Symposium - The Status and Role of Humanities in Architectural Education Today
Matthew Heins
The Status and Role of Humanities in Architectural Education Today
An Online Symposium – May 15, 2026 | 11:00-16:30
Hosted by the Architecture, Culture, and Tectonics Research Group, University of Nottingham, in collaboration with the Architectural Humanities Research Association
This symposium considers how history and theory are valued today, how they sit within evolving educational frameworks, how they function as independent fields of inquiry, and how they operate in relation to broader questions about the purpose of architectural education. It will foster open dialogue regarding how historical and theoretical inquiry can remain intellectually vital and pedagogically relevant in today’s shifting landscape.
In the UK, The Architectural Registration Board's decision to cease validating undergraduate programmes has prompted fundamental questions about curriculum structure, pedagogical priorities, and the relationship between academic study and professional training. This provides opportunity to consider again the present and future status and role of the architectural humanities within architectural education.
Drawing on voices from within the UK and internationally, this symposium will explore questions including:
- What is the status and importance of the architectural humanities within architectural education today?
- What opportunities does curricular restructuring present for rethinking how architectural history and theory is organized and taught?
- How might the decoupling of undergraduate education from professional validation affect the teaching of history and theory?
- How can history and theory speak to contemporary concerns such as ecological crisis, social justice, and technological change, without becoming instrumentalized or losing critical distance?
- How do educators prepare students to engage critically with the past while equipping them for an uncertain future?
· What are the immediate implications of AI for how we teach and assess architectural history and theory, and how should educators respond to tools that can instantly generate essays, analyses, and historical summaries?
A series of short talks will frame moderated and open discussions. Participation by audience members is encouraged.
Speakers:
Katharina Borsi, University of Nottingham
Jordan Kauffman, University of Nottingham
Diana Periton, University of Westminster
Mark Jarzombek, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Suzanne Ewing, Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Hugh Campbell, University College Dublin
Alla Vronskaya, Univerität Kassel
To join:
https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/314698588701567?p=03ErhDcEErKzVoaVHb
Meeting ID: 314 698 588 701 567
Passcode: ej6uZ7sU
