How to Begin? Architecture and Construction in Annette Spiro’s First-Year Course, ETH Zurich

How does one teach architecture and construction in the first year of studies; and how does one handle pre-existing experience and the different potential of the prospective architects? Annette Spiro, architect and ETH Professor, has dealt intensively with these questions over many years. As a passionate teacher it has been a constant concern of hers to introduce her students to the subject with adept expertise but also with her own great curiosity. Her aim is to spark the students’ enthusiasm and delight for their own projects and their qualities. In six sections the book spotlights the various different aspects and influences that come into play in the students’ designs during the first year of studies. In this process the lectures assume as much significance as the projects themselves and the personal surroundings of the students who express their experience of the course in interviews. The weekly exercises delineate the essential elementary terms and principles that are taught in the first year. A glossary addresses important key ideas and theses in architecture, while the logbook presents accompanying events and publications that contribute in shaping the first year of studies.