In the autumn semester of 2024, the students in Felix Wettstein’s master studio worked on the theme of “Noah’s Ark” . They were asked to design a sheltered place using building techniques from their home countries. The aim of this approach was for the students to engage with the construction process and link the building tradition and the builder’s biography to the location.

Noah was given precise instructions for the construction of the ark to ensure the survival of humans and animals before the great flood. The flood symbolizes the crises we face today, and the ark is an architecture designed to withstand these challenges.

Project by Viktoria Bosshard

Stacked from 3 images. Method=A (R=8,S=4)

Stacked from 3 images. Method=A (R=8,S=4)

Viktoria Bosshard has roots in Russia and therefore focused on a riverboat called the “Belyana”, which transported timber across the Volga from the densely wooded north of Russia to the south between the 16th and 19th centuries. She explains how she used this reference for her design of an Ark Forum in the video below.