Thursday, May 3, 2007

UNESCO / UIA CHARTER

UNESCO / UIA CHARTER FOR ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION




The UNESCO/UIA Charter initially approved in 1996 was drafted by a group of ten experts, coordinated by Fernando Ramos Galino (Spain), and including: Lakhman Alwis (Sri Lanka), Balkrishna Doshi (India), Alexandre Koudryavtsev (Russia), Jean-Pierre Elog Mbassi (Benin), Xavier Cortes Rocha (Mexico), Ashraf Salama (Egypt), Roland Schweitzer (France), Roberto Segre (Brazil), Vladimir Slapeta (Czech Republic), PaulVirilio (France).



Download the UIA / UNESCO CHARTER FOR ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION in the following languages: English French Spanish German Russian Chinese Japanese Arab Turkish


Excerpts
We, the architects, concerned for the future qualitative development of the built environment in a fast changing world, believe that architecture involves everything that influences the way in which the built environment is planned, designed, made, used, furnished, landscaped and maintained. We feel responsible for the improvement of the education and training of future architects to enable them to meet the expectations of XXIst Century societies worldwide for sustainable human settlements in every cultural heritage.

We are aware of the fact that, in spite of many outstanding and sometimes spectacular contributions of our profession, there is a surprisingly small percentage of the built environment which is actually conceived and realized by architects and planners. There is still room for the development of new tasks for the profession when architects become aware of the increasing needs identified and possibilities offered in areas which have not, up to now, been of major concern to the profession. Still greater diversity is therefore needed in professional practice and, as a consequence, in architectural education and training.

This is particularly true for those who are working in a developing context, where the architects could accept the role of an "enabler", rather than that of a "provider", and where the profession can meet new challenges. There is no doubt that the architect's capacity to solve problems, can greatly contribute to tasks such as community development, self-help programmes, educational facilities, etc., and thus make a significant contribution to the improvement of the quality of life of those who are not accepted as citizens in their full right and who cannot be counted among the architect's usual clients.


The text was revised in 2004/2005 by the UNESCO/UIA Validation Committee for Architectural Education, in collaboration with the UIA Education Commission.

Architecture-Urbanism is dedicated to a) those who are interested in creating livable and sustainable environments and buildings that meet socio-cultural and socio-behavioral needs of people, environments that are responsive to historical, traditional and physical constraints, b) to those who are interested in finding panacea for the ills of our globalized world, and c) to those who are interested in regaining what cultures and societies have lost by the acts of architects. ____________________________________________________________________________