History of Architecture and Urbanism University of Groningen

Overview

This History of Architecture and Urbanism master's track at University of Groningen provides students with a rich and varied introduction to the history and theory of architecture and urban planning. 

Key Facts

Cities, buildings, parks and landscapes define the setting of our everyday life. Some are fascinating works of art, and no other human-made artefacts document the evolution of social relations, economic trends, technological innovations, philosophical views on humans and nature, politics and culture more eloquently than architecture and urbanism. Cities and buildings impact our everyday lives. They define where and how we live, how far we have to travel to reach our working places, the daily rhythms of our movements, and the things we see when we are on our way. Their impact on health is self-evident – urban planners gave us our sewage systems, architects decent public housing and healthcare buildings. Since healthcare architecture requires a thorough understanding of the history and theory of architecture and the world of healthy cities can only be analysed against the background of urbanism, the Expertise Centre Architecture, Urbanism and Health is embedded in a classical approach of architectural and urban history and theory. It allows students to specialize in classical history and theory, the health impacts of architecture and urbanism, or a mixture. Why study this programme?

• The history and theory of architecture and urbanism are taught within the context of social, economic, cultural and philosophical phenomena and geared towards the active participation of the students in the discourse on global urban tendencies. 
• Embedded in a classical art historical context, this so-called 'Groningen school' expands the envelope of its scientific explorations and targets planners and policymakers as well as historians and art historians.

• Past, present and future are seen as a continuum, the historian's expertise and research tools as constituting a methodology that is applicable throughout this continuum, its essence being the conviction that man-made changes should always be attributed to those responsible for them.
• Groningen University promotes cooperation with universities and institutions in the Netherlands and abroad: the Delft University of Technology, Gent University of Technology, Berlin University of Technology, ETH Zürich, Erasmus University Rotterdam, International New Town Institute and others. The Master's track offers possibilities for students to take part in courses at other universities.
• The city of Groningen is well-known for being the liveliest student city in the Netherlands, with an ever-growing international student population.