RESEARCH 2010
AARHUS SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
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Introduction Cooperation with Local Practitioners A Tectonic Sustainable Building Practice Research Centres and Networks Designing Interactive Systems – DIS 2010 5HÀHFWLYH 3UDFWLFH - when practice becomes research A Centre Without Limits Strategic Design - the key to value creation Evaluation of Design Research PhD Degrees in 2010 Facts & Statistics
Published by Aarhus School of Architecture 2011 Edition: The Research Administration Layout: Anders Kruse Aagaard Nielsen Print: Lasertryk A/S Cover: Front: Assembly of polystyrene moulds at the building site. Unikabeton. Back: Finalized optimised prototype structure. Unikabeton. Photos: Per Dombernowsky/Asbjørn Søndergaard
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INTRODUCTION Claus  Peder  Pedersen Head  of  Research
2010  has  been  a  good  year  for  research  at  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  and  a  year  which  has  provided  many  useful  perspectives.  There  has  been  an  increase  in  the  research  full-Âtime  equivalent  of  17  per  cent,  a  progress  which  was  mainly  caused  by  an  increase  in  external  research  grants  which  made  up  42  per  cent  of  the  total  resources  for  research  of  the  school  in  2010.  The  results  from  research  and  the  continued  development  of  the  research  environment  give  reason  for  optimism  as  well.  The  research  in  design  conducted  by  the  school  was  evaluated  very  positively  and  is  considered  to  be  on  a  par  with  international  state-Âof-Âthe-Âart  research.  Alongside  this,  the  School  of  Architecture  hosted  the  DIS  2010  conference  with  200  participants  and  a  ¿YH GD\ SURJUDPPH 7KH SDUWLFLSDQWV DVVHVVHG the  conference  as  very  successful  and  as  a  revitalisation  of  the  conference  series.  2010  was  also  the  year  during  which  the  Bachelor  and  the  Master’s  degree  programmes  of  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  were  accredited.  In  this  connection,  the  knowledge  building  of  the  school  through  research  and  artistic  development  work,  as  well  as  the  ability  to  implement  this  knowledge Â
in  teaching,  were  found  to  be  fully  satisfactory  by  the  Accreditation  Council.  Furthermore,  the  School  of  Architecture  has  developed  its  international  research  network  by  means  of  contacts  and  cooperation  agreements  with  Harvard  University,  the  University  of  Technology,  Sydney  and  the  Royal  Melbourne  Institute  of  Technology.  The  latter  offers  an  interesting  PhD  degree  programme  which  allows  practicing  architects  and  designers  to  acquire  a  3K' E\ UHÀHFWLQJ RQ SUHYLRXV DQG RQJRLQJ SURMHFWV related  to  architecture  and  design.  The  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  is  currently  examining  how  this  programme  can  be  offered  in  Denmark  –  in  particular  how  the  programme  can  form  part  of  current  efforts  to  develop  knowledge  exchange  between  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  and  regional  architecture  and  design  companies.     Internally,  a  new  academic,  organisational  and  managerial  structure  for  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  has  been  decided  upon.  Among  other  things,  the  result  of  this  structure  will  be  that  the  existing  departments  will  be  abolished  DQG UHSODFHG E\ D QXPEHU RI GLVFLSOLQH VSHFL¿F academic  communities,  each  community  will  have  LWV RZQ VSHFL¿F IRFXV RQ UHVHDUFK )XUWKHUPRUH D new  research  management  will  be  implemented.  More  on  this  subject  in  Research  2011‌
Workshop with the business world Photo: Anders Kruse Aagaard Nielsen
COOPERATION WITH LOCAL PRACTITIONERS The  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  is  searching  a  closer  cooperation  with  local  architecture  and  design  companies  as  well  as  with  the  municipality  of  Aarhus  –  regarding  teaching,  research  and  further/continuing  education.  A  closer  cooperation  ZLOO EHQHÂżW WKH VFKRRO WKH EXVLQHVV VHFWRU DQG the  city.  With  regards  to  the  school,  practitioners  of  the  profession  can  contribute  with  experience  from  building  work  and  knowledge  about  current  professional  problems  and  needs.   With  regards  to  practitioners,  the  school  can  contribute  with  knowledge,  methods,  analysis  and  absorption. 7KH 3URUHFWRU KDV KDG WKLV DUHD DV KHU VSHFLÂżF ÂżHOG of  activity  in  2010.  This  has  resulted  in  various  activities  which  were  launched  by  means  of  a  “matchmakingâ€?  event  in  Copenhagen  which  was  carried  out  in  cooperation  with  DANSKE  ARK  (The  Danish  Association  of  Architectural  Firms)  and  The  Royal  Danish  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  -  School  of  Architecture.  The  participants  included  architecture  and  engineering  companies,  researchers  from  a  number  of  relevant  educational  institutions  and  research  institutions  as  well  as  representatives  of  funds,  boards  etc.  which  distribute  grants.  The  purpose  of  the  event  was  to  inform  about  SRVVLELOLWLHV IRU SXEOLF ÂżQDQFLQJ DQG WR SURYLGH VSHFLÂżF H[DPSOHV RI H[LVWLQJ FRRSHUDWLRQ
