Organisation profile

Rector: Torben Nielsen
Prorector: Kristine Leth Juul

The Aarhus School of Architecture was established in 1965 and has about 650 students. The Aarhus School of Architecture provides a three-year Bachelor programme, a two-year Master programme, a three-year PhD programme and professional master studies.

In 1988, Aarhus School of Architecture became a research institution and the PhD program was introduced. Since then, Aarhus School of Architecture has awarded over 80 PhD degrees and out of approx. 130 employees about 55 are researchers.

In our efforts to strengthen architectural research, the Aarhus School of Architecture does not adhere to one single approach or method, but try to maintain a breadth of scope. We quite deliberately work with a broad concept of research that ranges from scientifically founded research over research by design to artistic development work. For us, quality and relevance are crucial, whether using well-established research methods from other academic fields, or achieving research results through creative project developmental reflection.

With our special focus on research by design, Aarhus School of Architecture places emphasis on developing research in close dialogue with design methods, tools and processes of the discipline. In this way, we also wish to support the connection to the practice of the profession and of the building industry within research.

In order to strengthen research collaborations and networks, the school's researchers are organized in three larger research laboratories, each having a professional field of interest and contributing to research within the school's focus areas Habitation, Transformation and Sustainability. Research Laboratory 1 Territories, Architecture and Transformation. Research Laboratory 2 Technology, Building Cultures and Habitation. Research Laboratory 3 Emerging Architecture and Sustainability.