EULiST Summer School August 2025
EULiST Summer School Prezier 2025
Design + Build: Architectural Transformation by Bridging Tradition and Innovation
In cooperation between
Leibniz University Hannover, TU Wien, and Brno University of Technology
within the framework of EULiST
About the Summer School
The EULiST Summer School in Prezier explored the adaptive reuse of vacant rural buildings, heritage preservation, local crafts, and experimental architectural interventions.
Students worked hands-on at a historic half-timbered farmhouse in Prezier, Lower Saxony (Germany), exchanging knowledge with experts, the local community, and peers from across Europe.
Symposia
The program began with three symposia addressing diverse perspectives on architectural transformation:
- Transformation of Vacant Farmhouses in Rural Germany
- Kerstin Duncker (Lüchow-Dannenberg District): Vernacular architecture
- Kay Fischer (studio kaefi): Transforming Atelierhaus Prezier 8
- Moderation: Jonas Käckenmester (LUH)
- Case Studies of Transformation in the Czech and Slovak Context
- Kilo/Honc (Slovakia) and NGO Čierne Diery
- Moderation: Nikola Beim (VUT)
- Pedagogical Approaches to Transformation in Austria
- Lorenzo De Chiffre (TU Wien) and Andreas Lechner (TU Graz)
- Moderation: Katharina Paschburg (TU Wien)
Excursions
Participants took part in supra-regional, regional, and local excursions, including:
- Komturei Werben – Workshop by AFEA (Jurek Brueggen & Aimé Michelfelder)
- Künstlerstadt Kalbe – Open Ateliers tour
- Rundlingsmuseum Lübeln and Sawmill Herbsthausen (Gartow)
- ArtCamp Tangente – Opening, dinner, and party
- Village tours by bike with Anna Schneibel (vacant guesthouses)
- Farmhouse Prezier 8 – Research insights from Dirk Wübbenhorst
Workshops
The “House as a Workpiece” served as the core of the hands-on workshops:
- Restoration & Documentation: Mapping of monuments, materials, and tools with Holzwerkstatt Hohenvolkfien and restorer Merete Gierow
- Wood & Brick Workshops: Joint work on the west façade with Ruben Heindrichs (bricklayer) and local carpenters
- Clay Workshop: Practical sessions with Björn Klug (conluto) and David Feldbrügge (Lehm-Laden), developing mock-ups and interior repairs
Exhibition & Closing
The workshop outcomes culminated in a public exhibition presenting the farmhouse itself as the main exhibit, showcasing documentation, mock-ups, and interventions created during the two-week program.
Anika Gründer joined as guest critic for the final review.
The summer school concluded with a community dinner and celebration together with the villagers — all organized sustainably and collaboratively by the participants.
Organization
Concept & Coordination:
Nikola Beim (Brno University of Technology)
Jonas Käckenmester (Leibniz University Hannover)
Katharina Paschburg (TU Wien)
Co-funded by:
The European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Supported by: The German Federal Foreign Office and DAAD
Photos: Ferdinand Helmecke, Leon Hensler, Katharina Paschburg
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