In  parallel  with  this,  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  planned  and  carried  out  a  round  of  interviews  with  some  of  the  architecture  and  design  companies  of  Aarhus  as  well  as  with  the  municipal  administration.  These  interviews  clearly  demonstrated  that  the  needs  for  a  closer  cooperation  is  mutual.  The  architectural  profession  expressed  a  need  to  have  access  to  the  most  UHFHQW NQRZOHGJH LQ VSHFLÂżF DFDGHPLF DUHDV LQ order  for  the  profession  to  be  competitive,  it  is,  precisely,  with  regards  to  this  aspect  that  the  research  of  the  school  is  relevant.  The  interviews  were  followed  by  a  workshop  for  participating  practices,  municipalities  and  a  team  of  researchers  from  the  school  in  order  to  narrow  down  potential  forms  of  cooperation  for  the  future.   Finally,  towards  the  end  of  2010,  a  project  group  was  set  up  to  function  as  a  “think  tankâ€?  for  developing  new  forms  of  cooperation.  It  will,  SDUWLFXODUO\ LQ WKH EHJLQQLQJ LQLWLDWH VSHFLÂżF activities.  The  idea  is  that  the  school  and  practitioners  should  develop  their  cooperation  jointly  and  that  both  parties  should  assume  responsibility  for  initiatives  that  aim  at  providing  momentum  to  the  cooperation.  The  group  is  consequently  made  up  of  representatives  from  practices  and  teachers/researchers  from  the  School  of  Architecture. Â
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Formwork. Tectonics. Photo: Ole Egholm Pedersen
A TECTONIC SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PRACTICE The  project  entitled  “Towards  a  Tectonic  Sustainable  Building  Practiceâ€?  examines  and  discusses  what  consequences  the  increasingly  rigorous  demands  for  energy  optimization  have  for  architecture.  Behind  the  project  is  a  research  group  consisting  of  researchers  form  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture,  the  Royal  Danish  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  -  School  of  Architecture  and  the  Danish  Building  Research  Institute.   In  the  year  2020,  energy  used  in  building  must  be  reduced  by  no  less  than  75  per  cent  compared  WR SUHVHQW OHYHOV 7KLV ZLOO KDYH VLJQLÂżFDQW consequences  for  architecture.  This  is  the  motivation  behind  “Towards  a  Tectonic  Sustainable  Building  Practiceâ€?:  “We  focus  on  the  importance  of  envisioning  sustainable  solutions  based  on  a  tectonic  approach  where  technology,  form,  materials  and  processes  of  production  are  joined  through  a  holistic  approach.   It  is  our  ambition  to  focus  on  a  basic  discussion  of  architecture  which  is  not  disconnected  from  present  conditions,  but  which  is,  on  the  contrary,  based  on  present  challenges  with  regards  to  sustainability,  increased  industrialisation  and  standardisation  of  building  practices,â€?  explains  Charlotte  Bundgaard,  associate  professor  and  prorector.  She  is  a  part  of  the  project  together  with  Professor  Karl  Christiansen  and  PhD  student  Ole  Egholm  Pedersen,  all  are  from  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture.   Â
The  Concept  of  Tectonics “Towards  a  Tectonic  Sustainable  Building  Practiceâ€?  consists  of  a  main  project  with  the  aim  of  creating  a  conceptual  foundation  and  of  stating  several  positions  based  on  studies  of  current  examples  of  architecture.  Furthermore,  there  are  a  number  of  subprojects  that  focus  on  rather  more  limited  problems  which  are  dealt  with  in  depth:  concrete  and  masonry,  identity  and  changeability,  climate- adapted  architecture  et  cetera.    The  concept  of  tectonics  is  the  pivotal  point  of  all  the  parts  of  the  project,  and  it  is  on  the  basis  of  this  concept  that  we  will  attempt  to  outline  possible  qualitative  answers  to  current  challenges.  Tectonics  relates  to  the  lay-Âout  and  joining  of  building  elements  into  a  single  unit  and  emphasizes  the  relationship  between  ideas,  aesthetics,  technology  and  construction  or,  in  JHQHUDO WHUPV WKH XQLÂżFDWLRQ RI PHWKRGV DQG REMHFWLYHV ,Q WKH ÂżHOG RI WHFWRQLF DUFKLWHFWXUH several  elements  interact  inextricably:  materials,  technology  and  the  architectural  idea  intertwine  in  the  architectural  form  and  is  expressed  as  a  single  aesthetic  entity. Cooperation  and  Networking  Ole  Egholm  Pedersen  contributes  with  a  PhD  project  on  concrete,  whereas  Karl  Christiansen  and  Charlotte  Bundgaard  contribute  to  the  main  project.  For  several  years,  these  two  researchers  have  been  cooperating  with  the  Centre  for  Industrial  Architecture,  CINARK,  located  at  the Â
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Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts - School of Architecture which has provided a large number of the remaining participants of the research group. The different forms of cooperation have focused on tectonics and perspectives of new industrialisation – themes which are now connected to sustainability. Consequently, a possibility to merge potentials, examine intersections and discuss possible ways of achieving increased quality in building practices has been created. The PhD project of Ole Egholm Pedersen on tectonics and sustainability with regards to the concrete of the future is based directly on the extensive work in the development of concrete which has been carried out, in recent years, in research as well as in teaching at the Aarhus School of Architecture. International Exchange The project of Ole Egholm Pedersen and the research in concrete carried out by Karl Christiansen have, furthermore, resulted in an international cooperation on research and teaching with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). In the spring term of 2011, they will go to Sydney, together with six students, to develop new opportunities for pouring concrete in the intersection between digital design, production WHFKQRORJ\ DQG VSHFL¿F PDWHULDOV 7KLV FRRSHUDWLRQ will continue the whole year through. During the autumn term, researchers and students from the UTS will come to Aarhus to carry on the exploration of the potential of concrete.
