2024 Workshop – Housing Design in the Urban Fabric of Madrid / Dietmar Eberle
Cover by student Ayush Patel
Workshop leader: Dietmar Eberle
Assistant: Alberto Nicolau
The 2024 Eberle Workshop explored innovative approaches to designing housing seamlessly integrated into the existing urban fabric of Madrid. Over the course of the workshop, students tackled the complexities of three distinct types of urban environments: the historical city from the 17th century, the 19th-century urban expansion, and the contemporary city developed from the 20th century onward.
Elevation by student Ayush Patel
Participants engaged in a dynamic and collaborative learning process. Each student rotated through the three sites, adapting to varying scales and design rules daily. As part of this iterative process, they were tasked with developing specific architectural components such as the building massing, structural systems, or façade design. In a unique twist, students incorporated elements from their peers’ work into their own projects, fostering a collaborative and accumulative design methodology.
For the final assignment, students selected one site for a comprehensive project development. This required them to revisit and refine the envelope, structural system (with its respective floor plan), and façade, culminating in a fully realized architectural proposal.
Final presentation by student Elizaveta Nikolskaia
The workshop not only challenged participants to think critically about integrating housing into different urban contexts but also emphasized the value of teamwork and the accumulation of ideas in architectural design. It stands as a testament to the power of collaboration in shaping innovative solutions for contemporary urban challenges.
