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Architecture & Environmental Studies

Urban Heat Islands: Understanding the context of climatic, cultural and physical conditions in urban environments

When:

16 August - 30 August 2025

School:

Bauhaus Summer School

Institution:

Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

City:

Weimar

Country:

Germany

Language:

English

Credits:

3 EC

Fee:

950 EUR

Interested?
Urban Heat Islands: Understanding the context of climatic, cultural and physical conditions in urban environments

About

Discover the various aspects of the built environment and Urban Heat Islands and learn how to develop more resilient cities!

In this two-week intensive course, you will get a deep insight into the subject of “urban heat” and get the opportunity to develop GIS skills. You will learn about the relation between human-made and natural factors on the built environment, how responsive planning and design strategies can serve for mitigation, and how practical design solutions can be created that respond to urban heat in a spatial, cultural, and social context. During the course, you will also be acquainted to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in order to map heat islands for different case studies, interpret and discuss those data with experts and leverage your own experience of perceiving urban heat into a scientific context.

Course leader

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Philippe Schmidt M.Sc., Dr. Conrad Philipp, Eng. Mohamed Abdel Aziz, M.Sc., Dr.-Ing. Hassan ElMouelhi, M.Sc.

Target group

Students (Bachelor's from the sixth semester onward and Master's students) of disciplines related to spatial development like architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, urban and spatial planning, geography, international development, and others

Previous knowledge:

Interest to work in a holistic and interdisciplinary way on urban environments and sustainability
Basics in GIS are desirable (no condition) and/or affinity to CAD
Good knowledge of English language
Preparation: As part of their application, participants propose 1-3 examples (micro scale) from their hometown or the city they are studying, which they relate to the subject of urban heat or heat mitigation and describe those in short (max. 1- 2 A 4 pages, image can be included). After being selected as course participant, you will be asked to further investigate and present your study cases in Weimar.

Course aim

Acquire an interdisciplinary and transcultural perspective on the urban heat island effect and develop an integrated design approach to reduce urban heat:
Looking at urban heat in a holistic way, participants will understand urban heat islands from the micro-level to the macro-level: from open space to building-scale, and the urban context on the neighbourhood, city and regional scale. The course also introduces impact and vulnerability caused through urban heat, presents preventive or adaptive measures, and understand how their implementation also depends from cultural values and life styles. At the end, participants will develop an integrated design proposal that supports climate-sensitive solutions to reduce heat for their selected study case.

Lectures, discussions and two site visits in Weimar will take place in the morning and GIS-training in the afternoon. The city of Cairo will serve as a main study case along the course.

Fee info

Fee

950 EUR, Regular

Fee

750 EUR, students & alumni

The course fee includes: Orientation & Support Programme according to description Teaching materials Bauhaus Summer School ID card Daily Lunch at the University Cafeteria (Monday - Friday) Certificate Internet access at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Free use of library Accompanying programme including excursions Free entrance to museums belonging to Klassik Stiftung Weimar Please note our terms and conditions (admission conditions, cancellation conditions etc.) The course fee does not include: Travel costs Accommodation Insurance Additional excursions

Interested?

When:

16 August - 30 August 2025

School:

Bauhaus Summer School

Institution:

Bauhaus-Universität Weimar

Language:

English

Credits:

3 EC

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