Dealing with existing buildings in an academic context is complex and challenging: it requires additional time, resources, and, above all, alternative teaching methods and formats. Based on the Excite research program of the Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning at TU Wien, this publication presents a methodological discussion of the work of three different design studios, including contributions from international experts who participated in the project. It offers both theoretical depth and practical insights, demonstrating how working with existing buildings necessitates new teaching formats, assignments, and design approaches, and bridges the gap between academia and practice, as most of the authors are active in both fields. Extensive visual material from projects in Vienna, Oslo, and Trieste illustrates not only the students’ work but also the broader pedagogical and conceptual framework underlying it.
Unlike most books on renovation, which focus on completed projects, Reuse in Teaching emphasizes the implications for design education. It opens up a contemporary and critical discussion about the future of the architecture studio in a world where building less and reimagining more is becoming a cultural and ecological necessity. The book is aimed at educators, students, architects, researchers, and anyone interested in the future of architecture and its teaching.
The five editors jointly carried out the project Renovation in Teaching as part of the Excite research program at the Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning, TU Wien, at the Institute of Architecture and Design.
→ Book launch on November 14, 2025, at 6:00 pm, TU Wien, Prechtlsaal