“Through the interinstitutional project “Towards a Tectonic Sustainable Building Practice” we have managed to gather some of the central academic threads in the areas of tectonics, industrialization and sustainability. We have thus laid the foundation for a more concentrated and united effort. It is our intention to make research results available and applicable to national and international research as well as to the practical application of architecture and the practices that interact with present demands and conditions in their daily activities,” concludes Charlotte Bundgaard.
Facts: This project spans three years from 2010 to DQG LW LV ¿QDQFHG E\ The Danish Council for Independent Research by means of a grant of DKK 7.7 million. The project has a homepage: www.tektonik.dk You can also follow current activities in Syd- ney by visiting the cooperation blog: http://concretetectonics.spruz.com/
RESEARCH CENTRES AND NETWORKS
“The Centre for Strategic Urban Research” in cooperation with
The Institute of Geography and the Centre for Forest, Land- scape and Planning at the University of Copenhagen. Funded by
research network on residences for the aged).
Realdania.
Nordisk netværk for arkitekturforskning i design-for-alle (Scandi- navian network for architectural research in ”design for every-
“Centre for ‘Cultural Milieu’ - Cultural Heritage – Studies”. De- partment of Architectural and Cultural Heritage in cooperation
Nordisk netværk for forskning i ældres boliger (Scandinavian
body”)
PIT STOP - knowledge refuel for creative enterprises.
with Roskilde University Centre.
“Danish Centre for Design Research” in cooperation with the
Innovative networks
School of Architecture - The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts,
The Danish Design School and the Kolding School of Design.
participation of the Department of Design as well as schools of
“Dansk Center for Herregårdsforskning” (a Danish centre for research in manor farm buildings) in Gl. Estrup. Funded by
architecture and design from other Scandinavian countries.
between the School of Architecture - The Royal Danish Academy
Preliminary study for a centre for knowledge about and develop-
of Fine Arts, The Danish School of Design, the Kolding School of
College and The Danish Agricultural Advisory Service. Funded by
Design and the Aarhus School of Architecture.
Realdania. Membership of the Alexandra Institute and participation in the “Det digitale byggeri” (Digital Construction), funded by the Dan-
professions.
Clothing) – an innovative network in cooperation with, among
Velfac.
others, Udviklingscenter for Møbler og Træ (a development
Digital Crafting – a network which cooperates with the School of
centre for furniture and wood). Funded by the Danish Ministry of
the Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation.
Science, Technology and Innovation.
”Renord” – a Scandinavian research network focusing on sustain- “Systemleverancer I byggeriet” (Systems Deliveries Within
cooperation with the development centre for furniture and wood.
Construction) - a research network comprising the Technical Uni- versity of Denmark (DTU) and The Royal Danish Art Academy for Fine Arts focusing on strengthening and qualifying the develop- ment and application of systems deliveries in Danish construc- tion. Funded by Realdania.
“VIC-videnscocktail” a network on the communication of knowl- edge from institutions of knowledge to private companies, a
able modernisation of the housing stock built after 1945.
“Livsstil Bolig og Beklædning” (Innonet Lifestyle – Interior &
as well as a number of private companies. Funded by Velux and
Architecture - The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Funded by
Partnership agreement with SmartCity - a commercially operat- ing foundation: development of the building industry and related
”LysnET”. A professional network connecting a great many researchers and research institutions in Denmark and Norway
Participation in the development of a Scandinavian Postgraduate Master’s degree in church restoration.
ish Enterprise and Construction Authority.
Participation in a think tank on physical IT products under the IT-council of the Aarhus Region.
management of ISIS Katrinebjergvej.
The research school cooperation for architecture and design
Realdania. ment of agricultural buildings in cooperation with VIA University
“Nordes” a Scandinavian design research cooperation with
Dansk Lys – Lys i byen (Danish Lighting / Light in the city). An innovative network under the Danish Lighting Centre.
The Danish Food Pack development network under the Growth Forum, Central Denmark Region
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DIS2010. Workshop Handcrafting Textile Mice 1. Photo: Kevin N. Andersen
DESIGNING INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS – DIS 2010 In  August  2010,  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  hosted  a  large  international  conference  on  designing  interactive  systems.  Almost  200  participants  from  all  over  the  world  debated  the  technological,  social  and  cultural  aspects  of  new  interactive  technologies.    Â
7KH ¿UVW WZR GD\V RI WKH FRQIHUHQFH ZHUH comprised  of  seven  workshops  on  different  WKHPHV WKH ODVW WKUHH GD\V ZHUH VHW DVLGH IRU WKH conference  itself.  Furthermore,  visits  to  some  of  the  city’s  design  practices  had  been  arranged.
The  DIS  2010  conference  was  organised  in  cooperation  with  Computer  Science,  Aarhus  University.  According  to  Professor  Peter  Gall  Krogh,  it  is  important  for  the  School  of  Architecture  to  attempt  to  arrange  similar  conferences  in  other  architectural  disciplines.  Planning,  however,  UHTXLUHV D VLJQL¿FDQW DPRXQW RI WLPH LW WRRN years  to  attract  DIS  2010  to  Aarhus  because  it  was  necessary  to  gather  support  and  trust  from  individual  research  environments  around  the  world.
