Projects on Territory
Who Approves Architecture?
People and Processes in Municipal Administration
This Focus Work investigates how architectural projects are approved in a small municipality, and identify the people, institutions, motivations, and expertise involved in the process.
Apply until: 28.09.2026 – email to jakob.walter@arch.ethz.ch
CASE STUDY
- Selection of a municipality with fewer than 20’000 inhabitants.
- Study of an architectural project to approve; it could be new housing, an extension, a public building, a heritage-sensitive project or an agricultural building.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Examine the administrative process behind the approval of the selected project type.
– Who are the internal administrative actors involved? Examples: Gemeindeschreiber, secretariat, Ortsbildkommission, Baukommission, district architect, mayor or municipal president.
– Who are the external partners or authorities involved? Examples: civil engineer, consultant, lawyer, cantonal experts.
– What role does each actor play in the approval process?
– What motivates the different actors?
– What kind of projects do they tend to support or prefer?
– What expertise do they bring into the process?
– How did they come into their current positions?
METHODOLOGY
Production of at least two video interviews with relevant actors, ideally in person, in parallel of archival and online research.
The output should be an online reportage about the people behind municipal building approval, including a short-written analysis, an edited video with interviews and an organizational or process diagram.
SCHEDULE
Friday, 09.10.2026, 13:00–15:00 — Introductory Meeting, ONA, G41
Friday, 30.10.2026, 13:00–16:00 — Group Discussion, ONA, G41
Friday, 20.11.2026, 13:00–16:00 — Individual Discussion, Zoom
Monday, 30.11.2026, 09:00–12:00 — Research presentations with Prof. Topalović and Meike Stender, ONA, G41
Friday, 17.12.2026, 13:00–16:00 — Individual Discussion, Zoom
Friday, 07.01.2027, 13:00–16:00 — Individual Discussion, Zoom
Friday, 21.01.2027, 13:00–16:00 — Individual Discussion, Zoom
Monday, 08.02.2027, 13:00–17:00 — Project Presentations with Prof. Topalović, Meike Stender, ONA, G41
From left to right: Stefan Kaiser, Leiter Baukommission, Franz Bucher, Architekt, Nicole Wyss, Projektleiterin vonseiten Architektur, Josef Meili, Generalrat SMB, Patrice Riedo, Geschäftsführer VMB, Hansruedi Küng, Mitglied Baukommission und Rochus Freitag, Mitglied VMB. Picture: Patrick Caplazi, Freier Schweizer.