College of architecture and landscape architecture of Peking University

Peking University promulgated document to establish the college of architecture and landscape architecture on 25th, May, 2010. Dc. Yu Kongjian was nominated as Dean, and Dc. Wang yun was nominated Vice-Dean. The grand founding ceremony of the college was held on 31st, Oct, 2010.

College overview

Peking University’s design discipline has gone through a long process of development. In the early years of the establishment of the national Imperial University of Peking (1898), Architecture as an important discipline had been listed in the Authorized Regulations of schools in 1902. Peiping University established department of architecture in 1928. Since then, the discipline of architecture in Peking University shared the same vicissitudes with the nation. Since the late 1970s, the reform and opening-up in China has boosted economic growth and urban development, while increased the tension between human and land. As a result, innovative and advanced talents of related professions are in urgent need. Peking University has founded landscape planning and design research center in 1997, graduate center of architecture in 2000, and the graduate school of landscape architecture in 2003. The research and education of architecture in Peking University were revived, and the development of landscape architecture as a discipline was started. In 2010, Architecture research center and landscape design academy were integrated and thus formed the college of architecture and landscape architecture.

In the last 13 years, the college has cultivated 160 PhDs of human geography (landscape planning and design speciality), masters of science of architecture design and theory, masters of science of landscape architecture (MSLA), professional masters of landscape architecture (MLA, Master of Landscape architecture, the same below) in total, and dedicated framework teachers and senior designers for colleges and universities as well as famous planning and design companies. There are 240 masters of science and PhDs studying in the college. 232 research papers and 43 academic monographs aimed at improving living environment of urban and rural residents in China, coordinating the relationship between the limited land resource and the increasing population, and innovative designing have been published. Staff and students won 18 international design awards. Architecture design and research and the innovative development of landscape architecture in Peking University has attracted worldwide attention. These academic institutions are acknowledged as the most influential force in cultivating talents for the development of urbanization in China.

The college of architecture and landscape architecture devotes itself into establishing a design academy with the potential to lead the world in discipline development, and contributes to the progress of Peking University establishing first-class university in the world. Advanced talents are cultivated by the college with the capability to serve the urbanization of the nation and recreation of natural beauty.

Discipline overview

Based on Peking University’s profound natural science and humanities studies, the college of architecture and landscape architecture focuses its teaching and research on the complex problem China and the whole world now facing, namely the living environment and the relationship between human and land, the subjects are of multiple scales from river and plain, region, urban area, block, site, to an individual building with its internal and external environment. Across time and space scale, interdisciplinary methodology and strategy are utilized in analyzing and understanding of the natural, biological and humanistic process of urban, country and nature, and the dense tangle of interrelationship among the various factors influencing space, site and the attributes of architecture. Design is used as a tool to solve the problem of living environment and the tension between land resources and human requirements. The college would always launch innovative research and design programme, and foster innovative talents.

Architecture: Architecture is an application discipline aiming at training professional talents in the field of architecture design. The art accomplishment and abilities of students in related aspects such as practical construction can be significantly improved through the education on aesthetic, basic design, construction engineering technology and other related fields, so that the students are expected to design public buildings and residential buildings with both artistry and practicality. Meanwhile, by studying architecture theory and history, and participating in architecture crisis, students also could have their ability of individual research fast increased.

Landscape architecture: Landscape architecture is an application discipline based on the vast field of natural science, humanities and arts sciences, consists of analysis, layout planning, design, reconstruction, management, conservation and ecological restoration of landscape. This discipline especially emphasizes on the design of the land, including design the solutions and alternative approaches to certain problems, based on scientific and reasonable analysis of all the issues about land and outdoor spaces, and hence supervise the implementation of design.

Urban design: Originated in the 1960s, urban design is a discipline about comprehensive research and design of urban morphology, space, environment and landscape. Subjects of this discipline consist of urban morphology and public space system on a macro-scale, block and architectural complex on a middle-scale, and street, square and landscape essays on a micro-scale. Urban design is closely related with the social-economy, residents’ behavioral psychology and social history. It is a comprehensive interdisciplinary integrated by urban planning, architecture design, landscape design and environment design.

Professional settings and outlook

Postgraduate programme, including master of science of architecture design and theory, duration of schooling is 3 years. Master of science of geography (landscape architecture), length of schooling is 2 years (currently). Professional masters of landscape architecture (MLA, Master of Landscape architecture), the schooling lasts for 3 years. The college is also planning to launch master of engineering (architecture speciality), and urban design (professional or speciality).

In order to promote the development of the discipline and the cultivation of talents, the college is planning to carry out second bachelor’s degree in design and bachelor-master degree educational programme, and further promote programmes for PhD architecture and for landscape design (landscape architecture) as first class discipline.

We would like to invite those who aspire to become top talents in the design field to study in our college, and turn into members of the college of architecture and landscape architecture in the future.

；gsla@pku.edu.cn; arch@pku.edu.cn