programme

POST-GRADUATE PROGRAMME
2015—17
MEGA
INTERNATIONAL MASTER OF ENERGY
AND GREEN ARCHITECTURE
ARKITEKTSKOLEN AARHUS
WHAT IS MEGA?
On a global scale, architects acting with knowledge in sustainable strategies are needed
like never before in history: not as decorators,
show masters, beautifiers or technocrats but
as professionals working with global spatial
challenges. Urbanization is growing exponentially. Streams of refugees are at an all-time
high and ask for basic shelters, in one day ten
million people had their homes destroyed by
a typhoon in the Philippines and two billion
people have no access to basic sanitation. The
building sector alone produces a gigantic 60%
of global waste and 40% of energy is consumed running buildings (without calculating
energy used in construction).
species, pollution of oceans, deforestation
and global waste production take turns to the
worse. Global social sustainability is overtaken
by an all-time high of social inequality. There are,
indisputably, many different approaches to environmental and social sustainability, especially
when it comes to architecture.
MEGA stands for this plurality!
The challenges are gigantic. And they are not
the same in context and in intensity in different locations. Therefore there is not one single
and not one simple solution. Sustainable architecture is complex and it is much more about
people with their present and future living conditions than about built objects.
To accept these challenges and to generate a
much needed impact as transformers of tormented space and as contributors to a society
that values a healthy and resilient environment,
architects must act as public intellectuals.
On the other hand, young, versatile and inspiring ´alternative practices´ are emerging. Their
common approach is to address relevant problems of space and architecture which initially
have no client. They extend the methods of traditional architectural practice and create a new
relationship between the design processes
and the users and they are creative in generating new forms of financing public projects
as well as their own efforts.
Many ´green buildings´, showing more an
image of green than any relevant environmental responsive substance are not good enough,
no matter how many of the 400 world-wide
existing environmental labels they had got.
Let´s be serious: all the relevant negative environmental parameters, CO2 output, non-renewable energy consumption, extinction of
A growing number of high-profile architectural practices have changed outdated working
modes, implemented new design tools and
revolutionized their project teams, some have
even built up serious research departments
which inform sustainable design.
Both developments give hope. And MEGA is
an international education taking the challenges and bringing together two different cultures.
MEGA prepares you to become a player of
sustainable architecture on a strategic and on
a global level: climate responsive buildings are
our goal, and they need to be supported by
material and social responsiveness to become
truly successful.
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
4. SEM.
15 ECTS
3. SEM.
15 ECTS
2. SEM.
15 ECTS
1. SEM.
15 ECTS
1 MASTER THESIS
THE MASTER THESIS IS AN INDEPENDENT AND ORIGINAL WORK OF EACH STUDENT WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY THE
PROFESSORS. STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROFOUNDLY WORK ON A SUBJECT THEY BRING FROM THEIR OWN
INTEREST OR PRACTICE
15 ECTS
STRATEGIES OF IMPLEMENTATION
SUSTAINABLE AGENDAS INTO
ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS
6 ECTS
INTEGRATE DESIGN PROCESSES FOR
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
6 ECTS
RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC WRITING
PREPARATION FOR THE MASTER THESIS
3 ECTS
´GREEN BUILDINGS´ - THEORIES AND
STRATEGIES
3 ECTS
´GREEN BUILDINGS´ - ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PARAMETERS AND
DESIGN TOOLS
7 ECTS
´GREEN BUILDINGS´- TECHNOLOGIES
5 ECTS
THEORIES OF SUSTAINABLE LIFE
STYLES, ARCHITECTURE AND
PLANNING
3 ECTS
SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE ON
REGIONAL AND URBAN SCALE
7 ECTS
SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE OF
INFRASTRUCTURES
5 ECTS
“Green architecture is the direction of
modern design and construction … the
course includes many strategies, ideas and
methods. At the same time I can reflect on
my past design and research.”
MEGA student, Cao Hui
WHO IS TEACHING?
Walter Unterrainer, professor in sustainable architecture at the Aarhus
School of Architecture, is coordinator and academic leader of sustainable agendas in research and education throughout the school. Walter
Unterrainer has been a practicing architect for more than 30 years
focusing on ecological and energy-efficient buildings and retrofitting on
all scales. He was part of former MEGA education.
SONG Yehao, professor, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University
Beijing, is a researcher, educator and practitioner with a long experience
in sustainable architectural and urban developments in and outside China. Professor Song won many prestigious honours and awards for his
designs and he was teacher and supervisor of former MEGA education.
INFORMATION:
CONTACT:
MEETING ON 06.05.2015 AT AARHUS SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, AUDITORIUM NØRREPORT 22
[email protected]
The Aarhus School of Architecture reserves the right to make changes in the programme.