Vertical Workshop

Every year, the fall semester at Umeå School of Architecture begins with something we call the Vertical Workshop.

Why vertical? The workshop is structured by randomly-generated groups of students from year 2-5 of our five-year Architecture Programme and both years of our two-year Master's Programme in Architecture and Urban Design.

Why a workshop? We invite guest speakers to deliver inspirational and informative lectures. We then challenge our students to work collaboratively and intensively in small groups to research, discuss and do create related to a particular subject.  Usually, the workshop ends with students exhibiting their outcomes. One aim is to strengthen the collective spirit and ethics of UMA students, teachers, researchers, technical and administrative employees. New students get's a face on introduction to architectural thinking, making, creative problem solving and collective work while also getting names (and maybe friendships) to the faces of students already in our programmes. Students coming back from summer leave on their hand get's the window to leave their 'bubble', take impression from those less trained and face the challange to explain, show and teach what tools and methods they've learned during their studies. Likewise, teachers too get's to leave their specific focuses to endure in a collective effort and method.

The Vertical workshop has been a one or two week re-occuring educational event at UMA for most part of the departments existence. We've conducted architectural investigations of randomized miniature to large sites, built shelters and benches in natural reserves, brainstormed posibilities for architectural posibilities in rural areas characterised by depopulation and much more. 

The Vertical Workshop delivers credits into the Theory of Architecture and Synthesis courses.