Assistant Professor of Architecture (Computational Design/Making)
University of Calgary
Position Description
The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL) invites applications for one full-time or two 1/2 time tenure track positions in Architecture at the rank of Assistant Professor with a focus in Design Studio and a secondary focus Computational Design/Making. Specific areas of secondary focus could include:
• Data Science for Design
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
• Coding for Designers
• Generative/Parametric Design
• Digital Simulation/Analysis
• Advanced Manufacturing Technologies
• Advanced Digital Media
• Digital Foundations
• Building Information Modeling
This appointment will be made either in the Teaching Focused Stream or the Teaching and Research Focused Stream. 1/2 positions are only available in the Teaching Focused Stream.
Teaching Focused Stream Candidates should demonstrate the ability to teach studio courses and courses in their areas of specialization. While a robust research program is not expected, candidates will be given opportunities to develop research collaborations, supervise students and apply for funding support for these activities.
Teaching and Research Stream candidates should demonstrate the ability to teach studios and courses in their areas of specialization and the potential to build a research program that is externally funded, collaborative, distinctive and forward looking.
The architecture program is specifically committed to a computational means of exploration across the curriculum. Applicants should have a working and demonstrable knowledge of contemporary and emerging design tools that support both the studio environment and their declared specialization. Student and faculty research collaborations are supported by cutting-edge technologies, including large-format 3D printing, robotic fabrication facilities, and opportunities to work with industry and community groups on applied research.
We are searching for faculty with a passion and potential to reshape design education to better address the pressing challenges facing the built environment. Candidates should want to be part of a strong and vibrant community that respects and values diversity and differences. Our approach to teaching, research, and outreach is informed by a commitment to climate action, social justice, community impact, and value-informed innovation. We are looking for individuals with similar values who are interested in taking their careers, and our school, to the next level.
In addition to offering professional degrees in Master of Architecture, Master of Planning, and Master of Landscape Architecture, as well as research-focused master's and doctoral programs, SAPL is entering an exciting phase of growth. This growth includes the recent launch of a groundbreaking transdisciplinary Bachelor of Design in City Innovation (BDCI) and a strengthened focus on community-engaged teaching and research through our downtown City Building Design Lab. This position is part of a multi-year hiring process that is adding more than 12 new full-time faculty members to SAPL. Successful candidates will be assigned teaching duties across both the Master of Architecture and BDCI programs.
The Master of Architecture degree is a two-year course-based program, with an additional foundation year required for students entering with a non-design-based undergraduate degree.
The Master of Architecture program structure and curriculum prepares students for careers in architecture and is accredited by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board. Graduates benefit from reciprocity with certification bodies across North America and Europe. Our curriculum addresses contemporary design challenges through studios, intensive block week courses, study abroad semesters, work-integrated research studios, and a core that pushes students to design for resilience and innovation. Made up of 180-210 students from all over the world, the MArch program provides faculty with lots of opportunities for mentorship and supervision through our various research labs, community-based projects and industry collaborations.
Our researchers receive funding from national and international granting agencies, industry partners, and community alliances with municipalities and the province of Alberta. We seek faculty who are passionate and have the potential to reshape design education and research to address the urgent challenges facing the built environment. Ideal candidates are those who wish to join a dynamic, inclusive community that values diversity and is committed to responsible climate action, social justice, community impact, and design innovation. We are looking for individuals who share these values and are eager to advance both their careers and the future SAPL.
**Qualifications Required for the Teaching Focused Stream:**
• Master's degree in architecture
• Post-professional degree supporting an area of research specialization (e.g., MSc, MEDes, DDes, Post-Professional Master's, etc.)
• PhD (completed or in progress) is an asset but not required.
• Demonstrated and significant professional experience in architecture and computation design/making.
• Demonstrated teaching excellence in design studios in architecture
• Demonstrated professional experience and teaching excellence in at least one and preferably more of the following areas:
• Data Science for Design;
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning;
• Coding for Designers;
• Generative/Parametric Design;
• Digital Simulation/Analysis;
• Advanced Manufacturing Technologies;
• Advanced Digital Media;
• Digital Foundations;
• Building Information Modeling.
• A working and demonstrable knowledge of contemporary and emerging design tools that support both the studio environment and lecture courses.
• Demonstrated design leadership.
• Peer review recognition of architecture practice excellence through awards/ publications/ exhibitions.
In addition to teaching, successful candidates in the Teaching Focused Stream will be expected to establish and maintain an active critical design practice, maintain currency in digital toolsets within research and practice, supervise practice-oriented student research, participate in the School through service activities as required, and engage in community outreach through SAPL partnerships.
**Qualifications Required for the Teaching and Research Stream:**
• Master's degree in Architecture
• Post-professional degree supporting an area of research specialization (e.g., MSc, MEDes, DDes, Post-Professional Master's, etc.)
