Professor Christoph Kuhn and his team at the Department of Design and Sustainable Building received the Department Prize for the innovative teaching concept of the project “Extra Muros: HAY THERE! – Summer School on Structural Change in the Safiental”. Each Department Prize is endowed with 2,000 euros.

The three-and-a-half-week summer school “HAY THERE!” from 20 June to 14 July 2025 in the Safiental (Canton of Graubünden) successfully addressed the structural transformation of the cultural landscape in this alpine region. The valley, located at an elevation of 1300 to 2000 meters, is known for its wild natural landscapes and the scattered distribution of autochthonous architecture, closely tied to traditional forms of land use. In close cooperation with local experts and regional stakeholders, participants analyzed the challenges posed by vacant agricultural buildings resulting from shifts in the primary economic sectors (agriculture, tourism, energy production). The outcome was the development of realistic concepts and construction/renovation projects that contribute to the region’s structural development—from modern agricultural needs to new accommodations for alpine athletes and social meeting spaces for village communities.

The Special Award for Gender- and Diversity-Sensitive Teaching also goes to the Department of Architecture. The recipients are research associate and decentralized Equal Opportunities Officer Johanna Moraweg and the student initiative “gloss” (group lab of social sustainability: Hannah Buick, Meret Goldstein, Sarah Knechtel, Eva Rosalia Neveril, Marlène Souche, Pauline Tonn, Julia Margert, Bea Engelmann, and Hannah Gerules). With the seminar “Feminist city ft. gloss”, they created a space to explore how gender and diversity aspects shape urban and spatial planning. The focus was on critically reflecting on the built environment from an intersectional perspective—supported by theoretical impulses from works such as “Feminist City” and “Gender-Equitable Urban Development”.

The seminar combined equal opportunities work, student engagement, and university teaching. As part of the “Women in Architecture” festival, the students curated an exhibition that made feminist perspectives visible. Organizationally, the format encouraged openness and self-efficacy, followed flexible structures, and offered room for exploration beyond formal performance expectations. The Special Award includes prize money of 5,000 euros.

Congratulations!