Architecture and the Built Environment

The Department of Architecture and the Built Environment teaches and carries out research in the design of the built environment and building process; from planning and building to management. Apart from having the main responsibility for teaching in the Programme in Architecture, courses are also given in the Industrial Design, Surveying, Fire Protection Engineering and Civil Engineering programmes.

Website of the department of Architecture and the Build Environment (in Swedish)

Architectural Conservation & Restoration includes restoration, reconstruction, administration and renovation of both old and new buildings and built environments. Research is directed towards various design and maintenance programmes, conservation and new ways of using traditional materials and methods. Examples of this are the use of lasers in inspecting buildings, the use of colour in the built environment, the development of airports and the future of church buildings.

Architecture and Developement Studies conducts elective, one-semester courses each autumn and spring for last-year students of Architecture and Industrial Design. They apply a dynamic system’s view in their teaching.

In the area of Energy and Building Design we are studying how buildings should be designed to be both energy efficient and comfortable. Special areas of study are thermal insulation and thermal inertia, the use of passive (radiation through windows) and active (sun panels and solar cells) solar energy, as well as sun blinds to reduce dazzle and excessive indoor temperatures.

In Environmental Psychology research is carried out on how people perceive and are affected by their environment, for example: interiors, the urban environment and the countryside, and how people influence their environment through their behaviour. We also study the needs of various groups in society, such as the elderly, the handicapped and children. Some of our current research projects include the effects of light on our health and well-being, and the importance of colour in how people perceive the urban environment. Other projects include the perception of, and attitudes towards wind turbines, and school environments for children with cognitive functional disorders. 

Several of the staff working in Housing Development and Management (HDM) are engaged in teaching and research on housing and design as well as construction and use of the urban environment, especially in developing countries. They collaborate with and offer support to: politicians, architects and building planners in for example: Latin America and North Africa. Further education is also provided for experts and researchers from other countries. 

Theoretical and Applied Aesthetics involves teaching in visionary, experimental architecture in different areas from urban planning to the use of materials. Teaching in theoretical aesthetics is also an important aspect of this field. Our research is directed towards artistic methods in architecture and design, and how art in today’s society affects architecture and design.

Urban Planning deals with the physical design of districts, towns, cities and regions; from detailed planning of urban areas to structural planning on a regional scale. The overall aim is to create attractive urban environments offering long-term social, economic and environmental sustainability. 

The research group in Urban Studies is engaged in analysing the design, life cycle and development of urban environments within the framework for modern townscapes. Central issues include the changes in public spaces, the day-to-day use of various urban environments, and contemporary problems associated with sustainable urban development. The group collaborates with researchers in ethnogeography, urban sociology and traffic planning.