18.01.2025

Studying architecture – an overview

Building design

The Bachelor of Architecture takes 6 to 8 semesters. Image source: Unsplash

How do you actually become an architect? Here you can read how a degree in architecture is structured, what topics you can expect, what students should know before applying and where you can study architecture in Germany and Europe.

Structure and aim of the architecture degree program

Great architecture is part of human culture. World-famous buildings such as the Eiffel Tower or the pyramids of Giza evoke the keyword architecture. But how do you actually become an architect?

The 6 to 8 semester architecture course trains those interested to plan, design and create buildings. It is characterized by the combination of artistic creativity and engineering. Architecture is a classic art form that has a major influence on human perception. Buildings represent culture, but also the economic situation and nowadays increasingly climate change. Anyone who has studied architecture can use new ideas to design entire cityscapes and determine the impact of buildings on the environment.

Studying architecture is about the purpose of a building and its ideal integration into the existing building stock. Architects therefore need a broad portfolio of skills. Accordingly, the course consists of cultural and social science fundamentals, but also architecture and art history, statics, building technology, building law, landscape planning and urban planning.

Other skills that students learn include freehand design, working with CAD programs, project management, controlling construction projects and participatory approaches. They should always keep the building as a whole and its relationship to the environment in mind, rather than concentrating exclusively on the technical details.

Topics in architecture

A degree in architecture begins with a Bachelor’s degree, which lasts 6 to 8 semesters. Here, students acquire specialist knowledge about interior and urban spaces, the basics of building, model construction and building culture from various perspectives. More and more degree courses are placing great emphasis on sustainable, environmentally friendly construction. Some architecture courses also focus on a specific area, such as interior design.

Practical experience is also part of the architecture course. This is why an internship lasting several months is usually required. Working in an architecture firm during your studies offers the opportunity to work on real construction projects at an early stage.

These are the classic subjects of architecture:

Building science
Representation technology
building construction
design
Building and art history

Students will also learn the basics of structural engineering in subjects such as building physics, building statics, building materials science, construction chemistry and structural engineering. Equally important are plumbing and heating technology, electrical engineering, concrete construction, timber construction and steel construction. Management and costing are further skills that budding architects learn. Accordingly, they attend seminars in subjects such as construction management, construction management, construction planning and construction law.

What students should know

A degree in architecture usually begins with a Bachelor’s course that deals with the basics of theoretical planning. This includes modules on design, drafting and building materials science. Practical exercises and project work are increasingly added over the course of the bachelor’s degree. There are also real construction projects, which are dealt with in small groups.

Unlike many other Bachelor’s degree courses, the architecture course does not require a purely theoretical Bachelor’s thesis. Instead, the aim is to develop an application-oriented model of a possible construction project – using CAD or as a model.

Students should also be aware that training as an architect does not end with the Bachelor’s degree. A Master’s degree is required for later admission. Here it is possible to deepen your knowledge in specialist areas such as monument preservation, ecological building, real estate economics or urban planning.

The following Master’s degree courses are available in the field of architecture:

Architecture and Environment
Green Architecture
Architecture as a resource
Architecture and Urban Planning
Advanced Architecture
Barrier-free systems
Future-proof building
Resource Efficiency in Architecture and Planning
Infrastructural Engineering
Environmental Design

When planning their studies, prospective students should pay attention to the course’s eligibility for chamber certification. This is because only those who study on such an architecture course may later use the professional title of “architect”. To do so, it is necessary to register with the Chamber of Architects in the federal state. The requirements for this can be found at the relevant chamber.

Who is an architecture degree suitable for?

If you want to study architecture, you should meet certain requirements. First of all, this means a numerus clausus, i.e. a certain minimum grade in the Abitur or Fachabitur. Depending on the university, the NC for studying architecture is between 1.9 and 3.2. This figure changes every year. If you do not have an Abitur, you can also demonstrate your creative talent by taking an aptitude test at some institutions. Alternatively, professional qualifications and work experience serve as a qualification for admission.

Those interested should consider whether they have creativity, good spatial awareness and a willingness to work in a team. Technical and economic subjects are also included in the architecture course, as are physics subjects. It is also helpful to have a good basic understanding of mathematics in order to be able to calculate costs. So if you scored well in art and science at school, you will be well prepared to study architecture.

Architects have good prospects of finding a job, either in an architecture firm or with a city, municipality, housing association or in industry. Engineering firms and building contractors also like to hire architecture professionals. Starting salaries of 2,300 to 2,500 euros gross can be expected. Jobs can be found in our job portal New Monday – free of charge and thanks to Smart-Match, perfectly suited to your own profile.

Study architecture in Germany

Most state universities and universities of applied sciences in Germany offer architecture courses. Students have rated the courses at the University of Stuttgart and the University of Hanover particularly highly, for example. The Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences in Alfter and the University of Art and Design Linz are also popular.

Other German universities that offer a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in architecture are Hochschule 21 in Buxtehude, TU Berlin, TU Munich and the University of Weimar. When comparing the courses on offer, prospective students should pay attention to whether the Bachelor’s course has 6 or 8 semesters. It is also important to identify any specializations.

Study architecture in Europe

There are also many good Bachelor’s degree courses in architecture in other European countries. Great Britain, Spain and Poland stand out in particular. In Spain, the University of Barcelona, the Polytechnic in Catalonia, the University of Madrid and the Polytechnic in Valencia are good places to start.

And the best university for architecture worldwide? According to the QS World University Ranking, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA wins this award. But Berlin, Munich, Karlsruhe, Aachen and Stuttgart are also among the 50-100 best universities worldwide.

