The Swedish research school ResArc is a collaboration between the schools of Architecture at KTH, Chalmers, LTH, and Umeå University with the aim of strengthening architectural research, education and collaborative projects at national and international levels. ResArc was launched in February 2012 and is coordinated and administered by the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at Lund University. ResArc received funding from the Swedish Research council FORMAS 2011 in a total effort that also includes the two strong research environments Architecture in Effect and Architecture in the Making.

ResArc aims at establishing a solid, discipline-specific platform for research education in Architecture that is clearly related to other fields of research and to architectural practice. ResArc provides an educational programme with a mix of pedagogical formats such as courses, seminars, symposia and workshops, all in a learning culture that encourages theoretical investigations as well as experimental and practice-oriented research approaches; ResArc promotes inter- and transdisciplinary research of a high quality with the publication aims of international peer-reviewed journals, public debates, specialized thematic publishing, experimental publication forms and exhibitions.

A variety of issues are currently calling attention to architecture research. Migration and climate change causes new social conditions to appear and these global issues and urgencies pose challenges to urban environments that need to be dealt with in architecture research: new modes of communication, managerial changes in city planning, technical developments within building construction, demand new kinds of design processes and is radically changing architectural practice. Architecture research needs to take an active, creative and critical role in this ongoing transformation.

New disciplinary connections between the academic domains of architecture, geography, political sciences and environmental research make new types of knowledge production possible. Newly emerged practice-based approaches to architectural research will continue to challenge the traditional design of research approaches. Although rooted in traditional methods, architectural research is – compared to traditional research disciplines – in its youth, and its natural co-joined involvement with theory, professional practice and societal effect, has recently proved to be a good academic position when it comes to developing new research methods. This possibility is acknowledged and fully utilized within ResArc.

Doctoral students within the field of architecture are welcome to apply for course participation in ResArc. PhD students from other diciplines can apply too, however studentts from architeture departments have priority for ResArc courses and other activities with limited total numbers of participants. Interested candidates submit their applications to the differnt Architecture School Representatives. ResArc Directory, who decides on admission. Applications from PhD students at the schools of architecture in ResArc (KTH, LTH, UMU and CTH) are prioritized.

What’s in it?

ResArc PhD students have the unique opportunity to take part in a national wide re-search school in architecture. This means developing their own PhD projects in close collaboration and exchange with national and international actors in the area of architecture research. Admitted PhD students are presented on the ResArc website with project description, photo and publications. PhD students can apply for and take part in ResArc activities (courses, seminars etc) without being admitted to ResArc as mandatory frame of their research education.

What’s expected?

ResArc PhD students are expected to take active part in the activities and courses ar-ranged by ResArc. ResArc students are encouraged to present their research project the part time seminars of their PhD projects, and have this announced at the ResArc homepage.