Address: Universität Stuttgart Campus Mitte - Provisorium, Hörsaal M2.01
Time: 04.11.2026 - 27.01.2027, Wednesdays 17:45 - 18:45

Construction and urban planning are becoming increasingly complex: more requirements, more technology, more standards, more stakeholders; interdependencies, costs, time pressures, and resource consumption are all on the rise. Buildings and cities are becoming smarter, but not necessarily easier to understand. The challenges of construction and planning are not solved by adding more complexity, but by the ability to identify and prioritize what is essential. Simplicity is an architectural, urban planning, technical, and cultural challenge. It can manifest itself in minimalist designs, spatial concepts, frugal innovations, open processes, or flexible uses. It can mean low-tech, yet still demand precision; it can lie in omission, compromise, refinement, or in the ability to translate complex requirements into spatial solutions. Simplicity appears self-evident, but it is the result of radical decisions: What remains when we focus on the essentials and question supposed immutabilities, in all processes from conception to implementation? Linked to this is the question of our role as planners: knowledge and expertise are becoming increasingly specialized, and digital tools and artificial intelligence offer new possibilities. Yet the central task for architects remains synthesis—between specialized planning and generalism, between digital support and human judgment; 

In the winter semester of 26/27, we will focus on the theme of simplicity — from individual building components to entire neighborhoods. We are seeking approaches to construction and planning that remain understandable, sustainable, and effective.