Dear Fellows, Alumni, Students, and Faculty and Staff of School of Architecture, Tianjin University:
At this moment of ringing out the old year and ringing in the new, we remain true to our original aspiration and remain strong in character as we strive to achieve one dream, to write the most brilliant chapter of our time. We would like to take this opportunity to convey our best wishes for the New Year, to extend our sincere gratitude to all of you for another successful year, as well as to reflect on the noteworthy Top 10 Events of 2018 at the School of Architecture, Tianjin University.
1 Election: The Continuous Glory
In the first half of 2018, the election brought on by the expiration of the Administrative Office was conducted under the unified deployment of the university. In the second half, we elected new leadership teams of four departments, including Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning, Landscape Architecture, and Environmental Design, as well as two institutes, including Institute of Architectural History and Theory and Institute of Building Science and Technology. We also established the International Cooperation Institute and Science & Research Academy.
We would like to pay our respects to the school’s predecessors, Prof. Peng Yigang and Prof. Wang Qiheng, as well as to show our sincere gratitude to the persistent contributions of Dean Zhang Qi, Chairman Zhang Yukun, Chairman Yuan Dachang, and Associate Dean Liu Gang. Furthermore, we would like to express our deepest appreciation for; Prof. Jing Ziyang (Head of Architecture Department), Prof. Yun Yingxia (Head of Urban and Rural Planning Department), Prof. Dong Ya (Head of Environmental Design), and Wang Wei (Director of Institute of Architectural History and Theory).
2 Academia - Strength Gathering of Peiyang:
Founding of Architectural Education Academic Council of Tianjin University
On December 8th, 2018, the founding ceremony and meeting of the Architectural Education Academic Council of Tianjin University was held at the School of Architecture of Tianjin University. The Academic Council consists of our renowned alumni and partners in architecture and urban planning industry, research, management and promotion in China.
The council members include Peng Yigang, Cui Kai, Zhou Kai, Duan Jin, Qin Li, Huang Wenliang, Lu Hong, Huang Jingtao, Peng Lixiao. The council members and the heads of each department attended the conference. The discussion was focused on the past, present and the future of the education and research of the School of Architecture of Tianjin University. The council members discussed the primary tasks for the first four-year term of the Council, which are focused on how to cope with the national and international development of the related architectural disciplines as well as how to promote the reform and development of the educational and research systems of school through the integration of teaching, research, and practice.
3 History – Heritage Maintained
Presenting Qing Dynasty Yangshi Lei Archives on CCTV
The team of the Chinese architectural history of School of Architecture, Tianjin University was invited to present the Yangshi Lei structural model (Chinese pinyin: tang yang) in National Treasure (Season Two), which is a CCTV cultural exploration program.
The national treasure of Yangshi Lei is the architectural design archives created by the Lei Family, who had been the Royal Chief Architects for over 230 years in the Qing Dynasty. The Yangshi Lei architectural model was made following the ancient Chinese design concepts and rules. Many of the buildings designed and built by the Leis are well preserved and listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Temple of Heaven, the Palace Museum and the Summer Palace in Beijing.
The Yangshi Lei Archives were inscribed on the Memory of the World International Register in 2007, thanks to the continuous efforts and devotion of the research team at the School of Architecture of Tianjin University. The team has been studying and presenting this precious heritage system to the world for 40 years and has gained international recognition in the field of architectural history and heritage conservation.
Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Professor Lu Sheng
The Centenary of the birth of Professor Lu Sheng was held on March 29th, 2018 in the first conference room of the school. Prof. Lu Sheng is one of the founders of the Institute of History and Theory, which is the primary holder of the anniversary commemoration. The relatives, former colleagues, friends, student representatives and alumni representatives, as well as the directors of the publicity department, archives, publishers and other relevant departments, attended the symposium.
Prof. Lu Sheng is a witness to the occurrence and changes of China's modern architecture discipline in the last century, a writer of Chinese architectural historiography, a pioneer in the study of ancient architecture and urban history of Northern China, and a practitioner engaged in the national cultural relics’ protection.
Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Professor Feng Jiankui
The Centenary of the birth of Professor Feng Jiankui was held on December 23rd, 2018. Prof. Feng Jiankui's relatives, former colleagues, friends, students, representatives of faculty members and students, as well as representatives of various departments of the school attended the commemoration. Professor Feng Jiankui is one of the founders of the architectural discipline of Tianjin University and had enjoyed remarkable achievements in the field of architectural history research, design practice and education practice.
Inauguration Ceremony of Yuanmingyuan Research Institute of Tianjin University
4 Competition - International Championship
The School of Architecture student team won the 2018 International VELUX Architecture (IVA) Student Design Competition
Within the year of 2018, our students have won more than 40 awards in international and domestic design competitions, including the UIA-HYP Cup, TSINGRUN Award Students’ Paper Competition, TEAM ZERO Award, International Construction Competition, etc. The 2018 International VELUX Architecture(IVA）Student Design Competition was held in Amsterdam, the School of Architecture team comprised of students: Luo Yuhan, Lan Di, Liu Yuan, and Liu Yusong, directed by: Xin Shanchao and Sun Delong stood out among 633 competing works from 58 countries and won the First Prize in the Asian Oceania Division. On December 1st, 2018 the team triumphantly defeated nine other regional winners and ultimately won the World Championship.
5 Journals - Academic Communication
Three new academic journals
The journal of Urban Environment Design (UED) has been long-term hosted by the School. This year, Tianjin University and Dalian University of Technology jointly sponsored two journals. The one being, Architecture & Detail, which invited Prof. Kong Yuhang as the chief editor, and the other one being, Landscape Design, which invited Prof. Cao Lei as the chief editor.
In the meantime, the school is organising the international journal Contemporary Architectural Education, which will be an academic journal covering architecture and related disciplines. With the aim of promoting the communication, research and development of contemporary architecture education, the journal will establish a deep cooperation network of architecture schools both domestically and internationally. It will become a high-standard communication platform for teaching ideas, methods, and achievements. The journal will be a Chinese-English bilingual academic quarterly journal. The inaugural issue is scheduled to be released in April 2019.
6 Scientific Research - National Key Project
Professor Yan Fengying won the critical project of the National Key R&D Program of the 13th Five-Year Plan
Collaborating with experts and scholars from Canada and various other countries, the team of Prof. Yan Fengying has studied the project of “Country Town Planning Technology Based on Carbon Control System” and won the funding of “Green Building and Construction Industrialization”, which is the key project of the 13th Five-Year Plan. The total funding for the project is 34.8 million yuan (including the central government special fund of 1.98 million yuan). The implementation period is from July 2018 to June 2021.
First Prize of China Lighting Education and Academic Contribution Award: Low-Damage Lighting Research on Fragile Cultural Relics based on LED technology (Dang Rui, Liu Gang, Wang Lixiong); 2nd Prize of Tianjin Science and Technology Progress Award: Lighting Research and Application on Fragile Cultural Relics Conservation (Dang Rui, Liu Gang, Wang Lixiong).
The Institute of Accessibility assists theWinter Olympics and Winter Paralympics project and participates in the joint design and core technical consultation of national key projects
Aiming at creating a qualified barrier-free environment for the 2022 Winter Olympics (as well as Winter Paralympics), the Institute of Accessibility and Tianjin University Research Institute of Architectural Design & Urban Planning jointly compiled the "Special Plan and Reconstructive Design of the Accessibility of Chongli District". As the core professional team of China Disabled Persons' Federation, the Institute of Accessibility of our school participated in the joint design and key technical consultation of Xiong'an New District Citizen Service Center, Training Center of National Disabled Ice Sports, and 2019 Beijing World Horticultural Exposition, etc.
Landscape Architecture Society was Established
In early 2018, the Landscape Architecture Association sponsored by the School of Architecture, Tianjin University was officially established. The Association is an academic organization supported by faculties and students from the disciplines of landscape architecture, landscape science, environmental engineering, ecology and related faculties from five universities, including Tianjin University, Beijing Forestry University and Tsinghua University, etc. Since its establishment, Landscape Architecture Association has hosted five international and domestic educational conferences providing a new academic platform for the landscape architecture community.
The School Has Become the Supporting Unit of Urban Greening Committee, Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture
The Urban Greening Committee under the guidance of the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture (CHSLA) formally became an essential academic institution supported by the School of Architecture, Tianjin University in June 2018. Since its establishment, it has formed a crucial influence in the national landscape architecture fields, with members in more than 30 provinces and cities throughout the country.
7 Communications - International Impact
second research funding period of Low-Carbon City and Architecture, supported by the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities
Led by Prof. Zhang Qi, the research base of Low-Carbon City and Architecture, which is supported by the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities, received continued funding for the second phase from Jan. 2018 to Dec. 2022 after completing the first phase (Jan. 2013 to Dec. 2017). Through the program, we invited 29 academic experts and their team members from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and other countries to cooperate in scientific research, published more than 40 papers and held nine academic lectures in 2018.
Focusing on the development of the internationalization, the School of Architecture, Tianjin University continued to strengthen the international academic exchanges of students in 2018. A total of 248 students went abroad, the entire English curriculum system was improved, and 44 foreign undergraduates, masters and doctoral students were recruited in 2018. 127 international students are enrolled full-time, and nearly 20 international joint workshops are hosted by the school. Furthermore, the School of Architecture, Tianjin University has won the Excellent Cooperation Project of Sino-French University awarded by the Sino-French Senior Exchange Mechanism. Representing the school, Prof. Kong Yuhang signed the new cooperation agreement with Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture et de Paysage de Bordeaux and Bordeaux Montaigne University, promoting the international cooperation of Undergraduate Education of Architecture (and Landscape Architecture).
The 30th-anniversary celebration of the exchange between the School and Taiwan universities
The year 2018 is the 30th anniversary of the exchange program between the School of Architecture, Tianjin University and Taiwan architectural schools and institutes (1988-2018). On this occasion, the school hosted a series of celebrations. Simultaneously, we held the cross-strait academic conferences as always, cooperating with academic institutions including China Urban Planning Association and China Urban Science Research Associations, etc. The selected conferences and activities are as follows:
The 24th Cross-Strait Urban Development Seminar, Seminar of Urban-Rural Renewal and Reconstruction of Cross-Strait and Hong Kong, Cross-Strait Academic Forum, Cross-Strait College Students’ Traditional Gardening and Architectural Culture Workshop, Cross-Strait Urban Regeneration Seminar, Dialogue of Non-City & Non-Town.
8 Education - Inheriting Tradition
Architecture discipline (Bachelor and Master Degrees) passed national accreditation (valid for seven years)
After Prof. Zhang Qi, Prof. Zhang Yukun, and Prof. Kong Yuhang’s honour in recent years, Prof. Zeng Jian won the China Architecture Design Award - Architectural Education Award in 2018.
On June 29th, the architecture discipline successfully passed the national accreditation of undergraduate and postgraduate programs which is valid for seven years. The accreditation observers the highly praised teaching philosophy of the school and the vitality of the students, and fully affirmed the continuous exploration and reform achievements of its architecture teaching system.
Landscape Architecture officially recruited undergraduates from 2018 (recovering enrollment). The discipline not only inherits the deep history of traditional gardening research, but also develops the integrative advantages of multiple disciplines. Moreover, to broaden students' horizons, we invited the leaders of landscape architecture from well-known universities at home and abroad to give lectures to undergraduates. At the same time, the research led by the Department of Landscape Architecture, which is the “Study on the Ecological System of Landscape Architecture Education with the Aim of Training First-class Innovative Talents”, won the second prize of the 8th Tianjin Municipal Teaching Achievements of Higher Education in 2018.
9 Courses - International Perspective
International Experimental Studio for Graduate Architecture Design
The school continued to promote the teaching reform of the architectural design in 2018. We started the international experimental studio for graduate students after the 5-years teaching practice on the undergraduate architecture experimental studio founded in 2013. We invited well-known scholars and architects as tutors and critics.
Chinese architect Zhuang Ziyu, Swiss architects Michael Buschor & Mulan Sun Buschor supervised the first design studio. Zhu Xiaodi, Li Xinggang, He Wei, Jiang Boyuan, Zhu Qipeng, Cheng Zhi and other famous architects served asthe review critics. Oriented by the international architectural teaching concept and architectural practice trends, the experimental studio is working towardsintegrating contemporary practices and educational resources, as well as improving the quality of training for graduate students. We hope that the reform results will bring new concepts to the graduate education of architecture in national schools and institutes.
