Kent School of Architecture

Research

Having established itself as a strong teaching School, Kent School of Architecture is in the process of transforming itself into a research-led institution of higher education in architecture.

KSA staff are active at academic and professional conferences nationally and internationally. The School promotes innovative and interdisciplinary research study in architecture, urbanism and related fields.

The School has an enthusiastic team of full-time academic staff and associated lecturers with many years of teaching experience at degree level, and particular strengths in historical, environmental, technical and digital aspects of the subject. Many of our lecturers are highly active within contemporary debates and also draw on their experience as practitioners within the field.

Our PhD / MPhil research students are actively pursuing their research and successfully contributing to teaching our undergraduate students. They are also taking part in conferences, running their own practices or editing national architectural journals.

 

Areas of research

Research at Kent School of Architecture is centred on achieving excellence in the following wider areas of work:

  • Architectural histories and theories
  • Sustainable urban and peri-urban studies and environmental design

These two general areas of architectural knowledge in our research unfold into the following

Research fields

  • Architectural theory from its early texts until present
  • Twentieth century architectural history
  • Nineteenth-century architecture, its theory and its modern influences
  • Architecture of the sixteenth and seventeenth century 
  • Sustainable design of city centres (morphological, spatial and functional analysis of urban centres with the emphasis on social sustainability)
  • The role of arts in urban design (the role of film, painting, theatre and other arts in the development of urban design)
  • Research regarding young user participation in school design
  • Sustainable buildings by ‘passive’ design
  • Architecture for the extreme environments
  • Digital visualisation
  • Interactive design
  • Landscape design and early modernism

 

Collaboration

We work with partners nationally and internationally and collaborate with the local and regional stakeholders in order to achieve maximum impact. Our friends, collaborators and partners include:

Academic

  • University of Bologna
  • The Polytechnic University of Turin
  • Virginia Polytechnic
  • Oklahoma State Polytechnic
  • Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Architecture, Lille
  • Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura de Barcelona

 

Research and impact

  • Kent County Council
  • Canterbury City Council
  • Thanet District Council
  • Longfield Academy
  • Canterbury Cathedral

 

Research Networks

  • AHRA – Architectural Humanities Research Association
  • EAHN European Architectural History Network
  • Kent Architects Initiative
  • The Pugin Society
  • Tessenow Society
  • Societe Internationale Leon Battista Alberti

 

Current projects: AHRA SCALE CONFERENCE

Kent School of Architecture, Marlowe Building, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR

The University of Kent, +44 (0)1227 824686 or architecture@kent.ac.uk

Last Updated: 01/11/2011