Engaging through Architecture
Aarhus School of Architecture www.en.aarch.dk
The school specialises in architecture, design, urbanism, habitaion, transformation, sustainability and digital design and fabrication
Teaching Teaching at the school is research-based. Teaching provides a thorough general introduction to architecture, focusing on the traditional core competences of architecture, while allowing a high degree of specialisation during the Master’s degree programme. The Master’s degree programme is studiobased; a teaching form which gives students an opportunity to immerse themselves completely in one or two subjects of their choice. International Master’s degree students will appreciate the possibility of choosing a studio with an international profile.
Although teaching at the school is oriented towards practice and problems in society, the school maintains a highly artistic approach to architecture. The Master’s degree programme is a highly individual study, which means that students have to manage their own projects and their artistic development work, although students naturally receive supervision. - The school offers a Master of Arts in Architecture taught in English.
Our teaching is based on individual supervision and close dialogue between teachers and students. Our professors and teachers are very much present in studios, making it easy for students to enter into dialogue about projects and receive feedback on their work.
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high admission requirements for both danish and international students guarantee a learning environment characterised by highly qualified and motivated students
An International Study Environment The school has a student population of 800, of which approximately 20% are international students. This means that students have great opportunities for international networking, for sharing knowledge across borders and for finding inspiration in a diversity of architectural backgrounds. The school’s high admission requirements for both Danish and international students guarantee a learning environment characterised by highly qualified and motivated students. The school often receives visits from renowned international lecturers. At international level the school’s partners include: The Central Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, in Beijing; University of Technology Sydney; Studio Mumbai, India and Beijing Tsinghua Urban Planning and Design Institute. The many social activities at the school contribute to making the school a round-the-clock total experience of work and socialising.
photographer ejgil lihn
torben nielsen, rector
“the school’s vision, engaging through architecture, means that we focus on educating architects who are aware of the responsibilities they have as designers of our future material and immaterial surroundings and who are able to engage actively and critically with society.“
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The school offers first-rate workshop facilities where students and scholars can explore their ideas in the real world
Facilities and Services The school offers first-rate workshop facilities: a digital workshop with a laser cutter and a 3D printer; a mock-up room for making models in 1:1; a wood workshop; a metal workshop; a model workshop, which is open around the clock; a wind and climate laboratory; a full-scale CNC cutter; a concrete workshop; a casting laboratory; a water jet cutter and a robot lab. These facilities are accessible to students as well as scholars and enable students to explore their ideas in the real world. Our workshop facilities are of a standard which makes it possible to carry out interdisciplinary research projects in cooperation with industry.
The school’s career workshop can help students with career guidance, networking, professional development and entrepreneurship. The school communicates the latest knowledge and research through supplementary education courses aimed at, among others, practicing architects. The school favours close cooperation with industry, and the school’s good contacts with architectural practices makes it easy for our students to enter into credit-earning internships.
Other facilities include a canteen and a cosy and well-assorted library - a great resource for students, but also a popular meeting place and a good setting for group work.
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the school has placed a special focus on developing the relationship to practice, understood as the interaction with parties, institutions and processes that influence the planning and design of the physical environment.
Research and PhDs The school operates with a broadly defined concept of research that includes knowledge production within and in relation to the subject areas of the Aarhus School of Architecture, in their full width and across areas of scale, themes, subject areas, and fields of research. Under the slogan ’Engaging through architecture’, the school has placed a special focus on developing the relationship to practice, understood as the interaction with parties, institutions and processes that influence the planning and design of the physical environment. Aarhus School of Architecture has trained doctoral students since 1989, and in recent years efforts have been made towards strengthening international cooperation with other PhD schools.
eiwen cf ying (left), master’s degree student, hong kong
“based on my experience from one of the school’s studios i would say that students have a high degree of autonomy in terms of what they can choose to work with; ranging from experimental urban furniture, a muslim mosque, a communal kitchen, to bicycle recycling sheds... all proposals sharing the same site, as long as you are able to justify your story. “
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photographer per ryolf
aarhus can pride itself on having a very large student community as well as the highest concentration of architectural practices in the world.
The City of Aarhus With only a quarter of a million inhabitants the city of Aarhus can nevertheless pride itself on having a very large student community as well as the highest concentration of architectural practices in the world, per capita: 142 architectural practices in Aarhus employing 1000+ employees. The city also offers plenty of cultural events in a relaxed atmosphere - located on the Danish coastline there is easy access to the sea, the beach and other nature areas. The many international students living in Aarhus contribute to creating an international atmosphere. Aarhus, consequently, combines many of the benefits of a larger city with the advantages of living close to nature. Although Aarhus has a reasonably wellfunctioning public transportation system, most students choose the bike as their favourite means of transportation.
photographer philip jensen
kirstine kannegaard jæger, master’s degree student, denmark
“most of our work takes place at our individual work spaces That so many students choose to study in Aarhus means that student housing can be problematic. The school, however, assists guest/exchange students with accommodations to the extent that this is possible.
where we have ample opportunities for discussing our work and exchanging ideas. our projects are concluded by presentations, called critiques, during which we can present many different types of materials, such as models, posters, slideshows, video, drawings and 1:1 models. “
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Aarhus school of architecture nørreport 20 dk-8000 aarhus c +45 89 36 00 00 www.en.aarch.dk you can also follow us on linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/aarhus-school-of-architecture