Zurich in Section

“Zurich in Section” is a research and teaching-project designed to immerse first-year architecture students in the methods and practices of building surveying by creating a sectional drawing of the entire city of Zurich. Over the course of five years, more than 300 students annually surveyed, researched, and represented small portions of the city, culminating in a monumental collective drawing that spans from Schwamendingen to the peak of the Uetliberg. By adopting an interdisciplinary and multi-scalar approach, the project aimed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of design, reflecting the historical depth and thematic complexity of our modern environment. Moreover, it sought to equip them with the practical skills needed to explore and represent these dimensions both in drawing and through text, two tools crucial for their education as architects. The initiative combined theoretical learning with practical application, fostering a holistic approach to architectural education.

The project was from the very start structured as a teaching exercise, involving the whole first year class of the Bachelor in Architecture. In an introductory lesson Prof Stalder, supported by colleagues from related disciplines such as landscape architecture or sociology, introduced the students to the concept and technics of surveying our built and natural environment through observations, research and drawing. For the exercise itself, the students were organized into groups of 24, each supervised by an assistant from the chair and assigned a specific part of Zurich. These segments varied from buildings and infrastructure to parks or back-alleys. As a preparatory exercise, students practiced surveying by measuring and drawing parts of the HIL building on the Hönggerberg campus. Subsequently, they visited their assigned sites, where they measured, photographed, and sketched relevant features. Facilitators on-site provided access to otherwise hidden spaces. To deepen their understanding, students conducted interviews and researched archival documents and literature.
Over the subsequent weeks, the groups synthesized their findings into a conclusive sectional drawing of their individual piece of the city, at a scale of 1:100. These drawings included all natural and man-made elements, above and below ground, and were accompanied by descriptive texts summarizing their insights. Two intermediate critiques, guided by the chair’s assistants, provided feedback during the process.
In a final presentation, moderated by Prof Laurent Stalder, each group was given the chance to present their collective drawing and the accompanying information to their colleagues. This enabled the students to gain insights that go beyond their individual contributions and to engage in a public discussion with the whole cohort.

The primary objective of the exercise—to introduce students to the cognitive and representational potential of drawing—was successfully achieved. Students gained historical and theoretical insights into architecture through a hands-on, ‘learning-by-doing’ experiences. This practical approach not only enhanced their understanding of architecture and its history but also fostered teamwork skills, as students learned to break down an enormous task into manageable steps and to collaborate in order to produce a unified result.
Collaboration with experts from other disciplines introduced innovative tools and methods, such as drones and 3D scanning, used in partnership with the Chair of Landscape Architecture. These technologies provided new dimensions to the drawings and added valuable skills to the students’ repertoire. This interdisciplinary approach also inspired new teaching and research methods both within the chair and beyond.
Given the project’s scale—engaging an entire class of more than 300 studetns per year, over the course of 5 years—current efforts are focused on adapting the methodology to smaller student groups and more compact, workshop-type formats. A possible integration would be to use the acquired skills and experiences to integrate them into an annual week-long on-site workshop in different regions of Switzerland. Trial runs were conducted in Val Blenio with students from ETH (spring 2024) and in Zurich with Ukrainian students from Lviv (Summer 2023).