The Master's track History of Architecture and Town Planning explores the evolution of cities, villages, and landscape design in Europe within the continuously changing global environment.
Cities, neighbourhoods, buildings, parks,
and cultural landscapes define the setting of our everyday life. No
other human-made artifacts document the evolution of social
relations, economic trends, technological innovations,
philosophical views on humans and nature, politics, society, and
culture more eloquently than architecture and urbanism. Our built
heritage connects us to our past and helps us to position ourselves
in the world around us. It helps us envision our future. Moreover,
the impact of cities and buildings on health is self-evident
– urban planners gave us our water management systems, and
architects designed functional public housing and healthcare
buildings. They are fascinating works of architecture that impact
people’s mental and physical health, happiness, and
well-being.
This Master's track provides students
with a rich and varied introduction to the history and theory of
architecture and urban planning, cultural heritage, and healthy
cities. It offers our students a progressive approach to
architectural and urban history and theory, fit for our
transforming times. Some of the courses we offer are affiliated
with the Expertise Center Architecture, Urbanism and Health and
give those interested in the health impacts of the built
environment opportunities to explore these impacts from the
perspective of architectural and urban design. Our master's degree
allows students to specialize in architectural history and theory,
cultural heritage, the health impacts of architecture and urbanism,
or their complex links and connections. All of our graduates find
attractive employment in their field immediately after the
completion of the degree.
I am fascinated by cities and urban development. During a city trip to Paris, I made the decision to actually do something with my fascination. The links between people, buildings and the complexity of infrastructure like the city's metro network intrigued me enormously. That's really why I started a Master's track in History of Architecture and Town Planning at the University of Groningen.
During my studies I did a placement at AIR architecture centre in Rotterdam. I worked on a project in which I used timelines to chart a number of locations in the centre of Rotterdam. With the help of archives I searched for stories and illustrations, and one of the things I was able to show was why there are still empty spaces in the middle of Rotterdam without any plans for them.
I completed my degree in Prague, where I wrote my Master's thesis on 'The development and preservation of nineteenth-century neighbourhoods in post-Communist Prague'. I researched how actors such as property developers, designers, architects, officials and citizens influence the preservation of the historical fabric of the city, the city's typology and the importance of historical buildings and monuments during the design and construction of new complexes in and around the nineteenth-century neighbourhoods of Prague.
I am currently working as a volunteer for Platform GRAS, the architecture and urban planning platform here in Groningen. I am organizing events such as the Architecture Day and Open Monument Day. I also write texts for the Big Groningen Building Questionnaire. I'm really enjoying it and would love to keep working here. I would also like to do something with urban development or architecture with a municipality or province.
Are you a non-EU/EEA student from Russia, India or Indonesia, starting a Master's programme at the Faculty of Arts? If so, you could qualify for the University of Groningen OTS/Talent Grant, Faculty of Arts, a partial scholarship which helps you to finance your studies.
Read more about the OTS/Talent Grant Faculty of Arts.
Are you interested in a research oriented career? Please also check our Research Master's Programme of Arts & Culture.