CoFilms – Focus on informal settlements (WS 24/25)

The topic of social inequality and its impact on the living and housing conditions of many people in the Global South was the focus of a teaching project at the Chair of Landscape Architecture for the second time in the winter semester 24/25. In this round of the “CoFilms” course, five architecture and urban planning students, under the guidance of Ayça Sancar, are working on three animated short films using Cape Town as an example. They are investigating why informal settlements arise, how people live there, and what bottom-up approaches exist to improve their living conditions.

Dealing with this socially sensitive topic, which often receives little attention in everyday teaching, presented a particular challenge for the participants and sensitized them to life in underserved neighborhoods—a reality that affects millions of people worldwide.

The complexity and relevance of the topic was addressed in the “CoFilms” course, which aims to present complex and under-exposed information in a condensed and understandable form. To prepare the multi-layered narratives, the students developed concepts, mood boards, scripts, and storyboards, from which the finished video was gradually created. Marlene Lerch and Nika Stützel from the partnership association provided support with the content.

All results – including those from last year – can be viewed on the YouTube channel of the Chair of Landscape Architecture at RWTH Aachen University: https://www.youtube.com/@lehrstuhlfurlandschaftsarc6921.