasters. It explicitly adopts a critical perspective towards modern cults of progress and growth, highlighting the urgent need to develop committed architectural practices that are frugal in terms of energy, technical complexity, and resource use, while simultaneously being capable of caring for the full range of human and non-human entities involved.
To explore some of the ideological foundations of socio-ecological issues, the course draws on a range of materials for reflection and discussion, selected according to the perspectives that students wish to explore and originating from various fields, including Science and Technology Studies (STS), environmental history, environmental humanities, and related areas. These materials may take the form of books and scientific articles, but also speculative narratives produced in previous editions of the course, conferences, podcasts, and other relevant resources.
To connect the questions raised by these materials to the realities of architectural production, students are invited to seek out, analyse, and share information on architectural practices experimenting with alternative pathways. Beyond analysing particular projects or practices, the course primarily aims to examine their capacity to challenge and rework the systems of values, representations, and practices that shape the architectural discipline.
The articulation and reconfiguration of these readings and investigations serve as a basis for the development of a speculative narrative, exploring possible futures for the architectural profession in response to socio-ecological transformations and the axiological crisis of the Anthropocene.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The course aims to provide students with tools for critically understanding the complexity and scope of the changes required to address the current socio-ecological situation. It also seeks to support students in reflecting on their future practices in an uncertain world, mobilising informed reasoning and creativity to become active participants in the transitions to be undertaken.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Students are expected to have good reading and writing skills in French, as well as sufficient proficiency in English to read scientific articles.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course draws on an epistemological and methodological framework structured around three main components: axiology, inquiry, and speculative narrative.
The first one or two sessions aim to collectively define the pedagogical framework of the course, with the active participation of students. This collective framing may take different forms depending on the year and the interests of the group. It may be based on the collective reading of speculative narratives produced by students in previous editions of the course, on the listening and discussion of conferences or podcasts, or on the collective reading, using the arpentage method, of a book from a field other than architecture that invites participants to rethink their relationship with the world.
Based on the questions and avenues for exploration identified collectively, the remainder of the course develops through engagement with scientific literature, conferences and, from an inquiry-based learning perspective, the analysis of architectural practices experimenting with alternative pathways (low-tech approaches, reuse, bio-based materials, continuous construction processes, etc.). The portfolio of readings and case studies is gradually assembled throughout the semester, according to the questions emerging from collective discussions and the time required for particular case analyses.
Prior to each session, students prepare a short report of approximately 500 words based on a reading, a conference, a podcast, and/or the progress of a case study. Presented orally during class, these documents serve as a basis for collective discussion, providing opportunities to explore the conceptual and ideological foundations of socio-ecological issues while also (re)examining the modalities of architectural production. Each report must be uploaded to eCampus and will be made available to all participants.
At the end of each session, students are invited to produce a one-minute paper summarising the main ideas retained from the discussion as well as any questions or reflections it may have generated.
Around the middle of the semester, in order to explore the possibilities opened up by the readings and analyses of (attempted) alternative practices, students progressively develop a speculative narrative exploring possible futures for the architectural discipline. These narratives are not intended to propose solutions, but rather to stimulate the imagination and explore alternative ways of thinking and acting. Speculative narratives may take different forms, according to the student's preference, including a written text, a graphic novel or comic strip, a podcast, a fanzine, or any other relevant format approved by the instructor.
The development of the speculative narrative is presented orally during class, and successive drafts are uploaded to eCampus.
Reports and speculative narratives are produced individually. Collective work may be considered where appropriate, subject to the instructor's approval.
The course is based on the principles of the flipped classroom and collaborative learning. Each session requires active participation as well as the prior completion of the assigned work. Students are also required to attend the session(s) dedicated to the collective definition of the course framework, as these constitute the starting point for the work carried out throughout the remainder of the semester (attendance is recorded by the instructor).
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Course materials, student summaries, and examples of speculative narratives will be made available on eCampus or in print for certain texts.
Students will locate the articles and texts they wish to study using the ULiège libraries or scientific resources available in open access.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
Written work / report
Further information:
Assessment will be based on the following components:
-
Active participation (25% of the final grade, individual assessment): attendance, the quality and relevance of arguments and reflections during collective discussions, clarity and conciseness of contributions, and respect for differing viewpoints.
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A portfolio compiling the student's reading reports, case study analyses and one-minute papers (25% of the final grade, individual assessment): the ability to engage critically with scientific texts and case studies, the extent to which the reports contribute meaningfully to collaborative learning, and compliance with the instructions provided (length requirements, referencing conventions, etc.).
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The speculative narrative (50% of the final grade, individual assessment): the student's ability to develop reflections, explorations and positions based on insights derived from readings, conferences and case study analyses; the narrative and formal quality of the work produced; the ability of any visual or audio media to support and complement the argument; and compliance with the instructions provided. This assignment is primarily undertaken individually but may, where appropriate opportunities emerge during the course, be completed collectively with the instructor's approval. In addition to submission on eCampus, speculative narratives are presented orally to the group, provided that this does not place an unreasonable burden on the examination session.
Access to the final assessment is conditional upon:
- the submission, during the semester, of at least two intermediate versions of the speculative narrative as presented for final assessment;
- attendance at a minimum of 80% of class sessions under normal circumstances, or at least 50% in cases of justified and accepted absences;
- strict compliance with the instructions provided by the instructor regarding the preparation and submission of assignments (deadlines, submission platform, required formats and materials, etc.), except in duly justified exceptional circumstances.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools may under no circumstances replace the personal work expected from students:
- Reading reports, conference reports, and podcast reports may not be produced by AI, in order to ensure that students have effectively engaged with and understood the materials concerned.
- Reflective work (one-minute papers and speculative narratives) must remain entirely personal and result from the student's own reflection.
- The speculative narrative must constitute an original production by the student. AI may not be used to generate its content, argumentative structure, or narrative.
- Any use of AI tools must be explicitly acknowledged and justified in the work concerned.
The organisation of the course relies on the active participation of students and on their ability to engage in collective work through the sharing of information, proactive involvement in discussions, and mutual support of the learning process. Regular attendance is therefore essential to the proper functioning of the course.
Attendance is recorded at each class session. Any absence must be duly justified through supporting documentation and communicated as soon as possible by email to both the instructor and the Student Office (service.etudiants.archi@uliege.be).