In the past century, we have witnessed the explosive growth of our cities and urban populations around the world. From the increasing migration of people overcrowding cities to the alarming shortage of affordable housing, and from the inadequate infrastructure to support urbanites to the polluted environment having a significant impact on human health, we have come to recognize the problems associated with the rapid growth of our cities and the intensifying urban ills. And in recent years, climate change and its devastating effect have further heightened the sense of urgency to engage the issues and to reverse the negative consequences.
As architects, we design buildings, landscapes, and cities for a society. These built environments reside at the center of the challenge facing our world today. Over the past decades, instigated by the needs and aided by the rapid technological advancement, architecture, both as a discipline and practice, has gone through an enormous change. Today, with clearer sense of purpose and belief that design has the power to provide resilience and holistic approach to ensure sustainable society, and with new technological tools available to us, architects are striving to produce innovative works that protect the human health, preserve our natural environment, and improve the quality of life for current and future generations.
Architecture at Pusan National University has always taught our students with the belief that as architects, we have an important social responsibility to make a positive difference in the world. Architecture requires a commitment to a better future and a responsibility to engage the crucial issues of our time. We believe that design has the power to inspire and enhance people’s lives and build stronger ties with the world. We teach the students to seek opportunities in the face of challenge and see architecture as the means to envision a better-built environment and to actively shape our world across all scales of the built environment. Our aim is clear - to produce the next generation of architects prepared to seize the challenge presented to us and transform our world for a better future.
Lawrence B. Kim
March 2023.