Programme description

Sustainable development is a set of a political visions that entails huge challenges for social and technical innovation all over the world. It has consequences for all professions, not least for architecture and urban design, since it is here the full complexity of societal development has to be addressed and managed through design for sustainable development. Sustainable development today is to be integrated into all master’s programmes at Chalmers as a major demand. However, the current master's degree of the MPDSD program differs from most other master's programmes by staying at the forefront of sustainable development within the respective major subject (here Architecture, Urban Design and Planning). Therefore, this master's programme's clear sustainability agenda and profile is clarified by the programme’s name "beyond sustainability", which is an internationally viable concept for the development of knowledge, methods and perspectives that follow as the next step in traditional sustainable development.

Programme aim

The aim of the programme is to provide skills and methods valid in challenging situations of change in which architectural and urban design approaches are required. Students will be trained to find solutions that support sustainable development in a large variety of contexts. The perspective is holistic and systemic, comprising system levels and scales from urban structures, buildings and technical support systems to detailed construction elements and products. The programme is based on design studios in which real situations are handled in close contact with local stakeholders and actors. The overall point of departure is the everyday life of people and the support of dignified lives and livelihoods in rapidly changing and sometimes extreme environments. This is done through the development and implementation of aesthetic, affordable, socially and 4 culturally appropriate, energy and material efficient, healthy and user-friendly, always innovative design solutions.

Why apply

Chalmers school of architecture is noted for:

- Its humanistic view of architecture
- Design projects based on real tasks and problems in society
- Contacts with users in briefings and designing
- Open interaction between teachers and students
- An inspiring atmosphere, free of prestige Emphasis also lies in:
- Integration of research in education
- Respect for existing built structures as cultural, social and economic resources
- Co-operation with other disciplines

The Chalmers School of Architecture fosters a humanistic view of architecture and emphasises an explorative orientation and research by design approach in order to unfold the professional profile, skill and scope of the architectural design professions.

Career opportunities

The education leads to a wide range of career opportunities within architecture, urban design and planning for sustainable development as a response to increasing awareness and commitment among both public and private actors.

The global challenges of resource constraints and climate change open for new and extensive fields of professional practices. Globally rapid urbanisation, poverty reduction and fair distribution of resources are key issues as manifested in the UN Agenda 2013 and Sustainable Development Sweden the existing building stock, not least from the 1960s and 1970s, has to be reconstructed in ways that can address socioeconomic segregation problems as well as deficient environmental performance in an integrated manner. Taken together these challenges request a new generation of skilled design professionals that are able to work in cross-disciplinary expert teams and in close contact with local stakeholders.