33 SDGs in Architecture at the Granary

Juergen Bauer shared how SETU’s Department of Architecture embeds the 17 UN SDGs into its curriculum, particularly in the early years of study. While some goals—such as sustainable cities, infrastructure, and climate action—are clearly aligned with architecture, the challenge lies in translating all SDGs into meaningful design tasks.

Through global case studies, students explore how architecture intersects with issues like gender equality, water sanitation, and poverty alleviation. Examples include designing safe, semi-transparent sanitation facilities for women in India (SDG 5) or integrating stormwater parks into urban design (SDG 6). These demonstrate how abstract goals can become tangible architectural interventions.

Mr Bauer stressed that the SDGs should not be treated as a labelling exercise, but as vehicles for critical discussion and inspiration. Students are encouraged to question greenwashing and critically analyse international sustainability rankings, linking global frameworks to local responsibilities.

The department also integrates the planetary boundaries model from the Stockholm Resilience Centre to prioritise themes most relevant to architecture—such as carbon emissions, land system change, and water use. This leads to guiding principles such as “design out CO₂,” “design in nature,” and “design in water”, which shape studio briefs and design critiques.

By challenging traditional architectural education to embrace resilience, biodiversity, and resource limits, the programme equips students to see architecture not only as building design, but as a practice embedded in wider environmental and social systems.

About the author

name: Juergen Bauer

institution: South East Technological University

Juergen Bauer, Dipl. Ing. Architekt MRIAI, is a Lecturer in the Department of Architecture and the Built Environment and the Department Coordinator of HCI Building Change 2022–2025 at South East Technological University.