GHD Ubbo Emmius

On the 3rd of October 2025, the Conference Committee of GHD Ubbo Emmius will be hosting our annual day-long historical conference.

This year, the conference is titled "When Dreams Decay: Utopia and Dystopia through Architecture." It will explore the connection between ideology,  the lived space around us and how those themes function and converge in service or disservice of humanity.

Architecture is an ever-present part of our lived experience, after all. Throughout history, it has both formed and been formed by socio-political environments and cultural norms. During this conference, these expressions of identity throughout history will be explored and celebrated. 

The aim of this theme is to find a connection between the significance of the architecture of the past and the expectations of the architecture of the future. What shaped the built environment of the past and what underlying principles will shape the built environment of the future? How can examples of dystopian or utopian architecture aid us in understanding the history in which they were built?

Architecture has been a pillar of importance to the construction and maintenance of national identities, and has been a gateway to the spatial expression of social- and individual agency.

We invite you all to participate in this multifaceted experience on October 3rd!

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