XJTLU Department of Architecture, Suzhou Development, Shanghai Building Design

XJTLU’s Department of Architecture

Architectural Education – Built Environment Teaching in Jiangsu Province, China

10 Nov 2013

XJTLU Department of Architecture News

Xi’an Jiao tong-Liverpool University Department of Architecture hosts design charette with Scottish Masters students

Seven postgraduate students from Scott Sutherland School of Architecture, Aberdeen, arrived at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) to take part in an ideas-sharing evening between Chinese and Scottish architecture students.

Project by SSSA & XJTLU architecture students – Suzhou aerial:

photo © Alan Dunlop

The visitors, who have maintained collegiate links with XJTLU ever since attending the international Masterplanning the Future conference last year, led an informal discussion on housing and urbanism in China and the UK. The evening provided an opportunity for XJTLU to engage fully with the visiting cohort and to share their local knowledge and begin a process of international student collaboration.

The new Library and Administration building at XJTLU:

photo © Alan Dunlop

Professor Alan Dunlop from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and External Examiner of XJTLU’s architecture programme says: “The visiting students are conducting an urban development project to create a new city for the 21st Century in Suzhou. They have met to exchange ideas with students from XJTLU and together investigate the cultural influences that direct how cities grow.”

The Scottish Masters students presented their work and encouraged a lively, critical discussion on the most important themes. Coordinated by Dr Penny Lewis of Scott Sutherland School and student Ross Pirie, their visit was another example of the growing development and enhancement of intellectual and research collaboration with XJTLU.

Ross Pirie said: “Housing is the biggest challenge at present therefore we wanted to focus on this in more depth by developing a dialogue with some of the students on our work in China”.

Austin Williams, associate professor at XJTLU who has coordinated the visit from XJTLU’s side added: “This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn from, but also to assist and advise, Masters students from the other side of the world on Chinese projects. In many ways, XJTLU students are a lynchpin between China and the West. Building up informal and formal links with Western universities at this level can only enhance the educational experience for both sides.”

Reporter: Austin Williams; Editor: Guojuan Wang, Douglas Warner

24 Oct 2013

XJTLU’s Department of Architecture RIBA News

Xi’an Jiao tong-Liverpool University

First with RIBA status on mainland China.

Xi’an Jiao tong-Liverpool University is located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, PR China.

Suzhou is close to Shanghai in south east China.

The Department of Architecture at XJTLU was able to achieve this significant milestone with the assistance from a number of colleagues and associates. These include: Dr. Thomas Fischer from XJTLU’s Department of Architecture, Professor Andy Brown from the Liverpool School of Architecture, Professor Wang Bowei from Tongji University; Professor Xu Jian from the Department of Architecture at Xian Jiaotong University, Yang Fan at OCT in Shanghai; external examiners, Prue Chiles and Professor Alan Dunlop, and XJTLU Vice President of Academic Affairs, Professor David Sadler.

XJTLU’s Department of Architecture news – external link

image from architects

Drawn to China

26 Nov 2012 – Professor Alan Dunlop has returned from a successful ten day trip to Suzhou and Shanghai with a message for young architects: get out there…as quickly as you can.

“I’m telling all my students, here and in the USA, to forget struggling to find work in Britain and go to China” says Dunlop. “The opportunities for young, UK trained architects are incredible and they should go now.”

Professor Dunlop has started a four year contract with a new school of architecture in Suzhou, near Shanghai. His brief, as external assessor at XJTLU is to provide constructive comment and critical feedback on the course and help steer the faculty toward full RIBA accreditation in four years.

Alan Dunlop will also be giving advice and direction on the Master of Architecture post graduate degree currently being set up by the new school. “The faculty is international and very ambitious. They intend to challenge the traditional method of teaching architecture by rote in the more prestigious schools in China by encouraging individualism and creative thinking in their students.”

Alan Dunlop lecture at XJTLU:

image © Alan Dunlop