Summer school day 9

Summer school day 8

Summer school day 7

Visit to the Museum of Ulaanbaatar City History.

Summer school day 6

 

Sketching

Summer school day 5

Heading to Amarbayasgalan

Attendees

Camp fire at tourist camp

Summer school day 4

Each team continued their field survey and collected qualitative/quantitative information on the site map by four categories, architectural type (Ger, building, etc.), construction type (solid, non solid, etc.), height of the construction, and color of the construction. In the afternoon, all collected information were summarized at school. Students gave brief explanation and comments for the results from field survey.

Summer school day 3

Second task: A field survey.
In order to study the case area, students conducted a field survey with 4 categories in Gandan Ger settlement area.

After a field survey, team gathered at the East Gate of Gandantegchinlin Monastery to have a briefing of third task which is the photo shooting of Gandan area.

Discussion on the first day results of field survey

Selection of photos taken by each student

Summer school day 2

Start-up symposium at the Construction and Urban Development Department of Ulaanbaatar city.

First task: Quick as well as an analytical sketches for the characteristics of Gandan area

Professor Ralf Weber gave comments on the selected sketches.

Summer school day 1

According to the program, the opening with 13 students from Dresden University of Technology, 14 students from Mongolian University of Science and Technology, professors and teachers from both universities was held at MUST on Friday, June 10.

Few hours after long-haul flight from Germany, for sure it is hard to climb to the Zaisan Tolgoi from the south rocky side. However, students climbed and finally got the wide panorama view to the North, Ulaanbaatar city.

There are three general types of city patterns that forming current Ulaanbaatar on the view.
1. Ger settlement area in the North
2. Mid or high rise built up area
3. Low store residential area in the South

Gers are being used for temporary housing of construction workers in some cases.

Introduction

There are a myriad of myths associated with the culture of the Yurt or the Ger. The most common stories center upon idealized notions of nomadic life where man coexists in harmony with nature and embraces the spirit of adventure. Since Rousseau such arcadian visions have been popular amongst intellectual and cultural elites. Within a ranking list of modern life concepts it would come to the first places.

Yet in the culture of Mongolia, far away from Europe, this Rousseauian dream of self-realization has long since been reinterpreted by the former nomads. The dream of a better, happier life attainable only through solid - if stolid - structures. This new exuberant goal of self realization is expressed in the modern Mongolian architecture where skyscrapers proliferate in the capital of Ulaanbaatar with their own symbolism but without any evident unified planning concept. The culture of own-to-let is well established and practiced by many realtors.

Ulaanbaatar absorbs an influx of approximately 85 thousand new inhabitants per year. Neither urban guidelines nor comprehensive building codes are available to regulate the city‘s growth which is why migration to the capitol is virtually unrestricted. Traditional Gers have become a permanent housing solution to this problem. Outlying Ger suburbs at the periphery of the city are severely overcrowded, lack infrastructure and make a negative impact on the environment. Short term settlement forecasts indicate that by 2012-13 demands will far exceed the capacities of the already inadequate infrastructure. So, the cultural and social change in Ulaanbaatar is going on.