The Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering organized an interdisciplinary excursion on the topic of "Climate-Resilient Construction: ON SITE — Resilient Housing in Mozambique." Twelve students from the Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Building Heritage degree programs traveled to southeastern Africa for the excursion.

The seminar, which took place at the beginning of March 2024 and involved six students from the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) in Maputo, aimed to develop the fundamentals of a climate-resilient bamboo modular system. Adjunct instructors Paulino Botao and Christoph Diekhans led the seminar, which focused on defining the framework conditions for developing this system.

First, the excursion took the participants to Maputo, where they received theoretical input at UEM Maputo. Various experts gave presentations, including those from disaster management, the UN, and the German embassy. The presentations focused on bamboo, clay, flooding, and sustainable construction.

Then, we traveled to the beautiful island of Inhanca, where we worked in workshop groups. We discussed topics such as social, cultural, technical, economic, and sustainable aspects. We also visited local water projects that could potentially be integrated into the system.

The highlight of the trip was visiting Paulino's bamboo farm in Ponta do Ouro. There, participants learned about local bamboo species and other plants. Finally, the groups presented their results, which will be further developed in upcoming seminars.

The excursion was an enriching experience for the Hochschule RheinMain students and was accompanied by 20 DAAD alumni from various African countries. This excursion lays the foundation for a multi-stage, transnational series of seminars on climate-resilient construction that promises exciting developments in the future.