From Thoreau to Tinyhouse

The current exodus of people from cities back to nature takes many forms – from hermit living and off-grid eco-farming to cottagecore videos featuring daisy-dyeing. What draws people to this lifestyle? Is it truly a choice, or a consequence of the housing crisis and increasing demands of the job market? Is the portrayal of such a life a romantic fantasy, or can simple living in nature actually be liberating? How do modern hermits differ from Robinson Crusoe, and Instagram homesteaders from Marie Antoinette on her pastoral estate? And if you decide to leave the city yourself, do you know how to survive?

This course will explore the ideological foundations of the divide between urban and wilderness existence (including the canonical Walden by Thoreau). It aims to help students define their own preferences, critically assess the current situation, and—ambitiously—offer insights into the pursuit of a fulfilling life.

A practical component will focus on the architectural aspects of natural living. We will discuss permaculture farming, rural renovations, and the tiny house movement, including its historical predecessors. In the final session, students will design their own hermitage or garden.

Petra Karlová

Petra studied architecture at Prague’s UMPRUM. After working in several studios, she founded her own atelier, where she primarily focuses on educational buildings. However, conventional architectural work didn’t fully satisfy her. That’s why she now divides her time between her work in Prague and renovating a semi-ruined cottage. While chipping away at old plaster, she reflects on how architectural practice could be more just and non-extractive in the future. Petra enjoys making things by hand, from roof trusses to books. She loves mountain walks, rituals, ornithology, meditation, old films, and aikido.

Session D

A glimpse into the music industry

Tanya Stadnyk

AI for Fundamental Research

Oliver Matonoha

Biological Psychiatry

Aleksa Petković

Computational Neuroscience

Sára Bánovská

Discovering medical science

Václav Melenovský

Energy and society

Kristina Zindulková

From Thoreau to Tinyhouse

Petra Karlová

History from Liberty to Liberation

Emma Nabi-Bourgois

Political Economics

Jonathan Sidenros

Problems of Philosophy

Mojmir Stehlik

Quantum Computing

Honza Apolín

Society in Stories

Michal Ostrý

Systems thinking

Žofie Hobzíková

The Arab Middle East

Adéla Provazníková

The Economics of Human Behavior

Lenka Duongova

The Politics of Gender: Narratives and Resistance

Ecem Nazlı Üçok