Research

Pushing the boundaries

Research in the Faculty of Architecture and Planning covers a wide territory from the most innovative architectural practices to cutting-edge planning scholarship. Our professors —whether practicing professionals or scholars — have national and international reputations for excellence, and are involved in collaborative research and design networks worldwide.

Our energetic academic community hosts lectures, conferences and exhibitions that open up new ideas about the built environment and critically engage with contemporary architectural and planning practice.

Our faculty participate in international design competitions and research collaborations. Many lead funded research projects engaging in critical inquiry or creative innovation, while others partner with government or industry on applied research projects.

Our specialized research institutes and graduate research programs offer graduate students in research-based masters programs the opportunity to work closely with faculty on projects of mutual interest.  Our faculty and graduate students collaborate on papers and design and planning projects that advance the discipline.

Designing a better world

All of our students, from the entry-level undergraduate to the graduate student in a research-oriented Master’s program, are involved in real-life projects during their time at Dalhousie — transforming paper ideas into real-world projects. They also bring co‐operative work experience from architecture firms, development companies, industry, planning agencies, and municipalities back to the university — reflecting on the ‘why’ as much as the ‘how’.

Reflecting our commitment to creative and critical thinking that benefits society and the environment, our research advances the boundaries of the architecture and planning disciplines, questions their assumptions, and seeks to mobilize knowledge to create better living environments.

Our research specializations

Our research specializations lie in three broad areas design innovation, designing for a changing world, and mobilizing knowledge to build stronger communities. For more detail, see Architecture research and Planning research.