CUHK School of Architecture: Take the reins, design and build the future of architecture

It’s one thing to create great, visually appealing structures and another to build spaces that support society’s needs. However, the School of Architecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong seeks to train its students to achieve both.

Born in Hong Kong, the fourth densest city in the world, Ching Lam Tong sees the need to build environments that allow society to prosper organically. “With the Bachelor of Social Science (BSSc) in Architectural Studies programme, I saw an opportunity to explore architecture to actively engage with the local neighbourhood, solve problems, and create spaces that foster connections and interactions among community members,” she says.

Along the way, Tong was pushing the boundaries of her creativity — especially in courses like digital media. This was where she learned Grasshopper, a coding language used for computational design in architecture. “At the beginning of the course, it felt like trying to face a formidable enemy without having acquired the necessary skills. The tasks assigned to us each week were complex, requiring us to apply our newfound coding knowledge to create parametric designs and explore the potential of computational design. It was a steep learning curve,” she says. “However, despite the initial difficulties, the challenges presented in this course were incredibly rewarding. We worked together as a cohesive team, leveraging each other’s strengths and learning from one another.”

The school’s four-year BSSc in Architectural Studies – embedded in the Faculty of Social Science – is where future architects develop their skills by working on individual imagination, designing solutions that integrate cultural and physical contexts, and structural and constructional environmental technologies. The curriculum is structured beyond training students to join the architectural profession; it seeks to educate them in adapting to inevitable future changes during their careers. For Tong, having courses that emphasise creating spacious and friendly learning environments within the architectural field was particularly appealing. “The importance of designing inclusive and diversified spaces to encourage communication and individual expression cannot be overstated,” she says.

Tong isn’t the only one drawn by the programme’s integration and exploration of architecture and people’s connections. Hong Konger Chiu Ching Yin’s passion for the subject grew during her studies, primarily on how architecture can “shape and transform communities, acting as a catalyst for social interaction, connection, and a sense of belonging.”

The programme intertwines various topics, from fundamental research studies in cultural courses to on-site visits, interviews, and discussions during studio sessions. It emphasises the integration of understanding cultural backgrounds with interactive learning experiences. — and how better to do this than to see the world?

With CUHK, opportunities for overseas visits through short courses, electives and exchange are aplenty. Through them, students can witness and experience architectural environments shaped by the accumulation of cultural influences in various contexts.

Upon completion of the BSSc programme, graduates can join the two-year Master of Architecture (MArch) at CUHK.

Accredited by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects and the Royal Institute of British Architects, the MArch covers advanced areas of research, design thinking and speculative spatial practices. Students engage with one of 12 studios to conduct their design work.

MArch student Lauren Laroche had the opportunity to enrich her portfolio through her design studio in Boracay, Philippines. During her studies, she was able to draw on the experience of the faculty through Professor Francesco Rossini, who is in the process of carrying out his project on the island with a similar framework to hers.

In addition to her studio work, Laroche assisted in creating a temporary bamboo pavilion in Kuk Po, a Hakka Village in Hong Kong’s New Territories, through CUHK and the Hong Kong Government’s initiative of regenerating and preserving traditional ways of life in Hong Kong’s countryside.

“Experimentation and innovation on a technical and material level have been actively encouraged,” says Laroche. “I have found the practical elements of the programme to challenge creativity and skills. They are like what students may confront within the workplace. The theoretical aspects of the programme allow students to engage with topical issues surrounding the architecture industry and ensure that these ideas can continue to be addressed within architectural design.”

The BSSc and MArch programmes aren’t the only ones that allow students to participate in internships and international trips; the Master of Science in Urban Design (MSUD) has them too.

Urban design is key to creating livable, sustainable and socially just cities, and the MSUD programme prepares committed designers to engage with these challenges. For student Yèni Yakpo from Germany, her favourite courses in her first semester were “Urban History and Theory” and “Urban Design Studio 1.” “I found it useful to revisit some general knowledge through a critical lens while also working on a very specific project in the Studio course,” she says. “It was a great way to start the programme.”

During Yakpo’s studio project, she worked on designing and creating regenerative neighbourhoods in Tai Po, Hong Kong. Her team made many field trips and site observations. “All of these were extremely insightful because we got to have conversations with the people we were essentially designing for,” she says. “It reminded me just how important it is to include all involved stakeholders, especially those at the receiving end.”

The School of Architecture is the only one in Hong Kong with a dedicated building designed for the academic exploration of architecture with up-to-date facilities.

The school’s aim to foster the next generation of leading architects is seen through the works of their community. From students to graduates to faculty, winning prestige international and local awards is a norm at the School of Architecture.

Here, the vision of educating students to be at the heart of urban and rural innovation to create solutions for social and environmental challenges and equipped with technical, digital and design skills to make a real difference is taken seriously.

“Rather than treating classes and projects as separate entities, the programme is designed as a holistic and meaningful journey,” says Chiu. “Throughout this, the challenge lies in thinking persistently and extensively. We are encouraged to think critically, pushing the boundaries of our ideas and seeking innovative solutions.”

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