|
Full
Site Search
To search the entire TransWorld Education Site for both
articles and college details please use the form below.
Warning: Results can be extensive.
|
Architectural Education
in Australia
Australia has been described as a young
nation in an old continent. It offers extraordinary and unique
landscapes, often of vast scale, and cities that are among
some of the youngest on the planet. Its rainforests, coastal
landscapes and beaches, the hinterland of the bush and the
Great Barrier Reef offer unforgettable experiences.
Australians are renowned for their welcoming nature and informality.
It is an outward-looking nation, and its very remoteness fosters
a respect and regard for the world beyond, with its many nations
and cultures. The strength of its economy and the stability
of Australian society make it an attractive, exotic and rewarding
place for study and travel. The Olympic Games provided a showcase
for Australia's achievements in architecture, urban planning
and design, and provides the catalyst for further commercial
and cultural growth. Australia's youth as a nation ensures
that it thrives on vitality, optimism and the potential of
its future.
Architecture in Australia is an exciting art, as cultural
vigour resonates in the design and production of buildings
and places that respond both to the needs of a rapidly growing
population, and to the special qualities of its urban and
rural settings. The need to settle a vast continent in a relatively
short span of time generated interest and expertise in the
efficient use of construction materials and systems. The Australian
architect works in a society that expects to build, and young
architects have often accumulated extensive experience of
designing and documenting new buildings relatively early in
their careers. These factors combine to ensure that the education
of architects in Australia prepares them fully to take advantage
of the opportunities to produce buildings governed by ideas,
that respond to the special possibilities of climate, context
and place. These ideas are applicable to the making of architecture
in all contexts, and Australian-educated architects have made
their mark as practical leaders and key designers around the
world.
There are sixteen schools of architecture in Australia, each
offering courses with a different emphasis. Some are largely
design-focussed, some lean more to a sociological position,
whilst others are more technical. All schools are reviewed
by the profession to determine that they satisfy the accreditation
criteria of the professional bodies. Recognition by the Royal
Australian Institute of Architects also ensures recognition
by the Commonwealth Association of Architects, which provides
the international status of Australian degrees in architecture.
In order to achieve recognition, the schools must satisfy
the education policy of the profession.
Courses are typically five years long, with a further year
of practical experience required by some schools between the
third and fourth years of their courses. Some schools offer
the possibility of undertaking study on a part-time basis.
The differences between the courses offered by the separate
schools are due in part to the nature of their different locations.
These range from the tropical heat of Darwin to the benign
sub tropics of Brisbane, down to the more temperate climates
of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide and the cooler climates
of Tasmania. Typically the courses are taught using project-based
learning, to address architectural issues and problems through
design. The subject of design integrates the principles and
skills gained from other subject streams, such as architectural
technology, environmental studies and history and theory.
The close relationship between the Schools and the profession
enables new areas of study to be embraced as the need arises.
Most recently, this has included computer-aided design, as
the Australian Schools are leaders in the teaching of screen-based
design in a way that complements the more traditional drawing
and modelling skills.
Australian universities value their links with universities
overseas, and most possess active exchange arrangements with
sister institutions in other countries. This enables more
advanced students to study in Australia whilst maintaining
their enrolment in their home university. For those that have
completed undergraduate education, there is a wide range of
postgraduate coursework and research higher degrees at masters
and doctorate levels. These are offered to enable specialised
study in the discipline, and their character and focus is
governed by the specific research and design strengths of
the separate institutions.
Author
Professor Michael Keniger
Department of Architecture
University of Queensland
|