New  Networks  and  New  Perspectives The  participation  of  representatives  from  some  of  the  most  important  research  environments,  FRPPHUFLDO DV ZHOO DV DFDGHPLF WHVWLÂżHV WR the  importance  of  this  conference  –  and  the  networks  that  were  created.  It  was  not  just  designers  that  participated  but  a  wide  range  of  professional  groups  that  work  with  interactive  systems  in  different  ways.  A  characteristic  of  the  area  is  precisely  that  it  is  interdisciplinary  and  LQĂ€XHQFHG E\ WHFKQRORJLFDO KXPDQLVWLF DQG DUWLVWLF perspectives  on  design.  Â
“We  have  made  a  name  for  ourselves  internationally,  and  we  have  acquired  a  wealth  of  contacts,  this  means  that,  in  the  future,  we  will  not  necessarily  have  to  be  the  ones  to  ask  to  SDUWLFLSDWH LQ LQWHUHVWLQJ UHVHDUFK SURMHFWV :H have  shown  what  we  are  capable  of  and  we  will,  to  a  great  extent,  receive  offers  to  participate  in  various  research  projects  -  and  courses,  for  that  matter,�  says  Peter  Gall  Krogh,  and  adds:    �The  fact  that  200  leading  researchers  from  large  private  research  units  and  academic  institutes  from  all  over  the  world  have  visited  Aarhus  and  have  become  acquainted  with  the  School  of  Architecture  and  the  design  environment  of  the  city  means  that  we  will  be  remembered.�
For  the  individual  participant,  the  conference  resulted  in  new  contacts,  inspiration  and  valuable  feedback  on  ongoing  research  projects.  In  the  words  of  Research  Assistant  Majken  Kirkegaard  Rasmussen:  “It  was  amazing  to  be  given  an  opportunity  to  discuss  your  research  with  other  scientists  from  all  over  the  world  and  to  hear  what  they  think  is  RI LQWHUHVW LQ \RXU RZQ UHVHDUFK ÂżHOG ,W IRUFHV you  to  clarify  your  arguments  and  concepts,  and  it  provides  you  with  new  perspectives  on  your  own  work  that  you  can  use  constructively  in  your  future  research.â€?
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REFLECTIVE PRACTICE - WHEN PRACTICE BECOMES RESEARCH 5HÀHFWLYH 3UDFWLFH is a PhD degree programme which gives practicing architects and designers an opportunity to immerse themselves in a VXEMHFW DQG UHÀHFW XSRQ LW ± RQ WKH EDVLV RI WKHLU own work. This is a radically different way of approaching research as the aim is not to publish a large number of articles but rather to draw XSRQ VSHFL¿F FRPSHWHQFHV IURP WKH EXVLQHVV sector. The plan is to give architects and designers with several years of professional experience an opportunity to relate to their own work – realised projects as well as competition projects. At present, the education is offered by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia (where the education originated) and Sint Lukas School of Architecture, Belgium. In November, representatives from these two institutions visited the Aarhus School of Architecture in order to inform about the programme. The aim is to provide practicing architects with an opportunity for competence enhancement – while, at the same time, providing the teaching and research conducted by schools of architecture and design with useful knowledge based on practice. The programme allows the students to relate to their past practice in architecture and design, deduce a few general properties, systematise these properties and, based on this, contemplate the direction they are going to take in their future work as practicing architects or designers.
5HÀHFWLYH 3UDFWLFH is a programme spanning four years, it is, however, planned in a way that allows students to carry out their work as practicing designers or architects. During these four years, the students follow a PhD programme and they, naturally, also receive ongoing supervision. Two times a year a Graduate Research Conference is held during which the PhD students meet and present their projects. The students also assess their progress, and an academic panel provides commentary and advice with regards to the remainder of the programme. The conference also offers several international lecturers who take part in the academic panels that comment on the projects of PhD students. Whereas PhD students traditionally communicate knowledge through academic articles and a dissertation, the students in the 5HÀHFWLYH 3UDFWLFH programme generally conclude their PhD projects by means of an exhibition of photos, drawings DQG PRGHOV RI VSHFL¿F SURMHFWV DV ZHOO DV D VKRUW written report containing their thoughts. In some cases this is supplemented by an interview with the student in question. In April 2011, representatives from the RMIT and Sint-Lucas, once again, visit the Aarhus School of Architecture, partly to present regional architecture and design companies with the opportunities presented by 5HÀHFWLYH 3UDFWLFH, but also to invite interested parties to a Graduate Research Conference where they will be given an
13 opportunity  to  get  to  know  the  programme.  There  will  also  be  a  discussion  on  how 5HĂ€HFWLYH 3UDFWLFH  can  be  planned  and  offered  at  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture.  Contacts  to  the  RMIT  and  Sint-ÂLukas  will  provide  the  school  with  an  opportunity  for  drawing  upon  the  experience  of  these  institutions  and  for  entering  into  a  prosperous  cooperation  with  regards  to,  among  other  things,  holding  semi- annual  conferences  for  researchers.
