HERSUS Information

HERSUS proposes enhancing and testing of innovative teaching practices in the field of sustainability of the built heritage. The project strives to enhance the competence and motivation of educators and researchers to include curricula elements that will have tangible results, preparing students and educators to become real actors of the environmental change. The practice and education in the field of architectural and urban design related to the awareness raising about the sustainability of the built environment and heritage face numerous challenges such as social transformation, climate change, globalisation, urbanisation and housing issues. HERSUS target groups (teachers/trainers/tutors, and students) need specific training and teaching activities within the frame of sustainability of the urban and architectural heritage: (1) a new profile of an architect/urban designer, a professional that is trained in the broad architectural domain, who owns technical, technological, socio-humanistic and artistic skills and, therefore equipped to contribute to the socio-environmental challenges, and (2) a new profile of architectural educator capable of assuming responsibility for the improvement of education and training of the future architects to enable them to meet the expectations of 21st-century societies worldwide for sustainable human settlements in every cultural heritage. The main objective of the project is creating and piloting new innovative courses/group of courses/extracurricular activities within existing study programs of participating HEI, which can contribute to bridging the gap between sustainability and heritage. HERSUS aims (1) to enhance existing study programs at the MSc level, and (2) to achieve a stable and sustainable education framework complementary to the globally established goals in the field of architectural and urban studies education.