Architecture school should provide an environment to explore issues alongside practical skills and professional training. Ideally, there will also be opportunities to work with faculty and students in fields that complement architecture. Add a campus situated at an international city and you have The University of Hong Kong.
Located on the island of Hong Kong, HKU’s program is not one single entity but rather, it is a consortium under the Faculty of Architecture, what other universities refer to as a “college.” The Faculty of Architecture includes the departments and divisions of Architecture, Real Estate and Construction, Urban Planning and Design, Landscape Architecture. In addition, it also runs the Shanghai Study Centre. Sited in Shanghai, it provides a public arena for conferences, houses a public gallery. Interdepartmental as well as inter-university studios are also conducted there.
This is a dynamic program located in a city that is a hub of urban reinvention and renewal. In fact, HKU provides a unique opportunity for students to explore crucial issues such as conservation and density in urban design. Towards that end, HKU’s Architecture Department offers both a Bachelor of Arts in Conservation as well as a Master of Science in Conservation. Their collective purpose is to explore practical architectural strategies and policies that can be implemented locally, nationally, and globally. These are all performed under the umbrella of the Architectural Conservation Program, and works with UNESCO and the Hong Kong Institute of Architectural Conservationists to provide education for BA, MS, and PhD students. Professionals, and students from all over the world. This is important in widening the policy and practical discourses beyond the narrow solutions that might result if participants heralded from a single region.
