As a university town, Gießen has a unique relationship to the architecture industry as it’s not a big economic centre that’s constantly in need of change. The town maintains a consistent architectural identity that was formed in the post-war years, which has largely remained unchanged. One of the defining aspects of the town is the fact that it offers high school graduates opportunities to break into the world of architecture through its top-tier architecture programmes. The University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen offers students a Bachelor of Architecture degree that’s well rounded. Graduates can easily find work in construction offices, although there are a lot of other career paths ranging from applying to architectural divisions of public and private units to project institutes. The same university offers a Masters in Architecture that builds on top of the knowledge students receive during the bachelors programme. Students graduate with know-how on how to design and realize buildings, spaces and urban districts. Even better, students will get a front row seat to construction projects that are in development in Gießen as a practical guide through all the stages of design and implementation. Speaking of new projects, the most recent example of how local architects innovate, while paying respect to the established architectural style of the previous century is the two new departmental buildings at the Mittelhessen University of Applied Sciences. The buildings pay homage to the town’s architectural heritage as they are designed in the post-war brutalist style that characterized the 1960s. The Mechanical and Power Engineering, and Civil Engineering departments, these structures boast captivating facades adorned with glazed blue tiles. These tiles elegantly fill the spaces between prefabricated concrete elements, evoking Gießen's historical significance as a hub for ceramic tile production in Germany as home to Gail Ceramics International, one of Germany's earliest ceramic tile manufacturers.