10th International Summer School on Sustainable Buildings for Europe

About the Programme

This 10-day residential summer school is organized by the Department of Energy and Environmental Management at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland (Austria). Hosted on the Pinkafeld campus, the programme brings together students from across Europe to collaboratively explore key aspects of sustainable building and renewable energy systems.

Language of instruction: English
Credits awarded: 4 ECTS
Workload: ~60 teaching hours
Itinerary: Itinerary SoHo 2025

What You Will Learn

This summer school offers a dynamic mix of theoretical insight and practical experience across a wide range of topics in the field of sustainable technologies. Central themes include the use of renewable energy sources such as heat pumps, biomass, and photovoltaics, along with their opportunities and limitations in contemporary building design.

Participants will explore concepts such as energy efficiency in buildings, ecological assessment of energy systems, energy storage, and sustainable architecture, with all content grounded in international best practices. These core areas are brought to life through lectures, lab sessions, and a guided field trip—allowing students to directly apply what they learn in real-world contexts.

Project Work & Presentation

The central component of the summer school is the collaborative design project, where students work in international project teams. Guided by invited professors, the teams will develop solutions to a real-world task related to sustainable building design.

Final group presentations will take place on October 3, 2025, in front of a scientific panel and fellow participants.

Field Trip Highlight: Ökopark Hartberg

As part of the practical experience, students will visit Ökopark Hartberg – a pioneering ecological science and experience park in Styria. It showcases forward-thinking innovations in sustainability and green technologies, offering hands-on exhibits and real-life models of ecological best practices.

Why Attend?

• Collaborate with peers from partner universities
• Learn from experts in the field
• Apply your knowledge in real-world contexts
• Build a valuable international network
• Enjoy a banquet celebrating intercultural and interdisciplinary cooperation

Partner Universities

• University of Maribor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Slovenia)
• Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Architecture (Hungary)
• University of Pécs, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (Hungary)
• Slovak University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering (Slovakia)
• University of Žilina, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (Slovakia)

Join us to shape the future of sustainable buildings!

Experience innovation, teamwork, and knowledge-sharing in a supportive and vibrant international setting.

Project management: