01 Talent cultivation
Deepen reform
In 2020, adhering to the "human-centered and quality-oriented" tradition, taking the opportunity of New Engineering Construction, focusing on the contemporary design and construction system in the traditional Chinese context, we actively explored new paths for professional development through a series of teaching reform projects, such as, first-class professional construction, first-class curriculum cultivation, general education curriculum, second classroom, and ideological and political curriculum. The program, “Exploration on the Practice Platform of International Design Talents in the Architectural Industry Based on the Integration of Production, Teaching and Research”, which we declared was approved as “The Second Batch National Program of New Engineering Research and Practice”. Construction labs, digital labs, heritage labs, and urban labs were officially put into use. Besides, a total of 9 courses won the title of national, provincial and ministerial-level first-class courses. The training process and teaching mode reforms for architectural graduates in professional degree were fully completed with continuously upgrading research-oriented curriculum system.
02 Awards
Create new glories
In 2020, students of School of Architecture, Tianjin University won 69 prizes in national and international students design competitions including the 2020 Young Talent Architecture Award(YTAA), the American Society of Landscape Architect(ASLA), TEAM20, Challenge Cup, the 2020 SEU·Chinese Contest of the Rookies’ Award for Architectural Students, and TeamZero Award International Architecture Student Design Competition.
In August, TEAM20 8th Annual Architecture and Urban Planning Competition wrapped up in Taipei. In addition to the first prize in the architectural group last year, this year, Tianjin University, won the first prize in the urban design group. In September, the American Society of Landscape Architect(ASLA) announced the winning entries of the 2020 Student Awards, and TJU students of School of Architecture won the honorable mention for analysis and planning category, which was another international competition awards after a second prize in International Federation of Landscape Architects(IFLA). In same month, the final of the 2020 SEU·Chinese Contest of the Rookies’ Award for Architectural Students was held in Southeast University. 13 preliminary works out of over 1800 works from School of Architecture, Tianjin University entered the top100 finalists. In the final, we also won the highest honor.
In October, the Fundació Mies van der Rohe and the Creative Europe programme of the European Union jointly announced the final winners of the 2020 Young Talent Architecture Award (YTAA).Among the final 9 candidate works in the Asian Edition, 2 from Tianjin University were shortlisted, ranking first in Asia. The first prize of the Asian Edition went to the work “The Wall: Xiamutang Children’s Restaurant”(“The Wall”).
In October, the first National Green Buildings Design Competition announced its winners during the annual meeting of the Architectural Society of China. Under the guidance of design teaching and research group, teams from School of Architecture in Tianjin University stroke a huge success with one first prize, two second prize and one third prize in the students’ group, and one second prize in the professional group.
In December, the work themed “斗拱 newer” by School of Architecture of Tianjin University, stood out among the rest 179,000 works from 2786 universities and colleges to win the Golden Prize for cultural creativity and regional cooperation category.
03 Dimension
Build a more cohesive team
Following the appointment of Academician Cui Kai of the Chinese Academy of Engineering as the “Double-Recruited Academician” of Tianjin University and the appointment of Academician Kang Jian of the Royal Academy of Engineering as part-time professor of Tianjin University in 2019, the school of architecture actively promoted the reform of the personnel system, in order to build a personnel management system that is compatible with the goals of building a world-class university. According to the overall arrangement, we determined the direction of the team development, insisted on simultaneous introduction and education, established an internal and external coordinated talent support plan, so as to promote the implementation of the comprehensive reform of the personnel system. At the same time, Xuzhong-Huahui Scholarship was established to improve the training mechanism for young talents.
04 Innovation
Forge ahead
The research team forged ahead in a determined attitude, thus improving the scientific research performance in an all-round way. The project “ Reconstruction Research on Contemporary Construction System based on the Integrated Mechanism of ‘Architecture-Human-Environment’ in the Chinese Context”, chaired by Professor Kong Yuhang of School of Architecture, was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The project jointly conducted by Professor Chen Tian from School of Architecture, Tianjin University and Professor Zhou Long from City University of Macau, was funded by the joint research and cooperation project between the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT). Four works of school of architecture won the China Award for Science and Technology in Construction this year, with one first prize and three second prizes. What’s more, The national major project of social science, was awarded the “CTTI (Chinese Think Tank Index) Excellent Award”. The result of TJU Universal Barrier-free Design Research Center, was selected into the “Top Ten Excellent Cases of Barrier-Free Facility Design for the First Time in China”.
05 Revival
Appreciate ever-lasting splendor
Focusing on the revival of traditional Chinese culture, the architectural history research team of the school worked hard to protect national cultural heritage, hereby achieving fruitful results. The exhibition “Everlasting Splendor: Six Centuries at the Forbidden City” was officially opened in the Palace Museum in September. Professor Wang Qiheng, lecturer He Beijie and other members of the curatorial team were in charge of the curatorial exhibition of the West Wing Tower. They elucidated the concepts behind Ming-dynasty palace and city construction and the techniques used by architectural engineers, which was highly praised by the audience.
The Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage and Tianjin University signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement, and the Beijing Institute of Ancient Architecture was inaugurated and established at Tianjin University. We would further integrate the power of TJU to set an example of the cultural heritage protection in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
06 Corporation
Take a global perspective
We promoted international exchanges and cooperation in various forms in spite of the adverse effects of the epidemic, enhancing the global influence and ranking 70th in the field of construction and built environment.
The talents introduction base for Low-carbon City and Architecture has passed the mid-term inspection with excellent results; the building of English website and the publicity of international media platform have been constantly optimized; international co-teaching was conducted through online collaboration; China-Foreign cooperation in running schools were deepened and several Foreign teachers were hired to conduct online and offline teaching activities; 2 issues of international journals we founded were published; the Sustainable Energy Forum of APEC, academician lectures, international architects series lectures, and forums for doctor from China and Australia, etc. were held; cooperatively-run undergraduate education program in Fuzhou campus was promoted; 2 new cooperative agreements were signed, 4 renewed and 4 promoted. Meanwhile, the cultivation and organization of international students were further forged ahead in a special period with a enrollment of 51 international students. Professor AOKI Nobuo won the 2019 Chinese Government Friendship Award.
Team Tianjin U+, formed by members of School of Architecture, together with other disciplines in Tianjin University, TJU Research Institute of Architectural Design and Urban Planning Co.,Ltd, and other domestic and foreign cooperative universities and schools, took part in 3rd Solar Decathlon China(SDC2021), entering the final as the first.
07 Inheritance
Blend together splendid moments
The academic seminar of 2020 Architectural Education Committee was held on December 17. The experts discussed the recent work of the school as well as the education and discipline construction in the fields of contemporary architecture, urban and rural planning, landscape architecture, and environmental design. They also visited and inspected the teaching and research spaces under construction, and looked forward to the future direction and focus of the school's work.
At the end of the year, a party themed “To Sail with Dreams in Golden Years” was held, with Academician Peng Yigang, and other older educators attending the party. All teachers in the school gathered to celebrate the New Year, during which retired teachers' retirement ceremony and new teachers' welcome ceremony were held. The spirit of the school is passed on from generation to generation.
08 Integration
Build Friendship in Beiyang
TJU School of Architecture and TJU Research Institute of Architecture Design and Urban Planning Co. Ltd concertedly built the " TJU Architecture". Two institutions explored an all-round long-term cooperation and joint construction mechanism on the basis of close cooperation in the past. In response to the "challenges" and "opportunities" faced by the two institutes in the new stage, they worked together to maintain and carry forward the brand value of "TJU Architecture".
In November, they signed a "memorandum of cooperation" and determined to give full play to their own advantages in national cities and buildings.
In September, the Tianjin Urban Planning Society held the sixth member meeting in the exhibition hall of the Hydraulic building of Tianjin University to complete the renewal of the new council. The Society was supported by the School of Architecture of Tianjin University, with professor Huang Jingtao as the director-general of the board and Professor Zeng Peng as the deputy director and secretary of Party General Branch.
09 Environment
Pursue our dream
This year, the base construction of Tianyi Architecture Building, originally No.2 students’ canteen, charged by academician Cui Kai, was completed at the end of this year. And the space allocation work of original Hydraulic Building was completed, solving the difficulty of teachers' use of rooms for scientific research, and increasing the teaching space by nearly 1000 square meters.
In the future, according to he 14th Five-Year Plan for the discipline development, the school would make full use of the exploitable space of Hydraulic Building, integrate various disciplines, such as architecture, construction engineering, environmental engineering and intelligent computing, and jointly develop and build "Artificial Intelligent city and smart building innovation center" with Tianyi construction group, Tencent Technology Co., Ltd., Huahui Engineering Architectural Design Co., Ltd and others. At the same time, a smart campus in national educational field would be built.
10 Moral education
Unite as one
On September 25th, the first congress of the Communist Party of China of School of Architecture, Tianjin University was held, in which new members of the Party committee of School of Architecture were elected. On November 26th, faculty members representative conference and the labor union representative conference were held by School of Architecture of Tianjin University, on which the 9th representatives were elected and Reform and Implement Plan for Evaluation and Promotion of Faculty Members and Evaluation Standards of the Teaching and Research Achievements of School of Architecture were approved. On November 27th, the 4th representative conference of the Communist Youth League of School of Architecture of Tianjin University was held at the conference hall, on which the fourth Committee members of the Communist Youth League of School of Architecture were elected.
Best wishes:
Look back on 2020,
The sudden outbreak of the epidemic did not stop the faculty and students of TJU School of Architecture from pursuing their dreams!
The results achieved by the school was
inseparable from the strong support of all sectors of society;
inseparable from the hard work of the colleagues and alumni!
To sail in 2021,
TJU School of Architecture will
move forward with the support of friends from all walks of life, Alumni, teachers and students;
contribute great wisdom to contemporary architectural education;
open up the road of China!