For  more  information: Claus  Peder  Pedersen  7 E:  claus.peder.pedersen@aarch.dk
Edit landscape box Photo:  Frederik  Petersen
Ørestaden Photo: Boris Brorman Jensen
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A CENTRE WITHOUT LIMITS by Leif Leer Sørensen
The  Centre  for  Strategic  Urban  Research  (CSB)  was  established  in  2004  to  focus  on  “The  City  Without  Limitsâ€?.  Six  years  later,  the  centre  is  able  to  present  a  series  of  research  results,  due  to  a  productive  cooperation  across  studies  and  institutions,  explains  Research  Professor  Niels  Albertsen  who  coordinates  the  efforts  of  the  School  of  Architecture  within  the  centre.   “The  town  of  Randers  is  beginning  to  see  itself  as  a  residential  town  with  regards  to  Aarhus,  and  in  GrenĂĽ  they  are  thinking  about  what  they  can  do  with  their  town  centre  in  order  to  make  it  more  attractive  to  people  who  work  in  Aarhus.  The  boundaries  between  towns  have,  consequently,  become  more  diffuse.  The  towns  have,  in  a  manner  of  speaking,  become  limitless.  At  least  if  \RX GHÂżQH D WRZQ DV D FRQFHSW ZKLFK LV UHODWHG WR the  everyday  life  of  people.  It  is  this  thesis  which  we  have  tried  to  document  through  The  Centre  for  Strategic  Urban  Research,  explains  Professor  Niels  Albertsen  from  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture.  He  has  been  coordinating  the  efforts  of  the  school  within  the  centre  which  has  existed  since  2004.  The  CSB  is  a  cross-Âdisciplinary  centre  under  the  auspices  of  Realdania  Research  which  has  made  a  grant  of  DKK  25  million  to  the  project.  Apart  from  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  the  centre  consists  of  the  Forest  &  Landscape  Denmark,  LIFE  and  the  Institute  of  Geography  and  Geology  at  the  University  of  Copenhagen.  The  funds  for  research  salaries  have  by  now  been  practically Â
H[SHQGHG EXW XQWLO WKHUH DUH VXIÂżFLHQW IXQGV to  maintain  the  centre  as  a  research  network  and  for  communicating  results  through  conferences,  workshops,  articles  et  cetera.  In  this  period,  the  Department  for  Architecture,  Design  and  Media  Technology  at  Aalborg  University  will  also  be  a  part  of  the  centre.  From  Knowledge  to  Practice  “One  important  task  is  to  communicate  the  knowledge  we  accumulate  in  the  centre  to  regional  and  municipal  decision  makers  and  planners.  For  this  reason,  we  have  recently  held  a  large  conference  in  Copenhagen  entitled  “Cities  Without  Limitsâ€?  which  we  have  used  to  present  results  gathered  during  six  years  of  research  workâ€?,  explains  Niels  Albertsen.   A  similar  mid-Âway  conference  was  held  in  2007.  In  addition  to  this  we  have  held  workshops  and  seminars  in  the  interim  period.  Results  have  also  been  communicated  by  means  of  articles  in  several  DFDGHPLF MRXUQDOV LQ VFLHQWLÂżF DUWLFOHV DQG UHSRUWV  This  year,  the  CSB  also  hosts  a  large  international  conference.  It  will  be  held  in  cooperation  with  the  European  Urban  Research  Association  which  is  a  group  of  urban  researchers  that,  like  the  CSB,  aims  to  create  a  connection  between  research  and  practice.  The  international  conference  is  held  June  22-Â25  in  Copenhagen.  The  theme  will  be:  â€?Cities  Without  Limitsâ€?  and  several  CSB  researchers  are  involved. Â
Many  Contributions A  total  of  fourteen  teachers  from  the  School  of  Architecture  have  contributed  to  the  activities  of  the  centre.  This  has  resulted  in,  among  RWKHU WKLQJV ÂżYH 3K' GLVVHUWDWLRQV ZLWKLQ WKH framework  of  the  centre.  Add  to  this  a  series  RI VFLHQWLÂżF DUWLFOHV DQG UHSRUWV DQG WKUHH publications  in  book  form:  â€?Det  urbaniserede  territorium. Â Ă˜stjylland  under  forandringâ€?  (The  Urbanised  Territory  -  Change  in  Eastern  Jutland)  by  Tom  Nielsen,  â€?Sustainable  Compact  Cityâ€?  by  Poul  BĂŚk  Pedersens  and  â€?Towards  an  Urbanism  of  Entanglementâ€?  by  Anne  Tietjen.  All  were  published  by  Arkitektskolens  Forlag  (the  publishing  house  of  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture).  The  report:  â€?Aarhus  Cluster  of  Architectureâ€?  by  Tine  Nørgaard  and  Anders  Toft  has  also  been  published. Furthermore,  an  anthology  with  the  working  title  “Den  grĂŚnseløse  byâ€?  (The  City  Without  Limits)  is  on  the  way,  it  will  exclusively  contain  contributions  from  the  School  of  Architecture,  says  Niels  Albertsen.  Publication  is  expected  in  early  autumn. Challenging  Tradition According  to  Niels  Albertsen  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  has  also  contributed  with  an  architectural  professional  view  of  urban  problems  which  has  challenged  traditional  research,  “The  “Sustainable  Compact  Cityâ€?  project  contained  an  analysis  of  types  of  virtual  settlements  with  very  high  plot  ratios,  and,  based  on  this,  different  types  of  architecture  for  high-Ârise  and  high  density  settlements  were  developed,  and  their  respective Â
qualities  with  regards  to  wind  climate  conditions,  daylight  and  energy  were  examined.  The  project  was  actually  carried  out  as  if  it  was  a  consultancy  assignment  with  contributions  from  researchers  from  the  School  of  Architecture,  from  architectural  and  engineering  companies  and  from  the  Institute  of  Technology.  The  project  was  conducted  as  research  by  design.  Furthermore  the  PhD  project  of  Anne  Tietjen  was,  to  a  large  degree,  based  on  study  related  projects  by  students  which  ZHUH FDUULHG RXW LQ DIÂżOLDWLRQ ZLWK KHU UHVHDUFK project.  This  project  was  based  on  teaching-Âbased  research.  There  has  generally  been  a  very  prosperous  interaction  between  the  CSB  and  our  Master’s  degree  programme  in  Landscape  and  Urbanism.  We  have  developed  the  Master’s  degree  programme  in  connection  with  the  research  in  the  CSB:  we  have  been  teaching  subjects  that  we  have  been  researching,  and,  reversely,  our  research  projects  have  been  based  on  the  projects  of  students.â€? Cooperation  Across  Divisions Aside  from  the  fact  that  the  CSB  has  thus  helped  strengthen  urban  research  conducted  at  the  school,  the  interdisciplinary  and  interinstitutional  cooperation  has  been  very  valuable: “The  result  has  been  that  we  have  been  able  to  draw  on  expert  knowledge  that  we  do  not  posses  ourselves,  knowledge  which  has  helped  us  develop  some  of  our  research  projects.  This  has Â
17 EHHQ D JUHDW EHQH¿W WR DPRQJ RWKHUV VRPH RI our  PhD  students.  We  very  much  hope  that  it  is  a  cooperation  which  we  will  be  able  to  continue  -  even  after  our  grants  end  in  2013�,  concludes  Niels  Albertsen.
