Carmen
Carmen is from Germany. Before coming to KTH, she studied Architecture and Urban planning at the Technical University in Dortmund, and worked in Vienna, Austria for a year. In her free time, she enjoys playing handball and painting.
What are the best aspects of your programme?
The best aspects of my programme are the great variety of studios to choose from, the low hierarchies in teaching and a realistic and well-distributed workload throughout the semester. The diverse focus of the design studios at KTH allows you to deepen your knowledge in your preferred area of architecture. The teaching style, characterised by low hierarchies, encourages you to form and strengthen your own architectural opinions. Additionally, the realistic workload provides ample time to pursue architectural or personal interests outside of school.
How do studies at KTH differ from your previous studies?
The teaching methods at KTH are significantly different, with a completely different internal structure of studios and teachers. The focus is definitely on your design project rather than additional courses. Because of the lower hierarchies and better one-on-one assistance, teaching leads to more dialogue and discussion. Compared to my previous courses at the Technical University in Dortmund, the content at KTH has a less technical focus and emphasises architectural representation and social aspects within the project more. What also stood out to me was that the peers are exceptional students from all over the world, bringing together so many different experiences at KTH, which has been really valuable and interesting to hear and learn from.
How is student life in Stockholm?
I am enjoying student life in Stockholm a lot. The people are kind, the transportation works well, KTH’s campus is great, the city is surrounded by beautiful nature, and there are many events and places to explore. Within school, there are events such as the chapter bar every week or the A-bar once a month.
Are there any student events or associations that you enjoy and can recommend?
I was part of the A-Bar, which organises monthly bar nights for architecture and all other students. I definitely recommend joining the team, as it is a great group with events outside of organising and holding the bar events, as well. Other possibilities include the international committee, the sustainability board, and the equality board, which you can read all about online.
During your application period, what was the most useful resource that you got from KTH? For example, KTH's website, webinars, ask a KTH student, etc.
During my application period, KTH’s website and the webinar were very helpful. Additionally, the webpage studyinsweden.se provided useful information. For architecture specifically, I recommend checking out the Instagram page of kth_arkitektur and the Instagram accounts of the different studios, if the studio maintains one. The Issuu page of KTH Architecture is also very helpful for gaining insights into what is being taught and what seminars and studios have been held in recent semesters.