Bridging Theory and Practice: Excursions to Tacheles and Atelier Gardens
As part of the Building Law course offered by the Faculty of Architecture and Design at Berlin International University, students recently took part in two immersive site visits that brought legal frameworks and architectural practice together in real-world settings. These excursions offered insight into how planning regulations, heritage protection, and sustainable urban strategies are applied in iconic Berlin redevelopment projects.
Tacheles – A Conversation with Herzog & de Meuron
At the historic Tacheles site, students were guided through the redevelopment project by Yasmin Kherad, Studio Director Germany at Herzog & de Meuron. Her on-site presentation illuminated the layered history of the location and the complexities of integrating new architectural visions within a protected and highly regulated urban area. Discussions included:
- The historical and cultural significance of the site
- Key elements of the masterplan and related regulatory constraints
- Balancing density, heritage conservation, and architectural innovation
This visit provided an opportunity to see how large-scale projects navigate Berlin’s planning and permitting processes while maintaining design quality.
Atelier Gardens – Adaptive Reuse with MVRDV and Hirschmüller Schindele Architekten
The second excursion led students to Atelier Gardens, the transformation of the former BUFA film campus.
Verena Lindenmayer (Director, Berlin Office, MVRDV) and Markus Hirschmüller (Hirschmüller Schindele Architekten) offered a tour and discussion on sustainable redevelopment and zoning.
Key topics explored included:
- Adaptive reuse in a historic context
- The site’s unique Baurecht (development rights)
- Ecological and cultural integration within Berlin’s legal framework
These visits offered our students a unique opportunity to connect classroom theory with real-world challenges, gaining insight from leading professionals shaping Berlin’s evolving cityscape.
A big thank you to our lecturer Adel Bikulov for making this experience possible.
Apply for BA Architecture
To meet our admission requirements for the Bachelor degree programs in Architecture and Design, one needs to hold the German Abitur / Fachabitur or equivalent. Any foreign qualification will need to meet the equivalence criteria to these German certificates, which is set by the German Central Office for Foreign Education.
The requirements for equivalence vary from country to country. We have summarized a few of the most frequently asked about education systems:
To confirm whether you meet the requirements to study in Germany, the German Academic Exchange Service provides an English language resource here.
For the original German source, please check the homepage of the Kulturministerkonferenz here.
There are four admission possibilities:
Direct general admission – you are qualified to start undergraduate studies into any subject area.
Direct subject-restricted admission – you are qualified to begin undergraduate studies in the subject area you have previously studied.
Subject restricted admission to a preparatory course/the Feststellungsprüfung (university qualification exam) – you require additional periods of study before you can begin undergraduate studies in Germany, see more information below.
Admission is not possible without additional proof of education – the qualification you hold is not equivalent to a university entrance qualification in Germany. You will need to complete further qualifications to meet the admission requirements.
Preparatory Course / Additional Studies
If you current educational qualficiations do not fully meet the Abitur/ Fachabitur-level in Germany, and you will need a Preparatory Course or additional studies, here are your 2 options:
Option 1: Study time
You can enroll at a university outside of Germany, and complete the first academic year of a bachelor´s degree successfully. In order to meet the admission requirements, the university and program must be fully accredited, you must choose the same or closely related subject you intend to apply for at BI, and you must complete the first academic year with all courses and credits successfully. For some countries, you may need to complete more than 1 academic year.
If you choose this route, you would be welcome to apply as a transfer student into a higher semester. Read more about this in the ‘Transfer students and course acknowledgments’ section.
Option 2: Studienkolleg
A 'Studienkolleg' is a university preparatory course to prepare your for German universities. There are different types of Studienkolleg programs, for architecture and design programs, you would need to choose the 'T' or 'G' course.
German language is required for anyone wanting to study at a Berlin-accredited university after completing the Studienkolleg.Therefore, it is not a typical route for our students.
For more information on Studienkolleg programs, click here.
Please note that Berlin International can only consider applicants who meet the admission requirements for the desired program.
All applicants who meet them will be subject to faculty selection and seat availability per program.
The application process for studying Architecture at Berlin International is very easy. You can simply and safely share your personal information through our online application platform. After receiving a confirmation email with a link a copy of the following documents can be uploaded:
- Passport
- High school diploma certificate with transcript (German Abitur, Fachabitur or equivalent). Please also submit an official translation of the diploma and transcript into English or German if they are in another language.
- University certificate with transcript (if applicable). Please also submit an official translation of the diploma and transcript into English or German if they are in another language.
- English language test certificate (CEFR level B2 or above)
- Portfolio PDF with a minimum of 10 works. See the guildines here.
We are also offering webinars on the topic of ‘Portfolio Advice’ throughout the year. For information on upcoming dates and how to register, please visit our current dates page.
If you have missed a recent webinar, then simply email us and we will be happy to send you the link to the recording.
For more information, including course acknowledgement and transfer applications, please use the menu item Admission.
Our BA Architecture program is taught in English. We will require proof of your language skills. German knowledge is not required.
If your language skills are at CEFR Level B2 or above, one of the following currently valid language test certificates and scores can be accepted for your application:
- TOEFL ITP: 543
- TOEFL IBT: 74
- IELTS (Academic): 6.0 overall
- Cambridge FCE: B2
- PTE Academic: 59
- BI internal exam/ BAU 'English Language Proficiency Exam': 60/100
- IB Diploma: English A or B at HL or SL
- German Abitur
The score must be earned within the last two years.
If you have not completed high school in a majority-English speaking country (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) or a bachelor's degree fully in English, an approved language exam is required in order to qualify for admission.
You are welcome to attend the internal Berlin International language proficiency exam. It will be hosted online, participation is free of charge and can be offered once an application to one of our programs has been made and admission requirements have been met.
For the dates of our next language proficiency exam, see the Language Requirements tab on our Admissions Page.
Preparatory School:
If you do not yet have CEFR level B2 English, and are eligible to study on a BA program at BI, you can sign up for our English Preparatory School.