Facts: The  Centre  for  Strategic  Urban  Research  was  established  in  2004  as  a  cross-Âdisciplinary  centre  under  the  auspices  of  Realdania  Research  which  has  made  a  grant  of  DKK  25  million  to  the  project.  The  aim  of  the  centre  is  to  improve  the  basis  for  making  decisions  about  the  development  of  cities  through  a  holistic  approach. The  centre  management:  Gertrud  Jørgensen,  Forest  &  Landscape  Denmark,  LIFE,  the  University  of  Copenhagen Lars  Winther,  Institute  of  Geography  and  Geology,  the  University  of  Copenhagen. Niels  Albertsen,  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture Ole  B.  Jensen,  Architecture,  Design  and  Media  Technology,  Aalborg  University Â
Professor Niels Albertsen Photo:  Anders  Kruse  Aagaard  Nielsen
Jørgen Rasmussen demonstrates Photo: Christoffer Regild
STRATEGIC DESIGN - THE KEY TO VALUE CREATION by  Irene  Houstrup  and  Leif  Leer  Sørensen
“In  the  future  designers  must  not  only  develop  VSHFLÂżF SURGXFWV IRU FRPSDQLHV WKH\ ZLOO KDYH WR debate  general  strategic  questions  related  to  the  development  of  a  company  with  the  management.  This  gives  designers  some  valuable  toolsâ€?,  says  Associate  Professor  Jørgen  Rasmussen  who  is  the  manager  of  a  consortium  for  Strategic  Design  at  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture. “It  is  a  question  of  merging  technology,  human  values  and  business  -  Strategic  Design  is  the  very  intersection  between  these  three  elements  of  design,“  says  Jørgen  Rasmussen.  He  opens  his  laptop  and  presents  various  models  which  illustrate  his  ideas: “Strategic  Design  is  about  using  design  skills  we  already  use  during  design  processes  in  an  advanced  way.  The  aim  is,  among  other  things,  to  create  processes  of  change  and  innovation  in  Danish  companies.  Designers  can  help  companies  understand  what  values  they  are  offering  their  users  -  based  on  this  we  can  develop  and  change  the  company:  creating  innovation.  Put  differently,  it  is  not  just  a  question  of  designing  an  individual  product  it  concerns  the  entire  company  and  its  underlying  values. Today,  it  is  a  complicated  process  to  run  a  company  and  navigate  constantly  changing  user  needs.  It  is  necessary  to  understand  connections  and  raise  complicated  issues  in  a  way  that  is  comprehensible  to  everyone.  It  is  a  precondition  for  discussing  and  working  with  these  issues  in  interdisciplinary  teams.  However,  as  designers  we  can  express  complex  processes  and  problems  in Â
words  and  images,  this  process,  known  as  visual  sensemaking,  helps  create  clarity  and  breadth  of  view  by  using  visual  aids.â€? Value  Creation  Traditionally,  designers  are  trained  to  “look  into  the  futureâ€?  and  to  sketch  hitherto  unknown  possibilities  for  development  and  for  solutions.  Company  managers,  on  the  other  hand,  are  traditionally  trained  to  “look  to  the  pastâ€?  and  make  reliable  decisions  based  on  thorough  analysis  of  existing  conditions.  The  task  is  to  bridge  this  divide,  this  is  a  precondition  for  creating  innovation  and  value  creation,  according  to  Jørgen  Rasmussen: “Often  several  different  professional  groups  take  part  in  the  strategic  processes  of  a  company.  Based  on  an  understanding  of  the  company,  the  product  and  the  customers,  designers  are  able  to  inform  the  strategy  process,  i.e.  contribute  to  gathering  and  making  visible  knowledge  that  is  central  to  the  process.  This  knowledge  is  thus  made  accessible  to  all  participants.  During  the  process,  designers  are  also  able  to  facilitate  the  process,  for  instance  by  creating  a  common  visual  understanding  of  the  process  through  illustrations  and  diagrammatic  visualisations  of  the  course  of  the  process.  Furthermore,  designers  are  able  to  use  the  innovative  tools  of  the  design  process  to  help  design  a  strategy,  i.e.  state  or  develop  a  strategy.â€? 7KH 5HDO %HQHÂżW Through  an  understanding  of  the  company,  the Â
19
product  and  the  users  –  partly  through  user  involvement  -  designers  can  help  identify  the  unique  values  the  company  offers  its  customers  ¹ WKH UHDO EHQHÂżW RU YDOXH SURSRVLWLRQ RI WKH company,  according  to  Jørgen  Rasmussen.  Based  on  these  underlying  values  the  company  can  strengthen  and  develop  further  its  organization  and  improve  its  products  and  services. â€?Many  companies  do  not  actually  know  their  value  proposition.  Nevertheless,  identifying  the  value  proposition  and  creating  innovation  on  this  basis  -  that  is  the  central  issue.  The  reason  why  designers  are  good  at  this  is,  partly,  due  to  their  experience  with  user  involvement  and,  partly,  due  to  the  fact  that,  in  the  words  of  design  researcher  Richard  %XFKDQDQ WKH\ GR QRW KDYH D WDUJHW ÂżHOG RU D VSHFLÂżF SURIHVVLRQDO WHFKQLFDO DUHD LQ ZKLFK WKH\ are  experts,  as,  for  instance,  software  experts  do.  This  means  that  they  are  able  to  view  everything  as  a  whole  without  prejudice.  Designers  are  able  to  create  innovation  by  working  in  cross-Âdisciplinary  teams  and  draw  upon  relevant  competences  from  different  professional  areas.â€? Also  about  Business Today,  when  designers  take  part  in  a  process  of  development  it  is  through  a  dialogue  with,  for  instance,  engineers  about  possibilities  and  limitations  of  different  materials  or  with  anthropologists  with  regards  to  user  aspects.  It  is,  however,  according  to  Jørgen  Rasmussen,  just  as  important,  if  not  more  important,  to  focus  on  the  dialogue  with  the  business  element.  Such  as, Â
