Sophie Delhay (EPFL)

Architecture is part of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s educational programme, characterised by interdisciplinarity and a strong focus on science and technology. Within this engineering-focused environment, EPFL Architecture distinguishes itself through a practical, project-based studio approach that combines technical and practical aspects with critical and cultural dimensions.

The programme places particular emphasis on history and theory, art and representation, and the social sciences. Together, these disciplines situate architectural education within its technical, material, critical, and political dimensions, enabling students to address contemporary social and environmental challenges through the shaping of space.

Research, theory, and practice are inseparable, each nourishing the others in a transversal manner. Teaching is led by both theorists and practitioners who conduct their research within their own laboratories. As a result, their teaching is in constant renewal, directly engaged with contemporary issues, and remains both critical and alive.

Currently co-directed by two practicing architects engaged with the domestic dimension of architecture in both design and theory—Sophie Delhay, Director of Education, and Pier Vittorio Aureli, Director of Research—the school places domestic space, collective housing, and, more broadly, habitat at the core of its curriculum. This positioning situates architecture within both long-term and contemporary conditions while presenting a major challenge for future generations of architects.