Working in partnership - Buro Happold and the Faculty of Architecture at Warsaw University of Technology

30/11/2011 No comments

Buro Happold has a long tradition of working with academia and has forged many such links around the world; the consultancy focuses on collaboration and partnership at this level in order to actively shape the built environment and achieve a sustainable future for the communities that live in it.

The practice has now partnered with the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology to deliver the Architecture for Society of Knowledge (ASK) postgraduate course. The vision for the ASK programme is to confront contemporary social and cultural issues utilising new technologies and collaborative working.

Key forces impacting on the practice of architecture in the Knowledge Society are globalisation and new digital media networks. The ASK programme reflects the importance of these trends on design and looks at the evolution of architecture over the last 200 years; from 20th century space design to 21st century information processing design. The course delivers an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to give students the competencies needed to deal with the crucial issue of globalisation and associated problems, as well as equipping young practicing architects with the relevant experience required for:

• Active participation in the global architectural knowledge society, and critical interpretation of the creative aspects of design and design collaboration
• Practicing architecture collaboratively, using an interdisciplinary approach
• Architectural research exploring new design technology and theory

Commenting on behalf of the university, Krzysztof Koszewski, Deputy Dean of Studies, ASK Programme Director said, “Architecture for Society of Knowledge is an innovative postgraduate course offered to English-speaking students by our department of Architecture and Urbanism. Our cooperation with Buro Happold emphasises the interdisciplinary character of this programme which aims to prepare young architects for the challenges of design in the fast-pace of the real world. Interdisciplinary cooperation is the necessary condition for effective design and it needs to be visible in the education offered to architects today. The global experience of an engineering consultancy is a valuable asset to the ASK curriculum as the ambition of the course is to match the tradition of the Warsaw School of Architecture with the modern digital techniques supporting design processes”.

Marek Dąbrowski, Buro Happold associate and lecturer at the ASK added, “At Buro Happold, we believe that Architecture and Urban Planning need to take an active role now in tackling the challenges associated with urbanisation. To achieve this we need to educate a new generation of professionals who are conscious of the global social trends, and who understand information technology in planning and organising urban spaces, and in multidisciplinary design. The ASK programme takes full advantage of the Knowledge Society today. The benefit Buro Happold brings in sharing their experience is the development of a common understanding of the goals and challenges of modern architecture. By giving students an insight into professional life we can expect the feedback very soon."

The Buro Happold involvement is based around three topics:

• Knowledge Management in Architecture discussing organisational matters and managing complex, international projects
• Digital Construction Site which introduces modern digital technologies that change the way the industry works
• Sustainability in practice which aims to explain how sustainable strategies bring additional value to projects, clients, users and the environment.