- Story
Building the Future and Rethinking Cities
13.11.2026 How can we build sustainably and create liveable cities? Two projects during the BFH-AHB Special Week in Biel/Bienne show how students from different disciplines work together to address concrete challenges in the built environment.
Key points at a glance
- During the BFH-AHB Special Week, students from different disciplines worked together to tackle real-world challenges.
- On the Terrain Gurzelen site, a pavilion made of wood and reed was built. It will continue to serve as a meeting place beyond the Special Week.
- Other students developed an urban walking tour enhanced with augmented reality, offering new perspectives on the city of tomorrow.
How can regenerative materials be used in the construction of tomorrow? And how can cities become more resilient, liveable and inclusive? From 9 to 13 November 2026, during the Special Week, students from the Bachelor's programmes in Architecture, Civil Engineering and Wood Technology at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) stepped outside their regular academic routines to explore these questions. Working at real-life locations, they jointly developed solutions to current challenges in the built environment.
«During the Special Week, our students work across disciplinary boundaries to address real-world challenges. They bring together different perspectives and develop solutions that do not remain within the university, but become visible on site and useful to society.»
Lâra Wiederkehr, Head of Teaching and Continuing Education.
A Reed Pavilion for Terrain Gurzelen
On the Terrain Gurzelen site, students built a pavilion measuring approximately 40 m², using wood and reed. Together with Jacobus van Hoorne, an experienced reed thatcher, they thatched the roof with reed and gained first-hand experience of this traditional craft. The project was initiated and led by architect and BFH lecturer Gilbert Berthold.
«I think it's really cool that we work across disciplines, get to know people from other degree programmes and work with a material I wasn't very familiar with before. Everyone brings something different to the table, and together we can turn it into a real project. »
Anna-Lena Seifert, third-semester student in the Bachelor's programme in Wood Technology
Reed is a renewable resource that provides both weather protection and thermal insulation. At the end of its useful life, it can be composted. The pavilion is mechanically assembled, its materials can be separated by type, and it is anchored using removable screw foundations without concrete.
«By working with reed, students discover both a renewable building material and a traditional craft. Building something themselves gives them a direct understanding of how materials, construction and craftsmanship interact.»
Gilbert Berthold, architect and BFH lecturer
For the students, this means gaining practical experience with a material that is still relatively unfamiliar to them while creating something lasting: the pavilion will remain available to the Terrain Gurzelen community as a publicly accessible meeting place.
«We have wanted a shelter at this location for a long time, although we originally had a much simpler solution in mind. What we have now is a really cosy meeting place. It feels wonderful to spend time underneath the pavilion, and we are delighted that this project has come to life here.»
Silvia Stadelmann, member of the board of the Terrain Gurzelen association
Discovering the City of Tomorrow from a New Perspective
Another project during this year's Special Week explores what the city of tomorrow might look like. In collaboration with Stadtlabor Biel/Bienne, students developed an urban walking tour aimed at teenagers and young adults. Topics such as regenerative urban development, sustainable mobility and the effects of climate change are brought to life directly in Biel/Bienne's urban environment through 3D models, artificial intelligence and augmented reality.
«On the first day, we explored various locations in Biel/Bienne and considered how they could become more biodiverse and more accessible to the public. We then developed concrete measures. Our goal is to make these ideas accessible to younger people and use digital tools to show them how these places could change in the future.»
Dimitri Gäumann, a fifth-semester student in the Bachelor's programme in Architecture.
Working Together to Shape the Built Environment of Tomorrow
The two projects in Biel/Bienne illustrate what makes the Special Week distinctive: the built environment becomes a space for learning and experimentation. Together with experts and local partners, students develop, test and implement concrete solutions. In doing so, the Special Week brings together key priorities of the School of Architecture, Wood and Civil Engineering: Natural and sustainable building, transdisciplinary collaboration, and the creation of resilient and liveable cities and living environments.
