Building only works as a team effort. This principle forms the foundation of the Dortmund Model at the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at TU Dortmund University. Here, architecture and civil engineering are not viewed as separate disciplines but are conceived, taught, and developed together.

The Faculty combines the teaching of both disciplines within a shared structure. The Dortmund Model has existed since the 1970s and systematically integrates architecture and civil engineering in education, research, and professional practice.

Its goal is to provide an education that brings together design, construction, technology, economic efficiency, sustainability, and social responsibility, thereby fostering a comprehensive understanding of the building process.

Students not only become experts in their own disciplines but also learn how successful collaboration between architects, engineers, and other professionals is achieved.

A key element of the Dortmund Model is the joint introductory phase and coordinated course content.

This fosters early interaction between disciplines and an understanding of different perspectives in planning and construction.

The program integrates the design, technical, economic, and social aspects of construction. At the same time , current topics such as digitalization, sustainable construction, and integrated planning play an important role.

The interdisciplinary projects P1, P2, and P3 form the educational core of the Dortmund Model.

In these projects, students from architecture and civil engineering—and, at the master’s level, also from real estate and construction management—work together on realistic planning tasks.

Working in small teams, they develop solutions for complex construction projects and learn to integrate different professional perspectives.

This project-oriented approach fosters teamwork, professional communication skills, integrated thinking, and scientifically grounded decision-making processes.

The second project is arranged in the 6th semester of the Bachelor's degree courses. Supervision is provided by the chairs of Building Construction, Concrete and Steel Construction, Building Physics and Building Services. The students again work in interdisciplinary teams to practise designing and constructing a more complex construction task in line with the progress of their studies. Important aspects include getting to know and articulating the respective problems of the project partners resulting from the interaction, the joint attempt to find solutions arising from this awareness and thus the experience of the design process as a goal-oriented and success-oriented professional collaboration. The following skills are also learned during the project work: methodology and organization of the design process (from urban planning to work planning), adherence to deadlines with intermediate deadlines for the completion of preliminary design, design and work planning as well as the presentation of one's own work at public colloquia in front of a larger audience (plans, models, lecture).

The second project is arranged in the 6th semester of the Bachelor's degree courses. Supervision is provided by the chairs of Building Construction, Concrete and Steel Construction, Building Physics and Technical Building Services. The students again work in interdisciplinary teams to practise designing and constructing a more complex construction task in line with the progress of their studies. Important aspects include getting to know and articulating the respective problems of the project partners resulting from the interaction, the joint attempt to find solutions arising from this awareness and thus the experience of the design process as a goal-oriented and success-oriented professional collaboration. The following are also learned during project work: methodology and organization of the design process (from urban planning to work planning), adherence to deadlines with intermediate deadlines for the completion of preliminary design, design and work planning as well as the presentation of one's own work at public colloquia in front of a larger audience (plans, models, lecture).

Project 3 is offered to all students in the 3rd Master's semester. The planning task deals with engineering constructions. The aim is for students on the three Master's degree courses (Architecture and Urban Design, Civil Engineering and Real Estate and Construction Management with a specialization in Integral Building Technology) to work together to find a holistic solution to the construction task set, which is satisfactory in functional, technical, design and economic terms. P3 is supervised by the Chairs of Concrete and Steel Construction, each in cooperation with the Chairs of Solid Building Construction and Architectural Construction and the Chairs of Construction Management and Real Estate Management and Construction Management and the Chair of Building Physics and Building Services.

In addition to project work, the degree programs provide students with specialized expertise in their respective disciplines.

In the architecture program, design, architectural history, urban planning, building typology, and design in particular contribute to specialized knowledge.

In civil engineering, subjects such as advanced mathematics, mechanics, and statics form the mathematical and scientific foundation. The fundamentals of structural engineering are introduced across all materials and deepened in steel construction, masonry construction, and timber construction.

This combination of disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary collaboration is a central feature of the Dortmund Model.

The program follows a clear progression of skills:

In the bachelor’s program, students first lay the groundwork, then deepen their subject-specific knowledge, and finally apply it in interdisciplinary projects.

In the master’s program, students can further specialize in their areas of interest, deepen their subject-specific knowledge, and tackle independent research questions.

The program prepares students for careers in planning, the construction industry, and public administration, as well as for academic careers.