First steps in architectural design: A Hat For Three at a Picnic (exercise no.1 of 5 in ARC101/2012)
XJTLU offers English language architecture programmes in China at the undergraduate, Masters and PhD levels. Students earn University of Liverpool degrees at competitive rates in a dynamic learning environment.
XLarch is the department of architecture at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), a young and independent English-language Sino-British university in the greater Shanghai area. XJTLU brings together traditions and opportunities from the East and the West on a vibrant, fast-growing campus with world-class facilities. XJTLU's home is the historic city of Suzhou (also called the "Venice of the East"), whose traditional gardens are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city boasts one of China's flagship development projects, a new town called Suzhou Industrial Park, from which XJTLU operates along with already more than 15 other universities and more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. Located in one of the most dynamic regions of the world, the staff and students of XLarch engage the great potential and the complexities of the intersections of the East and the West. XLarch promotes international understanding and works to transcend stereotypes, establishing itself as a leading voice in the critical analysis and design of the built environment.
XLarch cultivates a learning environment that fosters independent, innovative and responsible designers with a thoughtful and imaginative approach to space making. XLarch students are recruited from amongst the top 5% of Chinese creative thinkers. Synergy with the University of Liverpool leads XLarch to also recruit from overseas, ensuring a diverse mix of approaches to the design of the built environment. XLarch students benefit from the department's dynamic atmosphere, which engages the vibrant architecture and construction context of Suzhou and the wider region as well as live projects, competitions, academic institutions and events. XLarch graduates find excellent opportunities for professional employment and for further education both locally and internationally.
XLarch educators have backgrounds in over 20 countries and are actively engaged in research and design, with international publication records, excellent practice portfolios and accomplishments in positions of leadership. This mix brings together a wide range of social and artistic sensitivities, careful dedication to quality, professional integrity and academic rigour.
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Curriculum
XLarch’s four-year BEng Architecture undergraduate programme is centred on applied architectural design studio modules in combination with humanistic and technical modules. The international validation process of this programme by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is currently under way. Students have the option to study the first two years at XLarch and the last two years at the University of Liverpool in the UK.
Beginning in 2013, XLarch’s two-year MArch(Des) professional Masters programme extends undergraduate architectural education at the graduate level. It focuses on architectural studio design in preparation for professional practice while also qualifying graduates for PhD-level studies. XLarch is seeking international validation of this programme by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and accreditation from the Ministry of Construction of China (MoC).
XLarch welcomes proposals for its research-based PhD programme. Potential candidates are invited to position their PhD research proposals in one or more of the department’s
areas of strength:
- architectural design and architectural studio education
- architectural, environmental or construction science and technology
- computer-aided architectural design
- architectural history and built heritage studies
- social and cultural study of the built environment
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Vision
XLarch is establishing itself as a leading contributor to:
- human-centred development of the built environment
- intellectual exploration and innovative speculation
- cross-cultural education that fosters creative, critical, sophisticated and responsible thought
- the education of the next generation of creative thinkers – at home and abroad – to create desirable places to live, work and enjoy
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Mission
XLarch is establishing itself as a centre of excellence in architectural education, design and research and as a leading architectural voice in China and abroad.
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Resources
- students and staff with high ambitions
- international experience in a fast-developing Chinese context
- leading UK and Chinese partner institutions
- a diverse mix of strong and international staff
- excellent campus and facilities
- Suzhou: a historical and contemporary city with a high quality of living
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Values
XLarch is an international department of architecture of a not-for-profit university, which
- promotes architecture which provides functional integrity, structural stability and delight
- fosters humanistic design and universalism
- develops innovative integrations of research and design
- understands design as a process of exploration, negotiation and resolution
- encourages interdisciplinary research and design across the built environment and beyond
- cultivates proficiency of analogue and digital media
- encourages open-ended speculation and risk-taking
- explores the possible from what seems impossible
- ensures academic rigour and integrity
- promotes architectural and professional integrity
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Strengths
- independent and critical thinking
- social concerns in rapidly developing contexts
- creative and innovative design thinking
- concern for the future, based on contemporary approaches to heritage
- integration of architectural design with academic research
- pedagogical agility
- a passion for technical speculation
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XLarch Department of Architecture Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
111 Ren’ai Road • SIP Higher Education Town
215123 Suzhou, China
Admissions: http://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/admissions.html
General Enquiries: Chongyao.Huang@xjtlu.edu.cn
No.111 Ren'ai Road
Suzhou, CN , 215123
