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Bauhaus
Summer
School

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

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

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.

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.

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.

 

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Philippe Schmidt M.Sc.
(Head of Workshop & Workshop Organiser)
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
bauhaus.ifex: Integrated Urban Development and Design (IUDD), Weimar

Dr. Conrad Philipp
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
ELLIS unit Jena Initiative
www.ellis-jena.ai

Eng. Mohamed Abdel Aziz, M.Sc.
Contract teacher, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar; GIS and Urban Planning Expert

Dr.-Ing. Hassan ElMouelhi, M.Sc.
Technische Universität Berlin, Habitat Unit, Berlin

The course fee is 950 EURO.

750 EURO for students & alumni
390 EURO for BUW students
 

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

1. Online Registration

Please register first in our system ► Registration
Please follow the instructions on the page.
 

2. Documents

Please submit until 01.05.25 the following documents:.

  • CV

  • Letter of motivation

ONLY COMPLETE AND CORRECTLY LABELED APPLICATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED!

 

3. Selection Process

All applicants will receive notification about the outcome of the selection process as soon as possible via e-mail. In case of a positive answer you will receive the invoice simultaneously which you will have to pay within 10 days. If applicants fail to do this, places will be given to others on the waiting list.

If you need a VISA, we recommend you to get informed now about the requirements and to make an appointment with the German embassy in your home country.

A maximum of 20 applicants will be selected to participate in this course.

Acquire an interdisciplinary and transcultural perspective on the urban heat island effect and develop an integrated design approach to reduce urban heat.

3 ECTS

Apply

from January 2025 on

IN-CLASS COURSE

In Weimar
August 16 - August 30, 2025

Language

The course language is English.

Course Insight