UCD College of Engineering & Architecture
Coláiste na hInnealtóireachta agus na hAiltireachta
Research at UCD School of Architecture
Research in Architecture spans a wide range of themes including environmental, social, cultural, historical, technological, design and urban. Buildings and the urban environment embrace these issues simultaneously and so architectural research, by its nature, is interdisciplinary. It must be conscious of interactions across some or all of these intellectual fields. It transcends the traditional divides of science versus art and qualitative versus quantative.
The UCD School of Architecture supports a comparative range of research fields including Urban and Building Conservation & Heritage, Sustainable Building Design & Performance, History and Theory of Architecture and Architectural Design. Its staff, as individuals and as groups and members of several UCD Research Institutes, are research-active across these themes and support both Research Masters and Doctoral programmes.
Urban and Building Conservation & Heritage
For some twenty-five years the school has been research active in advancing the knowledge base in building and urban conservation and heritage. It has seen a growing awareness of the cultural, social and economic importance of conserving the built heritage of buildings and urban areas. There is a growing demand for the knowledge and skills required to maintain and manage the wide range of buildings that form the material culture of society. There is now an expectation that the care of historic buildings will meet the highest international standards requiring specialist knowledge and skills and the collaboration of a range of disciplines supported by an appropriate research framework. Many national and international peer-reviewed publications have resulted from this research and some significant funded research projects.
Sustainable Building Design & Performance
Since 1975 the UCD Energy Research Group has pursued a broad agenda through research, outreach and collaboration with industry, dissemination and education. It has specialised in the energy and environmental performance of buildings with an emphasis on passive design and in support of healthy indoor environments. The group is an integral part of the UCD School of Architecture. To learn more, go to the UCD Energy Research Group website.
History and Theory of Architecture
The school has a strong reputation in the area of history and theory, spanning both specifically Irish themes and broader issues. To date, the majority of PhDs awarded by the school have dealt with architectural, urban and landscape history. More recently, theoretical explorations have become more prominent, with the visual representation of landscapes and urban spaces being a significant theme. Many national and international peer-reviewed publications have resulted from this research and some significant funded research projects.
Architectural Design
Building on its reputation for excellence in design teaching and on the achievements of its staff and students, the school has more recently begun to develop research by, through and for design. To date, this has included the documentation and dissemination of critical practice through exhibition and publication, the analysis of design processes and products under social science and humanities research paradigms, as well as research into materials and construction techniques.