• PhD is an asset but not required.
• Demonstrated teaching excellence in studio and at least one and preferably more of the following areas:
• Data Science for Design;
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning;
• Coding for Designers;
• Generative/Parametric Design;
• Digital Simulation/Analysis;
• Advanced Manufacturing Technologies;
• Advanced Digital Media;
• Digital Foundations.
• Well described research agenda supported by research activities that demonstrate potential for future success
• Record of publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Success in obtaining peer-reviewed research grants
• Demonstrated capacity to initiate an externally grant-funded research program
In addition to teaching, successful candidates in the Teaching and Research Stream will be expected to:
• Establish and maintain an active, externally funded research program, with a preference for tri-council grants
• Collaborate on research across SAPL and the University of Calgary
• Supervise student research
• Participate in school service activities as required
• Engage in community outreach through SAPL partnerships
Application Instructions
Applications are encouraged as soon as possible but will be accepted until the position is filled. Interested individuals are encouraged to apply online via the following link: https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/15062491-assistant-professor-of-architecture-computational-design-slash-making
Application Deadline: December 22, 2024
The review of applications will begin on January 6, 2025 and will continue until the position is filled.
A complete application includes:
• Cover letter and curriculum vitae, including the names and contact information for three referees.
• A statement of teaching, scholarly, and professional experience and expertise.
• A portfolio including relevant samples of design research, design practice and student work. Collaborative work should include attribution. Maximum combined file size is 10 MB. Allowed formats are .doc and pdf
Please submit your application online via the following link: https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/15062491-assistant-professor-of-architecture-computational-design-slash-making
Please be aware that the application process allows for only four attachments, which may require you to merge documents.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. In this connection, at the time of your application, please answer the following question: Are you a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada? (Yes/No)
The University of Calgary also recognizes that candidates have varying career paths and that career interruptions can be part of an excellent academic record. Candidates are encouraged but not required to provide any relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions to allow for a fair assessment of their application. Selection committees have been instructed to consider and be sensitive to the impact of career interruptions when assessing the candidate's research productivity.
For a listing of all academic opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Academic Careers website. For more information about the School Architecture, Planning and Landscape, click here.
About the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape
The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape offers an transdisciplinary undergraduate degree in city innovation design (BDCI), professional graduate degrees in architecture, planning, and landscape architecture (MArch, MPlan, and MLA), thesis-based research degrees (MeDes, and PhD) and a professional doctoral degree for established practitioners (DDes). SAPL is known for applying the disruptive strategies and social innovations of entrepreneurial design thinking to teaching, research, and community outreach. As a leading force in resilient, vibrant, healthy, and equitable city-building, we shape the conversation about the future of cities through research programs and community-based initiatives. With the full roll-out of the BDCI in 2028 SAPL will have 1,200 students.
About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is a global intellectual hub located in Canada's most enterprising city. UCalgary is a bold and spirited institution, recognized as one of Canada's top-five-research universities, grounded in innovative teaching and learning, and fully engaged with the community it serves and leads.
"Great cities are built around great research universities and cities that successfully reinvent themselves do so in partnership with focused, world-class institutions. Our ambition is nothing short of UCalgary being a catalyst of economic growth and quality-of-life improvements in this city and beyond."
-Dr. Ed McCauley, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary
UCalgary recently unveiled its Ahead of Tomorrow strategic plan, which articulates a 7-year vision out to 2030. It's a bold vision that reflects our ambition to increase access to future-focused education, to maximize the impact of our research and innovation, to put the community at the centre of all that we do, and to make our operational processes clearer, simpler, and better than any other university. To learn more about UCalgary's strategic plan, visit https://ucalgary.ca/about/ahead-of-tomorrow.
The University of Calgary is located in the heart of Southern Alberta, and both acknowledges and pays tribute to the traditional territories of the people of Treaty 7, which include the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprised of the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai First Nations) as well as the Tsuut'ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations). The University recognizes that the City of Calgary is also home to the Metis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5&6). By virtue of the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877, the University recognizes that we are all treaty people. The City of Calgary is home to a culturally diverse community. Together, we share this land, strive to live together, learn together, walk together, and grow together in a good way.
About Calgary
Recently rated the most liveable city in North America and 5th in the world (2024) by The Economist Intelligence Unit, and possessing one of the youngest populations of major cities in Canada, Calgary is home to world-class attractions, sporting amenities, and public infrastructure that supports a healthy lifestyle, making it a great place to raise a family https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnh-WugziiiHwMT44-sVwrA. Situated where the Canadian plains reach the sunny foothills of Canada's majestic Rocky Mountains, Calgary is a major urban centre surrounded by an arena of profound beauty with awe-inspiring mountains, lakes, rivers, and gorgeous prairie.