Architectural Heritage Conservation

The Architectural Heritage Conservation (B.Sc.) program, unique in Germany, combines content from the fields of architecture, urban planning, engineering, built heritage preservation and cultural studies.

Historical buildings and sites as well as cultural landscapes contribute significantly to the distinctiveness and identity of cities and regions.  Their preservation has become a vital component of the renewable energy transition and a successful response to climate change. To date, the construction sector consumes enormous material resources and is responsible for almost half of the world’s climate-damaging gases caused by the use of buildings and above all by their construction and demolition. There is a consensus among experts: in the future, the preservation and adaptation of the existing building stock must have priority over demolition and new construction.

In our practice-oriented degree program, you will carry out various study projects to learn how to recognize monument values and develop sustainable preservation, renovation, and conversion strategies.

The broad spectrum ranges from half-timbered barns to cathedrals, from the classical era to more recent building epochs, from individual components to cultural landscapes. Exciting teaching content is conveyed through national and international research projects. This includes the UNESCO Chair, which has been part of our department since 2022.

Our method portfolio includes construction research supported by drones and GIS-based mapping. You will learn how to draw, analyze, and design custom-fit proposals for sustainable renovation and conversion concepts. The analysis of scientific texts will help you to make your own well-founded assessments and to defend them in expert discussions.

The degree program is practice-based and project-oriented, with a focus on:

• design, planning and building in the context of cultural heritage,
• historic preservation and architectural history,
• building preservation and restoration,
• promoting and managing cultural heritage.
   

Many of our successful graduates work in the following areas, for example:

• in architects’ and urban planning offices on the preservation and management of architectural heritage and the development and implementation of design and restoration concepts,
• in city councils, municipalities and federal state authorities as specialists who are familiar with dealing with cultural heritage and have relevant interdisciplinary knowledge,
• in specialized authorities, associations and non-governmental organizations,
• in all public institutions which deal primarily with the preservation and management of culturally and historically valuable artifacts and building projects in existing structures.

For degree-seeking students: detailed information on admission requirements, application deadlines, etc. can be found on the German page.