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InterViews/listen: Episodes 4-7 explore doctoral programs in Zurich, Edinburgh, and Barcelona

The InterViews/listen podcast series, presented by the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism, surveys doctoral programs and research approaches worldwide, documenting the range of research in architecture, urbanism, conservation, and design research.

The following four interviews took place in March 2021, during the PhD Colloquium organized by Professor Federica Goffi. She is co-chair of the PhD and MAS programs and chair of  Carleton Research | Practice of Teaching | Collaborative (CR|PT|C).

InterView/listen 4

Dr. Philip Ursprung, the director of research at the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich, describes the two doctoral programs at his institution: History and Theory of Architecture, Architecture, and Technology (2012), and Landscape Architecture and Urban Studies (2020). The discussion includes the role of archives, publishing, and exhibitions in doctoral work. Dr. Ursprung offers insights into his research with the Future Cities Laboratories, where he is the principal investigator of tourism and cultural heritage.

Find the interview HERE.

The interviewers are Dr. Federica Goffi and PhD students Marco Ianni and Isabel Potworowski.

InterView/listen 5

Dr. Laurent Stalder, the chair of theory of architecture at the Department of Architecture (GTA D-ARCH) at ETH Zurich, offers insights into the research approaches, curriculum structure, and role of the PhD advisor in the department’s History and Theory of Architecture PhD program. He reflects on the diversity of doctoral programs in architecture from history, theory, or criticism to PhD by design, creative practice, or practice. He also notes the influence of technology on how we think and design (Architecture / Machine. Programs, Processes, and Performances. Zurich: gta papers, 2017 by Moritz Gleich, Laurent Stadler Eds.).

Find the interview HERE.

The interviewers are Dr. Federica Goffi and PhD students Reem Awad and Marco Ianni.

InterView/listen 6

Dr. Mark Dorrian is the Forbes Chair in Architecture at the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA, The University of Edinburgh). He describes the school’s PhD program in Architecture and PhD by Design. About 90 students are enrolled in the four PhD programs at ESALA at any one time. The interview constitutes a deep reflection on the themes in his 2015 book Writing on the Image: Architecture, the City and the Politics of Representation.

Find the interview HERE.

The interviewers are Dr. Federica Goffi and the following PhD students: Warren Borg, Damiano Aiello, Marco Ianni, and Serkan Taycan.

InterView/listen 7

Dr. Felix Solaguren
Dr. Pedro Azara

Dr. Felix Solaguren-Beascoa de Corral, dean of the Barcelona School of Architecture ETSAB / UPC and Dr. Pedro Azara, head of the school’s Department of Theory and History of Architecture, discuss the relationship between doctoral programs and professional practice in Spain. They address the overlap of the social sciences, particularly geography, climate, and nature, with architecture research. They also tackle questions about the responsibilities of researchers and practitioners to engage with ethical concerns and the architect’s role in addressing sustainability.

Find the interview HERE.

The interviewers are Dr. Federica Goffi and PhD students Kristin Washco, Reem Awad, and Marco Ianni.

The podcast series continues the research agenda of Dr. Federica Goffi’s bookInter-VIEWS: Insight and Introspection in Doctoral Research in Architecturepublished in 2020 by Routledge.