Architectural History and Theory – (Ph.D.)

Students enrolling for an MPhil or PhD become members of the School’s Architectural History and Theory Group (AHTG). The group, which forms the core of our research community, holds regular seminars and provides a lively and intimate forum for the discussion of ideas among staff and students. The AHTG organises international conferences, and five research journals are edited by members of the group.

Research in architectural history, in order to accommodate diverse interests, covers a broad range of topics, methodologies and contexts. These are linked by a common concern for the practice of architecture, and are placed under the general headings of Theory and Practice, Critical Practice, Mechanics of Practice and Cultural Practice. A major focus in all these areas is 20th-century architecture and urban design: their ideas, materials, constructions, protagonists and critics. ‘World Architecture’ is an important theme in the School as a whole, and the AHTG encompasses PRASADA (Practice, Research and Advancement in South Asian Design and Architecture), a pre-eminent centre in its field.

As a free-standing programme, or as preparation for a doctorate, the School’s Masters programme in Architectural History and Theory (MPhil), attained through research, offers a fruitful alternative to a taught Masters degree. It allows students to focus on their particular interests, under individual supervision and within a well-respected research group. The programme allows for an emphasis on research through design.

Research areas: The group’s research interests include theory and practice, critical practice, mechanisms of practice and cultural practice.