Focus works

Before you apply for a focus work at our chair, the following points should be considered and compiled in a short dossier (1-2 A4 pages). The prepared dossier should be sent by e-mail to the contact person (see below). You will then be assigned a tutor with whom you can clarify everything else.

1. Object selection: If possible, you should search for a suitable object on your own. The object must be sufficiently interesting from the point of view of construction history or building history (as a rule, not the "grandparents cottage" or preliminary work on current construction projects of the architectural office). Typical objects are load-bearing structures in wood, stone and iron (roof structures, riding halls, bridges, etc.) as well as historical residential and utility buildings ("Stöckli", goods sheds, farmhouses, etc.). The object must still have historic building fabric (e.g. the construction must not have been completely replaced). After consultation, focus works can also be undertaken within our ongoing research projects. If you are unsure about the choice of topic, please contact the Chair.
   
2. Important information and photos: The dossier should contain the most important information such as year of construction, architect, history etc. as well as some impressions/photos.
3. Accessibility: The work consists to a substantial part of the on-site analysis of a historical building. The object must also be accessible for the supervising tutor (max. 2h from Zurich HB). Accessibility to the objects must be clarified in advance with the responsible authorities, the office for heritage conservation or the owners. Without access to the object, no focus work can be carried out.
   
4. Research questions: Why should the object be studied? Specify which aspect of the object interests you, especially in the case of larger objects. How should you proceed? What should be the result (room book, survey, drawing) of the focus work? The research on the object itself is supplemented by archival research and literature studies. At the end, a scientific report must be submitted in a technically correct form (no purely graphic work without accompanying text).

Assignment and execution

After you have been assigned a tutor, the exact task and the scope of the focus work can be discussed. The best way to do this is to meet on site and examine the object together. Once the task and scope have been determined, the work can begin. We recommend complete the project within two semesters.

Submissions and final presentation

The exact contents of the submission are to be discussed and defined with the tutor. Each submission also includes a written report prepared according to the specifications of the Chair (see below). The report and associated plans must be submitted in printed form to the Institute (HIT H 43); all documents, data, plans, archival materials and photos must also be submitted digitally. The data should be provided in the most common file formats (report as .pdf, plans as .dwg and .pdf, models as .3dm, scans and photos as .jpg or .png, etc.).

The assignment also includes a short presentation (approx. 5-10 min) of the focus work, which usually takes place twice a year in the first week of the semester (February/September). You will be informed of the exact dates by e-mail.

We reserve all rights to use the submitted documents with citation of authorship, in lectures, scripts and publications.

Formal guidelines and standards

The guidelines of the Holzer Chair apply to the written paper:

→ Leaflet on scientific writing (available only in German)
→ ETH Zurich Declaration of Originality