How can brick provide creative answers to the demand for valuable architectural artifacts with a lower carbon footprint?
The course in Earth Architecture, a project by wienerberger, aims to train architectural professionals in the field of sustainable design in brick, one of the most effective technical and creative answers to the problems of contemporary building.
With this in mind, Yacademy envisioned an extensive program including special lectures, teaching modules, workshops, and visits focusing on the use of brick construction technologies.
At the end of the course, students will acquire the ability to combine the knowledge of earth characteristics with the most modern architectural design languages, thus having the possibility of generating refined architecture that is highly contemporary yet durable and environmentally compatible, unlike any other technology.
Such is the purpose of the course in Earth Architecture, an educational program meant for young designers and graduates who want to refine their architectural skills and sensitivity towards a material loved by the most prominent interpreters of architecture, which is among the oldest and most evocative building materials.
Key Information
- Multiple scholarships are available.
- The classes will take place in Bologna, Italy, in a medieval building located in the historical city center. However, online attendance is possible as well.
- The course will start in November 2026 and finish in February 2027, with a frequency of around 3 days per week.
- All modules and activities – lessons, special lectures, workshops, and visits – can be held in Italian or English. In any case, translation into English is always available.
- The application deadline is 4 September 2026.
Structure: Special Lectures, Workshop, and Placement
Special Lectures by Herzog & de Meuron, Zhu Pei, and David Chipperfield Architects
Yacademy’s mission is to bring young, talented architects into contact with the greatest interpreters of contemporary architecture. With this purpose, the Earth Architecture educational program offers a series of special lectures held by the most renowned architects in the field.
Thus, the course will feature Jeremy Addison, Architect at Herzog & de Meuron, as a guest lecturer focusing on the Tate Modern project in London. The intervention at the most visited museum of modern and contemporary art shows how brick can contribute to combining old and new, expressing all elements of the architecture as a whole, making them come together as a single organism.
Earth Architecture will also welcome Zhu Pei, presenting his project of the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum to explore how brick is used in vaults that reproduce the traditional form of the kiln, inspired by the city’s century-long pottery tradition.
Another meaningful intervention will be the one by Giuseppe Zampieri, founder of David Chipperfield Architects’ office in Milan, who will discuss several projects to focus on the historical and artistic vocation of brick.
Other moments will have Dietmar Eberle, Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, Sameep Padora, Paolo Zermani, and Massimo Carmassi as lecturers. Some of them will also share their opinions about the projects students will be developing for the design workshop during the critique sessions.
Design Workshop: Transform a current hospital into a paediatric hospice through the use of terracotta
Yacademy’s Earth Architecture course invites students to explore the relationship between antiquity and contemporary architecture. The design workshop meets exactly this purpose, being a crucial step of Yacademy’s educational program.
The design workshop for the course in Earth Architecture is tutored by Benedetta Tagliabue and Simone Contini of EMBT Miralles Tagliabue.
The workshop will focus on the transformation of the current hospital in Assisi into a paediatric hospice, with the ambition of establishing itself as a leading international center of its kind.
The workshop aims to reflect on the role of materials—especially brick—in the construction of space and on the value of architecture as a connection between memory and transformation. Furthermore, the conversion of the hospital into a hospice represents an opportunity to rethink the relationship between architecture and function, introducing new spaces and new ways of using them while respecting the context.
Divided into groups and tutored by the renowned architect, young designers will thus have the opportunity to enhance their personal and professional skills, refining their ability to work within a team on a real design challenge.
Architecture Feeds on Perception: On-site visits to Assisi, Venice, and the Noale furnaces
Yacademy’s format is based on real interactions and direct experiences, grounded in the belief that architecture starts with perceiving the space. Therefore, the Earth Architecture course includes a series of visits to exclusive locations that are meaningful to the course’s topic and purpose.
First and foremost, students will have the opportunity to visit the design workshop site in order to gather all relevant information and useful references for the development of their own project. The city of Assisi is one of the most recognizable and cohesive urban settings in Italy. It unfolds through a compact cluster of historic buildings, characterized by local materials and a constant dialogue with the morphology of the territory.
The Earth Architecture course will also include a trip to Venice, where students will be guided in the inspection of the Procuratie Vecchie, learning more about their restoration by David Chipperfield Architects through the account of the architects involved. Finally, they will visit the historic clay quarries and the furnaces of Noale, thus understanding the processes, evolution, and features of brick construction technologies.
After the Course: Placement Opportunities
What do you do once the course is over?
Finding your own place in the labor market is one of the biggest challenges in architecture. To help Earth Architecture students unlock their careers with a real job opportunity, Yacademy guarantees each designer a proposal of collaboration with one of its partner firms.
Some of the architectural practices with the greatest expertise in relation to the field of brick construction are David Chipperfield Architects, Herzog & de Meuron, EMBT Miralles Tagliabue, Neri & Hu, and Zhu Pei.
Yacademy’s placement program includes a collaboration proposal that has a minimum duration of 2 months and guaranteed remuneration consistent with regulatory requirements.
The placement for the course will be activated between March 2027 and May 2027, after a thorough process. Yacademy’s placement office will take into consideration the preferences and inclinations of the students so as to find the best possible match. The collaboration is an opportunity for students to perfect their skills, work, and interact with some of the world’s leading firms, and have a real chance to build a solid network useful for their future.
How to Apply: Admission and Scholarships
Do you think Yacademy’s Earth Architecture course might be the right key to unlock your potential as a designer?
Here are some hints on the application process and requirements:
- To ensure a high level of educational experience and immediate placement of students in the most distinguished professional settings, the students will be selected by a committee comprising partners from some of the world’s top firms. The admission to the course is based on the evaluation of the curriculum vitae, a motivational letter, and a portfolio.
- The course in Earth Architecture is addressed to students and graduates in Architectural Sciences or other equivalent titles. The Selection Committee may, however, admit students with different qualifications.
- By applying for the Earth Architecture course, you will automatically become eligible for one of the eight scholarships, consistent with the Selection Committee’s evaluation.
For more information and to apply, visit Yacademy!
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