Crises bring substantial problems for both the society and the individual, which then lead to a search for answers whithin social matters and in the immediate environment. With every crisis that challenge people, similar questions are raised such as questions about the effects on architecture and urban planning, which have therefore not only been ‚virulent‘ since Covid 19. Globalization has required a one‐dimensional path for architecture and urban development in many areas, which is accompanied by misleading and obscuring terms (e.g. smart) and mostly driven by profit maximization. People’s lives and their environment are strongly shaped by urban planning and architecture, but human needs have lost their importance due to economic forces. The question of a just society and a good life only becomes relevant after times of crisis. In this context, two recently completed educational projects will be presented and analysed using the key references of the symposium: Campus Neustift and Campus Aspern. These projects also highlight questions that play an important role in the area of public buildings and education systems: ‐ what is the connection between educational and spatial concepts? ‐ can architecture create appropriate conditions for social developments? ‐ can spatial constructs accelerate social processes? ‐ what role should architects play in the planning of public buildings? ‐ what role does the contracting authority want to play in its commitment to building culture?