RECIPIENT OF THE UIA INTERANTIONAL PRIZE FOR INNOVATION AND EDUCATION

The Master Program, Architecture and Extreme Environments, at the The Royal Danish Academy, School of Architecture, Copenhagen (Denmark), directed by Associate Professor David A. Garcia, has received the international prize for the most innovative architecture educational program.

“In close collaboration with local communities who are situated in extreme environments globally, this programme impressively engages with all 17 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while demonstrating great sensitivity to environmental issues and the integration of research into design.” UIA Jury.

The master’s program Architecture and Extreme Environments sends architecture students on fieldwork in some of the world’s most extreme climatic conditions, where they develop tailored, local architectural solutions. The education has now won an award as one of the most innovative and pedagogically inspiring in the world.

The International Union of Architects – International Union of Architects (UIA) – has just named the master’s program “Architecture and Extreme Environments” from the Royal Academy, as one of four of the leading architectural programs in the world.

The award “The UIA Innovation in Architectural Education Award” is given to selected frontrunners who manage to rethink the interplay between pedagogy and the development of sustainable architectural solutions in the education of the architects of the future. The award will be presented at UIA’s World Congress in July.

The jury justifies the selection of “Architecture and Extreme Environments” as follows: environmental issues and the integration of design research. ”

Education under extreme conditions

The education is led by architect and associate professor David Garcia, who has founded and been behind the program for the past six years. The pedagogy of the education is based on the students researching and developing site-specific solutions to some of the climate, environmental and resource problems that the local population struggles with in everyday life. This method develops the future architects in being innovative and artistic in collaboration with experts and local users.

The students in the program have i.a. studied climatic and geographical conditions and worked on proposals for new, sustainable technologies and local architecture in such diverse places as Manaus in the Amazon rainforest and Longyear city in the icy cold of Svalbard.

“I am very proud to have received this award, it is an important recognition of the students and their enormous commitment to inventing new and more sustainable ways of designing our society,” says David Garcia.