The Brussels campus is in the heart of the dynamic and diverse quarter of St. Gilles.  Traditional Brussels rowhouses, Art Nouveau masterpieces, neo-classical and contemporary architecture make the quarter an inspiring place for architecture students.  Design studios often take advantage of the immediate urban context in order to make projects relevant to the territory.  The Louvain-la-Neuve campus is in a remarkable new town designed and built beginning in the 1970s as a laboratory of architecture and urbanism.  The town offers students an urban environment within a stone’s throw of the woods and fields, a pedestrian town centre and a population which mirrors the university’s and region's diversity.  Tournai, the site of the third campus, is part of a multi-polar, border-crossing metropolis that includes the Flemish city of Kortrijk and the French city of Lille.  Tournai itself is a thriving regional capital known for its outstanding cultural life and distinctive historic architecture, and a diverse and active student population.

1550 students (1100 Bachelor, 400 Master, 50 PhD), 30% of foreign students.

91 staff members (33 full-time and approx. 58 visiting lecturers and critics).

Architecture and Urbanism students at LOCI have the opportunity to participate in a large variety of special activities beyond the strict framework of the course program.  Some of these -- parties, charrettes, film viewings -- are organized by the students themselves.  Others -- study trips, lectures, exhibitions -- are organized by the school.

58
CAD - Lab
Library
Model shop
Plot centre
Structures Lab

Both University- and privately-owned lodgings are available in Louvain-la-Neuve and Tournai;

For exchange students from recognized partner schools, standard application requirements include grade reports and portfolio.  For regular diploma-seeking students, requirements vary according to the level of studies and background.  Please contact school for more information.

EU nationals and permanent residents:  835.00 EUR.
non-EU nationals: 1923.00 - 3845.00 EUR, depending on country of origin.

EU nationals and permanent residents: before August 31st
non-EU nationals: before April 30th (of preceding academic year).

Bachelor Programmes, Architect or Architect - Engineer, 3 years, Bachelor, 180,
Master Programmes, Architect or Architect-Engineer, 2 years, Master, 120,
Complementary Master, Urbanism, 1 year (or 2 half-time), Complementary, 60,

Teaching Philosophy

The Faculty of Architecture, Architectural Engineering and Urbanism (LOCI) was founded in 2010, thanks to legislation which permitted the partners to realize a long-held objective of close collaboration in teaching, research and service to the community.  For the first time, historically-separate sites and philosophies of teaching have come together in order to reflect on issues that include but go beyond the préparation of future professionals, to include the roles of architects, engineers and urbanists in contemporary society.  Each of the campuses retains the specificities for which it had become known, but we share a common concern for the ethical responsibilities that accrue to the design professions in the contemporary situation.

The coexistence of different programmes in the same Faculty allows each to take advantage of the strengths of the others, broadening the course offerings for students and increasing the possibilities for mobility of students, faculty, and researchers.

 

The Bachelor in Architecture introduces students progressively to the basic disciplines necessary for architectural design : visual and plastic arts, mathematics and physics, construction, urbanism, landscape studies, architectural and urban history, and architectural design.  The design studio is at the center of the programme, where scientific or theoretical knowledge is applied and synthesized.  Successful completion of this internationally-recognized Bachelor gives access to the corresponding Master, or indeed to a number of Master programmes in other disciplines, regions, and countries.

The Bachelor in Engineering : Architecture, consists of foundation studies in the basic disciplines in which the architect engineer needs to acquire theoretical and practical skills.  The architect – engineer is a ‘generalist’ architect (capable of intervening at each scale of inhabitation), whose engineering skills are particularly developed (construction technologies and building physics).  The design studio is important in the programme both on a quantitative and a qualitative level, as a place where theoretical knowledge relating to the ‘physical conditions’ and the ‘cultural conditions’ of architecture finds itself confronted with concrete situations.

Successful completion of these internationally-recognized Bachelor degrees gives access to the corresponding Master programmes, or indeed to a number of Master programmes in other disciplines, regions, and countries.

The Master in Architecture, capitalizing on the skills acquired in the Bachelor programme, puts a growing emphasis on teamwork while intensifying the requirement for individual autonomy in both theoretical subjects and the design studio.  The subjects taken on are increasingly complex, ranging from housing to historic preservation to landscape planning.  Creativity and technical rigor have equal weight in the programme, in order to inspire students toward the goal of satisfying the overall human imperatives of quality of life, sustainability, meaning and dignity.

The Master in Engineering : Architecture prepares students to take full responsibility for the conduct of an architectural, construction engineering or urban project, from applied arts to applied sciences.  Roughly half of the programme consists in required courses that are intended to ensure basic professional competence.  The balance of the programme allows personal choices of coursework leading to a particular emphasis in architecture, planning, or construction, and a Senior Project or Thesis in which the student is incited to take a personal position on a particular design situation or question.

The Complementary Master in Urbanism is open to students who already have a Master’s degree in one of a variety of disciplines relevant to urban questions : Architecture, Architectural Engineering, Geography, Sociology, Urban Studies, etc.  This one-year programme (which may also be spread over two years for students who wish to work half-time) seeks to introduce future professionals in urbanism to the issues and skills associated with urban design, city and regional planning in a critical perspective.

LOCI organizes and participates in Continuing Education Programmes for practitioners, managerial staff, government workers and other interested parties. Programmes include an interdisciplinary post-graduate certificate in Wood Construction (http://www.uclouvain.be/formation-continue-bois); and a European Complementary Master in Architecture and Sustainable Development (http://www-madd.arc.ucl.ac.be/).

PhD research at UCL/LOCI includes both basic and applied research concerning the design and planning of the built environment. Activity is concentrated in three broad domains : Building Physics and Technology; Theory and History of Architecture and the City; and Urban and Regional Planning and Design. In view of the multidisciplinary nature of the research, the Faculty’s research teams often work in collaboration or consultation with other teams at the UCL, at other Belgian and foreign universities, with industry, and with Belgian and European public institutions.  The Faculty currently counts approximately 40 active doctoral students, most of whom are funded via University and regional or national sources.

Research Programmes

LOCI organizes research and doctoral education in most of the major thematic areas of architecture, architectural engineering, and urbanism.  Faculty and researchers enjoy a variety of regional, national and international collaborations with institutions in Europe, North and South America, and around the world.  Competitive in the search for funding at all levels, LOCI is an influential player in the environment of architectural and urban research.

Principal research themes:

Environmental sustainable development, in all its social and technological complexity, is obviously present in many research projects, both fundamental and applied.  “Architecture & Climat” is one of Europe’s top laboratories in the area, with an established reputation and a large staff of researchers, but several other LOCI research groups (“CREAT”, “URBA”) are also involved in the area, which has quickly become central to architecture and planning research in universities everywhere.

Theory and History, developed both through doctoral and faculty research, is traditionally a strong area at LOCI, the object of many doctoral theses, colloquia and publications.

Urbanism, Urban Design and Planning is also a traditional strength among LOCI’s research areas.  Researchers and urbanists from the faculty run the gamut in funded research from roles in consultation on neighborhood, city and regional plans, to case studies and doctoral theses in Latin America and Asia.

Research-related services offered include :  Consulting in building technology, building energy use, urban and regional regulation, and participatory design. Frequent participation in outside jurys (projects, competitions, etc.).