for  instance,  experts  in  economy,  marketing  and  strategy  who  work  synchronously  on  some  of  the  elements  which  also  form  part  of  design  research,  including  cultural  understanding  of  trends,  user  surveys,  strategy  development  et  cetera.  â€?Strategic  Design  is  located  at  the  intersection  between  these  three  central  elements  of  design:  technology,  human  values  and  business.  It  is,  consequently,  important  that  designers  also  understand  the  business  element  and  are  able  to  include  the  most  important  aspects  of  the  three  elements  in  a  holistically  oriented  understanding  of  a  company  and  its  potentials.â€? Examples  Can  you  provide  any  examples  of  companies  that  use  strategic  design?  “Apple  is  an  obvious  example,  closer  to  home  we  have  Novo  Nordisk.  For  instance,  our  PhD  student  Brett  Patching,  who  works  with  Strategic  Design,  has  been  working  with  Novo  Nordisk,  a  company  which  is  changing  its  strategy  –  from  being  a  company  working  with  the  development  of  medication  for  curing  disease  it  is  currently  orienting  itself  towards  including  disease  prevention,  partly  because  the  company  saw  it  as  an  ethical  challenge  not  just  to  make  money  from  the  continually  growing  problem  with  diabetes  but  also  to  contribute  to  solving  the  problem. 7KH LQWHUHVW LQ WKLV LV VLJQLÂżFDQW :H KDYH IRU instance,  directed  a  Strategic  Design  process  for  a  small  manufacturer  of  staircases  which  was  in  trouble.  The  management  entered  the  process Â
21 with  great  enthusiasm.  In  close  cooperation  with  the  company  we  carried  out  a  series  of  processes  for  user  surveys  and  user  involvement,  and  we  held  a  workshop  together  with  the  most  important  partners,  distributors  and  end  users  of  the  company.  Based  on  these  activities  we  managed  to  develop  new  ideas  and  identify  needs  and  business  opportunities.� Potential  Apart  from  the  research  time  of  Jørgen  Rasmussen,  the  consortium  for  Strategic  Design  employs  one  H[WHUQDOO\ ¿QDQFHG UHVHDUFK DVVLVWDQW +RZHYHU the  centre  is  currently  working  on  obtaining  further  outside  grants  and  on  expanding  their  group  of  partners,  research  institutions  and  private  companies.  The  potential  is  there,  there  is,  however,  a  need  for  further  research  in  the  area,  says  Jørgen  Rasmussen: �Research  in  design  is  very  important  to  Strategic  Design.  Partly,  because  research  in  design  analyses,  systematizes  and  communicates  NQRZOHGJH DERXW VWUDWHJLF GHVLJQ EDVHG RQ VSHFL¿F projects,  and,  partly,  because  it  can  help  create  an  important  dialogue  with  companies  and  with  the  business  branch,  and  it  can  help  anchor  this  GLDORJXH ZLWKLQ WKH ¿HOG RI 6WUDWHJLF 'HVLJQ 7KH understanding  of  business  aspects  is  central  to  designers  as  well  as  to  design  researchers.� This  article  is  partly  based  on  an  interview  with  Jørgen  Rasmussen  published  in  Mind  Design,  a  webzine  for  design  research.
User-friendly packaging – guidelines for the industry Project manager: Birgitte Geert Jensen
EVALUATION OF DESIGN RESEARCH In  2010,  the  Danish  Ministry  of  Culture  carried  out  an  evaluation  of  design  research  in  Denmark  for  the  period  spanning  from  2004-Â2009.  This  evaluation  consequently  included  the  design  research  carried  out  at  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture.  To  this  purpose  the  Ministry  had  constituted  an  international  assessment  panel  chaired  by  Vice-Âdean  Professor  Pekka  Korvenmaa  of  the  Aalto  University  of  Art  and  Design,  Helsinki.     In  its  report  the  panel  characterises  design  research  at  the  Aarhus  School  of  Architecture  as  “a  positive  example  of  how,  in  very  little  time,  a  goal-Âoriented,  highly-Âfocused  and  well-Ârun,  but  nevertheless  relatively  small,  team  of  researchers  has  been  able  to  generate  a  cohesive  strategy  for  research  as  well  as  research  results  of  a  high  international  standard.â€?     The  report  continues:  “these  research  results  have  been  published  in  leading  international  journals,  this  has  made  the  school  and  its  activities  in  this  ¿HOG YLVLEOH DV ZHOO DV DWWUDFWLYH 7KH VFKRRO LV clearly  on  a  par  with  what  is  considered  state-Âof- WKH DUW LQWHUQDWLRQDOO\ LQ SULRULWL]HG ÂżHOGV RI VWXG\
i.e.  primarily  with  regard  to  research  in  interaction  GHVLJQ IXUWKHUPRUH WKH GHVLJQ UHVHDUFK FDUULHG out  is  in  accordance  with  the  concept  of  research  of  the  Danish  Ministry  of  Culture.â€?    The  research  areas  are  also  commended:  “even  though  the  design  research  unit  forms  part  of  a  school  of  architecture,  it  has  been  able  to  produce  research  and  specialists  in  areas  that  are  not  traditionally  seen  as  related  to  architecture,  EXW ZKLFK DUH QHZ DQG VXIÂżFLHQWO\ GLIIHUHQW WR complement  and  enrich  the  school  in  its  entirety.  :H FRQVHTXHQWO\ ÂżQG WKDW WKH $DUKXV 6FKRRO RI Architecture  conducts  highly  developed,  mature  and  clearly  focused  design  research  activities.â€?
