Planungskontroversen: GRAPHITE

This semester's iteration of the module uses graphite as a lens to look at architecture. Historically, graphite shaped empire: marking territorial claims, lining moulds for cannonballs, and binding iron castings. Today, it is embedded in the bones of our cities—reinforcing concrete, shielding steel, regulating thermal loads, and grounding data centres. Treated as an abundant, benign commodity, its true costs remain hidden: a supply chain marked by geopolitical monopoly and an environmental footprint that rivals the emissions it helps mitigate. This module asks you to become one with the material and make visible the processes of extraction, processing, and deployment by mapping the mines, the processing plants, the communities working the mines and plants, the logistical networks and its sites of further processing. The aim is to build knowledge of the political economy of graphite and analysing its architectural embeddedness.

Großes Interesse am Lesen, an der Recherche und am Oberflächenkratzen wird vorausgesetzt.

Die Prüfungsleistung besteht aus der Anfertigung einer detaillierten Kartierung / Wanderkarte zu einem selbst-definierten Aspekt des Materials.
Umfang und Leistungspunkte der Arbeit werden in Absprache mit der Lehrenden festgelegt (2-5 LP).

Aukland-Peck, Tobah. ‘Turner’s Pencil: Graphite Landscapes and Extractive Industry’. British Art Studies (London and New Haven), no. 28 (November 2025). https://britishartstudies.ac.uk/issues/28/turners-graphite-landscapes-and-extractive-industry/.

‘Balama Graphite Project: Mozambique’s World-Class Mineral Resource’. Discovery Alert, 26 June 2025. https://discoveryalert.com/news-article/balama-graphite-project-2025-largest-operation-mozambique/.

‘Bogala Graphite Mine’, Wikipedia, 8 July 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bogala_Graphite_Mine&oldid=1363109675.

Graphite.Se. ‘Natural Flake & Powder Graphite Supplier’. Accessed 9 September 2026. https://graphite.se/.

Kessler, Rebecca. ‘Madagascar: What Happens to Villagers When a Graphite Mine Comes Knocking?’ Environmental News. Conservation News, 27 April 2023. https://news.mongabay.com/2023/04/madagascar-what-happens-to-villagers-when-a-graphite-mine-comes-knocking/.

MOULD. Architecture Is Climate. Barcelona: Dpr-barcelona, 2025.

‘Seathwaite Graphite Mine, Cumbria | GeoGuide’. Accessed 9 September 2026. https://geoguide.scottishgeologytrust.org/p/gcr36/gcr36_seathwaitegraphitemine.