Whose Resources

Image: Photo by d c on Unsplash

FB06.077
WHOSE RESOURCES?
What is needed to build?

In-depth Seminar: ARCHITECTURE CITIES ECONOMIES
Prof. Dr. Gabu Heindl
WM Ana Bisbicus
Zilan Bozkina
R.4003, Mon
4 SWS - 6 ECTS
C-2.1-40, C-2.1-52, D-2.1-40, C-1.0-40, C-2.0-40

Construction sites are political spaces. It is there that decisions are made that affect the lives of others it is also there that economic and sociopolitical interdependencies between architects, clients, and construction workers come together. Surprisingly, these relationships are often treated as completely separate from one another in today’s discourse. As planners we primarily discuss procedures, permits, and construction costs. Much less often do we ask: What impact do these decisions have on the people who actually build these structures? What resources are required for this? Who extracts them, how, and where? After all, buildings do not arise on their own. Between design and completion lie thousands of hours of labor and enormous quantities of materials, which are often sourced from the so-called Global South. It is planning decisions that consume resources, human labor, time, and raw materials—with tangible consequences. 
In this in-depth seminar, we will further explore the questions raised in the introductory seminar "WHO BUILDS? - About working conditions in the construction industry" and broaden our focus to include global interconnections. We examine the construction industry from a postcolonial perspective, within thematic areas such as labor law, the organization of construction sites, and the connection between migration patterns, resource extraction, and material flows. Our collaborative work is based on selected texts, discussions, and a variety of guest contributions and workshops with practitioners, researchers, and activists. To make these largely invisible interdependencies tangible, we develop various forms of visualization in the advanced seminar: Based on the self-selected project focus, participants can create maps, drawings, diagrams, illustrations, and animations—both analog and digital. The results and visual research can then be presented during the Rundgang.

When: Introduction October 14, 2026 – 10:00–11:30 a.m.
every Wednesday 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Where: Room 4003, Mönchebergstraße 1, 34125 Kassel-Wesertor
Language: German; English available if needed