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Urban forest and landscape infrastructure Photo: Stefan Darlan Boris
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PHD DEGREES IN 2010 In 2010, Rikke Stenbro, Louise Aagaard and Stefan Darlan Boris were awarded a PhD degree after having defended their PhD-dissertations. The three PhD projects were within the academic disciplines Cultural Heritage, Design and Urbanism and Landscape. They represented different approaches to research as Rikke Stenbro and Stefan Darlan Boris challenged existing concepts and attitudes to research in their respective academic areas, whereas Louise Aagaard researched new tools for OHDUQLQJ WKURXJK VSHFL¿F SURWRW\SHV DQG FRQFHSWV In the dissertation Bevaringsprocesser - perspektiver på arkitektur i forandring (Processes of Conservation - Perspectives on Architecture in Change) Rikke Stenbro works with architectural strategies for the preservation and change of architecture, partly by means of an analysis of the UHYLWDOLVDWLRQ RI WKH IRUWL¿FDWLRQV RI &RSHQKDJHQ carried out by Realdania, The Danish Forest and Nature Agency and the Heritage Agency of Denmark. The focus of the dissertation is the processes for creating meaning which are involved when architecture survives and is passed on to posterity. Rikke Stenbro demands a new kind of monumentality which is able to contain changeability as well as complexity. She breaks with autonomous concepts of creation and knowledge and with the understanding of the architect as an artistic “creative genius” who shapes a new architectural whole which is above
criticism. She also asks for architectural solutions that are more sustainable and which allow for changes – including changes architects and entrepreneurs do not program and cannot predict - to be taken into consideration and handed down. The dissertation of Louise Aagaards is called Leg og lær aktiviteter til børn med cochlear implant - undersøgt gennem computerspillet, det interaktive gulv og digitale legeobjekter, (Play and Learn Activities for Children With Cochlear Implants - Examined Through Computer Games, the Interactive Floor and Digital Objects of Play). Her PhD project was part of a large interdisciplinary pedagogical project examining how children with cochlear implants (CI) can be motivated for active participation through speech and language education aided by digital elements, and whether, in this connection, it is possible to integrate linguistic, social and physical interaction with their surroundings. Children are interested in digital products, and for a long time there have been made attempts at using this enthusiasm in connection with learning by means of edutainment applications. The project of Louise Aagaard examined the learning potential of computer games as well as pervasive gaming with regards to products used by speech and language pathologists. Based on three different groups of CI children who gradually improve with regards to language skills
compared to their age, Louise Aagaard developed products and concepts for motivational speech and language pathological material for CI children. The PhD-dissertation of Darlan Boris Urban skov og landskabsinfrastruktur (Urban forest and landscape infrastructure) is the result of a PhD project under the auspices of the Centre for Strategic Urban Research and the interinstitutional research project Den grænseløse by (City Without Limits). In his dissertation Stefan Darlan Boris relates to the forest as a landscape-infrastructure which is an integral part of the “fragmented urban landscapes” of the city without limits. He confronts DQ XQTXDOL¿HG SDUDGLJP ZKLFK VHHV WKH IRUHVW DV a “Sunday-landscape”, instead, he sees the forest as an infrastructural element with potential for being a boundary, a connection and a space for development of self-organized use. Based on current problems with regards to fragmented urban landscapes, Stefan Darlan Boris narrows down the values which are of importance for the general development of these landscapes.
Download the pamphlet describing current PhD projects on http://en.aarch.dk/doctoral_studies/phd_students/
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FACTS & STATISTICS
In 2010, the school had 21 PhD students and 45 teachers who were given time to carry out research. In addition, there were 2 industrial PhDs as well as 12 PhD students attached to the Kolding School of Design.
Research funding in mio. Dkk. 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4
Internally funded
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
0
2003
2 2002
Until the end of 2010, the research activities of the School of Architecture were anchored within IRXU GHSDUWPHQWV ZLWK VSHFL¿F DFDGHPLF VWUDWHJLF ¿HOGV RI UHVSRQVLELOLW\ :KHQ WKLV GRFXPHQW ZDV drawn up the future organisation of the school KDG QRW \HW EHHQ GHWHUPLQHG GH¿QLWLYHO\ 7KH IRXU departments were: Department of Architecture Department of Landscape and Urbanism Department of Architectural Heritage Department of Design The PhD students of the school were attached to the individual departments and to a joint research school which plans and implements PhD courses and functions as a unifying environment for the PhD programme.
Externally funded
Projects and fulltime equivalents 120 100 80 60 40 20
Active research projects
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
0 2002
The research activities of the school are managed by the Research Administration in cooperation with the Research Committee established by the School Council.
Fulltime equivalents
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