Architecture in Asia
- Discover amazing modern architecture in the megacities of Singapore and Seoul
- Visit cutting-edge architecture firms in Singapore and South Korea
With a history spanning across several millennia and a rich cultural heritage shaped by diverse religions and ethnic groups, Asia provides an unparalleled context to experience people and places that are vastly different from the western world. In order to provide you the opportunity for expanding your horizons of architecture and life, this Asia Study Abroad Program will take you to a unique part of Southeast Asia– Singapore and South Korea
You will experience cultures and places that are based primarily on Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, Hindu, and Islamic principles, and that are strangely intermixed with colonial influences of the Portuguese, Dutch, and the British, as well as with postcolonial globalization. You will be exploring both historic and contemporary architecture, urban planning, and design in these countries, interacting with both graduate architecture students and faculty in the host universities, and networking with leading Asian design and construction companies.
Tentative Dates and Countries
Depart Kansas City for Singapore: December 26, 2023
In Singapore: December 27, 2023 –January 3, 2024
In South Koea: January 3–13, 2024
Depart Seoul and arrive in the U.S.: January 13, 2024
DO NOT BUY AIRFARE UNTIL NOTIFIED BY KU STUDY ABROAD.
Students will spend approximately 7 days in Singapore, and 11 days in South Korea. Most of the program will consist of planned group activities along with some free time.
Visits in Singapore: Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority and Museum; Marina Bay Sands by Moshe Safdie; Helix Bridge; National Library by Ken Yeang; Shopping Mall by Toyo Ito; LaSalle College of Art; School of the Arts; Red Dot Design Museum; Bugis Junction Shopping Mall Preservation Project; Subway Station Design Tour; Walk around Clark Quay, Boat Quay, Orchard Road Shopping District, and Chinatown; New Chinese Temple; Garden by the Bay; Public Housing Designs Phases 1, 2, and 3; Singapore Flyer; Henderson Waves; and visits to architecture/design firms and many other historic and contemporary architecture.
Academic Information: Courses & Credits
5 Year Master of Architecture Students will enroll in:
- Arch 690 Study Abroad (5 Credits)
- Arch 692 Documentation (3 Credits)
2 or 3 Year Master of Architecture Students will enroll in:
- Arch 690 Study Abroad (6 Credits)
Interior Architecture Students will only enroll in:
- AD 690 Study Abroad for Interior Architecture (5 credits)
Architectural Engineering Students will only enroll in:
- Arch 690 Study Abroad (5 Credits)
Students will stay in centrally located hotels in Singapore and South Korea.
SAGE is dedicated to creating international engagement opportunities that meet the needs of all our students and providing resources to support you through the process of studying abroad. Study abroad is achievable for students of all identities including our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, and students with religious/non-religious viewpoints. Before selecting a program, consider how your identities may impact your experience abroad in unique ways and talk with your Program Coordinator about any program-specific concerns. Students with documented disabilities should discuss any accommodation needs with their Program Coordinator early in the planning process.
Check our Identity Abroad page and resources listed below for information specific to you and other students who may be on your program.
This program is open to all KU and non-KU students who have completed their first year of study. Priority is given to KU Architecture students who have completed ARCH 208 or ARCH 502 and Interior Architecture students who have completed IA 208.
Jae D. Chang is a Professor at the School of Architecture & Design of the University of Kansas. He also serves as the Associate Chair for the Department of Architecture. He received his Master and Doctorate in Architecture from the University of Michigan. Dr. Chang has worked with universities and companies in the US and internationally on research in healthy environments and environmentally responsive design.
Kapila D. Silva is a Professor and Associate Dean of DEIB at the School of Architecture and Design at the University of Kansas. He has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, from where he received a doctorate in architecture, and at the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka, from where he received professional architectural education. Dr. Silva’s research, in its broadest sense, focuses on the social, cultural, and psychological dimensions of architecture, urbanism, and historic preservation, with a specific focus on non-Western traditions. In narrower terms, his research has so far been on global heritage conservation and management, addressing theoretical and pragmatic issues related to UNESCO’s World Heritage Program, which attempts to preserve and manage historic monuments and sites with outstanding universal value. He is the lead editor of Asian Heritage Management: Contexts, Concerns, and Prospects (Routledge, 2013) and Cultural Landscapes of South Asia (Routledge, 2017), The Routledge Handbook on Historic Urban Landscapes in the Asia-Pacific (Routledge, 2020), and The Routledge Handbook on Cultural Landscape Heritage in the Asia-Pacific (Routledge, 2022).
For more information contact:
Jae D. Chang Ph.D., Professor
Department of Architecture
jdchang@ku.edu
Kapila D. Silva Ph.D., Professor & Associate Dean of DEIB
Department of Architecture
kapilads@ku.edu