HOW WE DO RESEARCH

Focus areas and how research is organised

Based on the vision Engaging through Architecture, we emphasise working with architectural practice and the many actors of the industry, even when it comes to our research. We address current challenges to society in relation to architecture, space and planning. And through experimental research, we create knowledge that contributes to the future development of our physical environment.

In Research Strategy 2021-25, we look ahead and identify areas for action that will ensure a continued strengthening of our research environments and their collaboration with and influence on education and society.

Research strategy 2021-25

We focus on strengthening project-oriented and innovation-driven research of high quality and relevance. Architecture deals with scientific as well as artistic elements, and our concept of research therefore deliberately spans from academic-based research, over research by design to artistic research.

Read more about our research in the document ‘Knowledge foundation – Research and artistic research (KUV))’ (pdf).

Stefan Darlan Boris' forskningsningsprojekt med omdannelse af Eskelund (Viby) fra losseplads til ny bypark.

Stefan Darlan Boris' research project with conversion of Eskelund (Viby) from landfill to new city park.

We particularly focus on developing the research approach research by design, where the architectural design process and the field’s own tools, drawing, modelling and experiments are used as research methods to create new insights and knowledge. Artistic research (KUV) combines reflections on artistic practice with the creation of artistic products of high aesthetic quality.

Focus areas

The school offers strong research communities within digital design and urban landscape planning, but in addition, we have pointed out three areas that we in particular focus on strengthening and developing:

Transformation
Habitation
Sustainability

Focus areas

Research by design

With our special emphasis on research by design, Aarhus School of Architecture emphasises developing research closely linked to the design methods, tools and processes of the field. It is about using the methods from the architectural discipline, creating realisation by working directly and physically with the material, and initiating experiments that explore, develop and challenge.

The field of research by design is still evolving and we collaborate with a number of European research institutions that also focus on strengthening research by design and artistic based research.

Within the field of research by design, the architectural design process forms the way in which new insights, knowledge, practices or products are created. It generates critical questioning through design work.

The academic staff is organised in three large research labs established around a limited number of relevant research areas that reflect our focus areas.

Research labs