Visiting School

Neuendorf House Visiting School

Neuendorf House, in partnership with the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, UK, is pleased to present the Neuendorf House Visiting School.

At a time when retrofitting existing structures is increasingly central to the architectural practice, the visiting school aims to provide participants with critical skills in the practical response to design commissions. Learning alongside renowned practicing architects, the course creates a unique opportunity by challenging participants to create designs that fit seamlessly in conversation with a structure of extreme character.

The Course

The visiting school is structured as a recurring series, taking place at the Neuendorf House over 10 days once a year. Each iteration is initiated by an in-depth survey of the house and its surroundings, where participants explore techniques of observation and abstraction. The research material provides participants with a detailed picture of the structure’s scale, materiality, and the surrounding land and is to be used as the basis for the participants’ design proposals. A series of visits around the island, workshops, and round table discussions will provide additional context to the first part of the course. The minimalist nature of the architecture facilitates, but also challenges participants to push the boundaries of designing within the existing, questioning how to add and amend without altering an original ethos.

1. 01A detailed survey of Neuendorf House and its surrounding terrain
2. 02Roundtable discussions, lectures, site visits and studio work on-site
3. 03A cohesive, context-sensitive design proposal
4. 04Final designs presented before a Grand Jury

First edition

A Walled Cactus Garden

For this first iteration, the objective was to design a walled cactus garden immediately adjacent to the house, applying elements of landscape architecture, water element design, and garden furniture design that sits in conversation with the existing structure.

John Pawson, Luciano Giubbilei, Andrew Trotter, Aram Maroodian, Friederike von Rauch, Andrew Ewing, Claudio Silvestrin

Applications

Applications for the 2027 course will open later this year. In the meantime, we welcome enquiries.

The course is directed by Albert Neuendorf and Esther Brizard of Studio Brizard, Paris.