Academic Spires with Plenty of Desire

17 July 2015 | Updated 01 January 1970

Huddersfield University has opened two research centres for modern living and the urban environment.

The centres – which come under the aegis of the University’s School of Art, Design and Architecture – are the Innovative Design Lab (IDL) and the Centre for Urban Design, Architecture and Sustainability (CUDAS).

IDL is headed by Professor Patricia Tzortzopoulos Fazenda, an architect with industrial experience in collaborative design integration and management. She is the University’s Professor of Integrated Design and Head of the Department of Architecture and 3D Design.

The Director of CUDAS is Professor Nicholas Temple who is Professor of Architecture. Much of his research and publication has focused on the city of Rome.

CUDAS will research the themes of urban design, architectural practice and humanities, plus Sustainable Environments and Practice. A common thread is the integration of architectural, environmental and urban design.

There will be Masters’ programmes in Urban Design, Advanced Architectural Design and Sustainable Architecture, with the first two programmes to be launched in September 2015.

IDL was launched about a month ago and it researches product design with an emphasis on the built environment, looking at the impact of design thinking and practice. It cuts across architectural design, construction management, interior design, new product development, engineering, social sciences and health care.

There is a focus on solving ‘real-world problems’ through design innovation and the IDL’s research is developed closely with public and private sector organisations to propose novel answers to design challenges. On offer are ‘future focused’ undergraduate, Masters and PhD programmes.

Picture: Two research centres have been opened by the University of Huddersfield modern living and the urban environment

Article written by Mike Gannon | Published 17 July 2015