The Architecture, urban morphology/morphogenesis and the project (AMUP) team includes architects and teacher-researchers from the ENSAS (Strasbourg school of architecture) and the Architecture department at INSA Strasbourg.

Research fields and objectives

AMUP is an interdisciplinary structure specializing in architectural design, urban projects and the democratization of social and technical skills. The research it carries out takes account of sustainable development and climate change-related issues. It is a multi-disciplinary team made up of architects, anthropologists, artists, geographers, philosophers, sociologists and urban planners, who work to develop research in architecture and in the human and social sciences.

The AMUP team’s scientific program pays particular attention to urban and metropolitan ideas, theories and systems situated at the intersection between architecture, social sciences and engineering sciences. Its work is organized around theoretical analyzes and experimental investigations into current metropolitan contexts and the socio-spatial systems that characterize them. It endeavors, for architectural and urban design, to render intelligible the dynamics involved in transforming territories and the spatial forms, urban cultures, lifestyles and social practices related to them. It explores the different types of urbanness expressed in housing and spaces dedicated to mobility.

Confronting theoretical issues and concrete demands, the team’s work involves analysis and observation combined with the production of decision support tools and action-oriented research. The issues around the provision of decision support tools to public actors or tools to support public debate are also subjects the team covers in its research.

The AMUP team’s main objectives are:

  • to contribute to structuring architectural research in Strasbourg and across the Upper Rhine area;
  • to strengthen the links and ties with other architecture research units in France and abroad
  • to bring together architectural research, the human and social sciences, visual arts and engineering sciences to get a more accurate grasp of metropolitan and territorial issues, in particular those relating to sustainable cities;
  • to integrate new technologies, artistic and cultural practices and input from citizens into architectural and urban design.

The team’s research and actions fall into three strands:

  • Strand1 – Architectural design: ambience, innovative systems and the sustainable city
  • Strand 2 – Metropolization, forms of urbanness and cultures of dwelling
  • Strand 3 – Spatial and social forms: genesis, theories and configurations

Doctoral school

The AMUP is attached to Ecole Doctorale 519 (Human and Social Sciences doctoral school) at the University of Strasbourg

Publications

The publications are posted on the UnivOAK platform.

International collaboration

  • Laval University in Quebec, the University of Montreal, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the AUF (Francophone University Association). These relations consists of exchange visits and collaboration in climate change research;
  • Tongji University in Shanghai, China: research and teaching visits concerning the development of methods of reading and rendering metropolitan scale;
  • The University of Florence in Italy: academic partnership on the creation of a European doctorate on “the metropolitan project and governance”;
  • The HEPIA (Architecture, Engineering and Landscaping University) in Geneva: ongoing multi-partner project;
  • Basel Eurodistrict, TU Karlsruhe: partnership in connection with IBA Basel (Internationale Bauausstellung, international building exhibition).

members

Team members (in French)