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2019 Study Abroad in Berlin

This summer, a group of ten undergraduate and graduate students traveled to Berlin, Germany, for Spitzer’s Summer Abroad program. The course is coordinated annually by Associate Professor Christian Volkmann and this year was taught by Ahu Aydogan and Yee Lin. The City College students joined others from the German University of Technology in Oman as well as Iowa State University to complete a studio inspired by the technological developments of the Bauhaus, in honor of the school’s 100-year anniversary.

Through lectures, design charettes, tours and working sessions, the students learned passive design strategies and environmental systems while experiencing the city.  The students also learned to integrate analysis from Diva for Rhino, Sefaira, Climate Consultant and CoolVent, among others, to support their proposals for a “glass box” addition to a landmarked horse stable-turned gallery space in Berlin’s Friedrichshain neighborhood.

The final review and was graciously hosted by the program’s temporary home in the Berlin location of the AEDES Architecture Network Campus (ANCB). Critics were invited from a variety of disciplines including historic preservation, structural engineering, performative façade design and exhibition design, which led to a multifaceted and valuable discussion of the work.

“The program in Berlin offered an incredible opportunity to witness the architectural ramifications of the city’s history, while focusing simultaneously on the technological aspects of architecture capable of limiting our impact on the planet. This and the diverse group of students representing CCNY, ISU and the GUTech made for an absolutely amazing experience in Germany,” said second-year M Arch student Matt Morgan.

Other than visiting sites in Berlin, the students traveled to the Bauhaus in Dessau, HafenCity and the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the EuroGlas factory in Haldensleben, and the Paul Wunderlich Haus in Eberswalde. More information on international study opportunities can be found at our Study Abroad page.

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