In the UK, for example, the University of Portsmouth and the pretty city of Lincoln offer popular architecture courses. It is also possible to study architecture in Gdansk in Poland and Paphos in Cyprus. And Amsterdam is the right place for those who feel drawn to the “Media, Art, Design and Architecture” course. The ETH in Zurich, on the other hand, has a much more technical focus.

Tip: When choosing a degree course, pay attention to recognition and funding opportunities such as ERASMUS+.

07.12.2024

The corrected Rembrandt

Building design

Alongside other important works by Rembrandt (1606-1669), the Berlin Gemäldegalerie owns his masterpiece “Susanna and the Two Old Men” (1647). Recent studies of the painting have produced spectacular new findings. We spoke about the discoveries with Katja Kleinert, research assistant, and Claudia Laurenze-Landsberg, conservator at the Gemäldegalerie der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin (SMB). The latest results of their […]

From March 3 to May 31, 2015, the Berlin Gemäldegalerie and the Kupferstichkabinett (SMB) are presenting the latest results of their examination of the Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn in the exhibition “Rembrandt’s Berlin Susanna and the Two Old Men. The creation of a masterpiece”. What exactly did you find out?

Kleinert: Rembrandt worked on the Berlin “Susanna” for more than a decade and created three different versions of the depiction during this time. This was already known and documented by the Rembrandt Research Project. Now, however, it is possible to reconstruct the three versions in detail. In addition, in collaboration with the Kupferstichkabinett, it has now been possible to reassess the time when work on the painting began. The first composition must have been created around 1635 rather than 1638. What was previously completely unknown and truly spectacular is the discovery that the work was extensively reworked again in the 18th century.

How did you track down this sensation?

Kleinert : The decisive clue came from a reproduction engraving by Richard Earlom (1743-1822) from 1769. The original is kept in the Kupferstichkabinett (SMB). The sheet documents the version of the picture that Rembrandt left to posterity in the 17th century. A comparison with the present-day work reveals how much more differentiated the painterly execution of the painting must originally have been. As a result, it was possible to correlate existing art technological results, which proved that parts of the painting had clearly been reworked at a later date.

Laurenze-Landsberg: ” Earlom’s reproduction engraving was a relief for me. I had already examined the panel painting with a stereomicroscope before I became aware of it. The separation of the paint layers and chipped areas revealed beautiful, precisely executed details that had been very roughly painted over. At the time, however, I still assumed that Rembrandt had reworked the painting and was confused by the master’s superficial, less meticulous way of working.

What investigations did you then carry out to investigate the suspicion of a later intervention by a third party?

Laurenze-Landsberg: In addition to the neutron autoradiographs, we also analyzed the X-ray, infrared and grazing light images and examined the image stereoscopically. The image carrier is a sugar box wood which, contrary to previous assumptions, is not made of mahogany but amaranth. The sugar trade flourished in Amsterdam in the 17th century.

You assume that the later overpaintings are by the English painter Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792). What supports this theory?

Kleinert : The provenance of Rembrandt’s Berlin “Susanna” is very well documented. Two painters had the panel in their possession. Sir Joshua Reynolds was one of them. He owned the painting for a particularly long time. We also know that Reynolds was interested in old painting techniques. And that he often worked on other people’s works and altered or corrected them to suit his own taste. He was also not afraid to remove paint in order to study the working methods and techniques of other artists. By looking at the original together with English colleagues from the Reynolds Research Project, the painting technique could then be clearly attributed to Reynolds.

Laurenze-Landsberg: The neutron autoradiography supports this thesis. It shows intense blackening caused by the antimony isotope SB-124. Since no tin can be detected at the same time, the antimony-containing pigment must be Naples yellow. It came into increasing use from the middle of the 18th century. Elsewhere, the paint layer is swollen, which indicates the use of copaiva balsam. This is a resin that was used to “freshen up” paintings. It is known that Reynolds used it as a binding agent.

How do you assess the reworkings today?

Kleinert: There are examples of even more far-reaching interventions that raise the question of the extent to which one can still speak of an original masterpiece. The Berlin “Susanna and the Two Old Men” is a painting that has been altered at a later date and must be declared accordingly. But it remains a Rembrandt.

The interview was conducted by Britta Grigull.

More on Rembrandt’s drawings, the biblical Susanna theme and the corresponding Berlin exhibition in RESTAURO 2/2015.

21.12.2024

Event

Architects in snow fever

Building design

At the beginning of February 2015, the tenth open German Architects’ Championships in the disciplines of skiing and snowboarding took place in Mellau and Damüls, Austria. Around 120 participants took up the challenge. around 120 participants took up the sporting challenge. At the warm-up in Peter Zumthor’s “Werkraum” in Andelsbuch on Thursday evening, the early arrivals were able to get a first impression. In the exhibition “No Name Design” by Franco Clivio, the focus was on the inconspicuous things that accompany us in everyday life and yet rarely attract attention.

The following evening, the GAM open 2015 was officially opened by patron Lutz Heese (President of the Bavarian Chamber of Architects) in the Elsenalpstube in Damüls. After the subsequent ‘Kässspätzle’ meal, which was a culinary highlight, originally served in a wooden bowl, the 4 kilometer long and illuminated toboggan run into the valley could be tested. In bright sunshine and perfect conditions with 1.90 meters of snow, the starting signal for the 10th GAM open in the parallel slalom discipline for skiers and snowboarders was given on Saturday morning.

Jannis Merz (men’s skiing) with 22.420s, Armin Tittel (men’s snowboarding) with 27.360s, Birgit Keppler (women’s skiing) with 26.430s and Ulrike Schneider (women’s snowboarding) with 34.780s won the championships with best times. The office championship went to the team from the Reutlingen Chamber of Architects (Nightmare 2). The award ceremony took place in the evening, followed by a party at the four-star Design Hotel Sonne in Mellau.