The Oslo School of Architecture (AHO)

The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) is a specialised university offering education in the areas of architecture, industrial design, landscape architecture and urbanism. AHO has about 650 students and 50 PhD students. Located in a vibrant and central part of Oslo, the school is housed in a converted factory building which offers outsdtanding fascilities to suit the needs of its students. AHO is divided into four Institutes: Architecture, Urbanism and Landscape, Form History and Theory, and Design. The Institute of Architecture, of which SCS is part, aims to educate reflective practitioners of architecture of international standing. Its educational attitude acknowledges the fundamental diversity of the discipline of architecture by seeking to develop in its students both a broad range of methods and the strength of individual conviction.By overlaying its traditional architectural heritage with an experimental and forward-facing focus on process, the Institute seeks to provide its students with the competence and individuality necessary to realize buildings of the highest quality. Courses and studios which span from conceptual design to material tectonics provide the basis for a diverse education based on the conviction that the best architecture is both concrete and conceptual. The Institute has a staff of approximately 20 full-time and 20 part-time teachers and researchers. It seeks to build on the precedents established by distinguished teachers of the past, such as Sverre Fehn and Christian Norberg-Schulz, and to build and develop this tradition by having amongst its staff some of the best known current Norwegian practitioners as well as staff with an international background.Thomas McQuillan is currently the Head of the Institute of Architecture The Scarcity and Creativity Studio (SCS) is a design and build studio within the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) whose focus is on ‘translations from drawing to building’. The studio’s aim is to expose students to the full architectural process, from interacting with the clients to building their designs. SCS seeks challenging contexts in which local conditions and creativity are employed to make the most of scarce resources.SCS welcomes proposals for projects from individuals and groups who need buildings to facilitate their community activities.