The idea was born of an observation : although increasingly present in our everyday lives, glass is a material that is in fact poorly understood by the professionals who use it.
Furthermore, the Lorraine region of Eastern France is the cradle of glass and crystal production. With its living tradition, its world renowned businesses ( Baccarat, Daum, Saint Gobain, Glaverbel, Philipps,...), Europe's one of a kind education center (CERFAV) and its network of university laboratories specializing in glass research (REVELOR), this region continues to be aware of glass and its relationship to education, research, the economy and technology.
The bringing together of three institutions, the Ecole d'Architecture de Nancy (EAN), the Ecole Europeenne d'Ingenieurs en Genie des Materiaux (EEIGM) and the Centre de Recherche et Formation aux Arts Verriers (CERFAV) led naturally to the creation of a university degree program, the only one in the world dedicated specifically to the knowledge and use of glass.
Logically this degree falls into the same category as the "Design Global" Master's degree program offered by the University of Nancy to which the Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine (INPL) belongs.
This Master's degree is widely recognized and belongs to the family of European diplomas with all the acknowledgements and international equivalency ratings that entails.
An open training, this program is designed for a variety of students, architects, engineers or designers who are striving for superior command of this raw material, its applications and its traditions. The field of study is wide and ranges from small scale objects to architecture and urban planning ; from artisan production to large projects which rely on industrial techniques.
Its goal is to foster a well rounded understanding of glass, so common yet extraordinary.
The training includes a cultural education in glass based on its conceptual relationship with matter and history, a scientific education to bring to bear on the material and its physical and chemical properties, as well as esthetic research into the production demands of design, art and architecture.
Moreover the program allows students to direct their interests and passions in relationship to their plans for the future.
Lastly, the program also responds to the architect's desire to participate in project management as a specialist with a raw material that is increasingly versatile and desirable in the qualitative research of contemporary architecture.
Let us make clear first of all that all classes are in French.
The year of training is divided into two parts :
- theoretic and practical training in a university setting consisting of lectures, tutorials, directed study, special projects, exposes, tours of sites where glass is produced and transformed as well as tours of project sites.
- on the job training in a professional setting based on project plans personally outlined by each student reflecting her or his individual goals.
Most of the students are architects or architecture students nearing the end of their studies, urban architects and engineers.
Currently a majority of students are from foreign countries, many from Asia.
A major issue for some students is therefore a proper command of the French language, especially when dealing with conceptual, non technical subjects, and I would like to reiterate that a strong command of the French language is necessary to effectively participate in the program.
Developing nations with a strong need for new high density buildings are obviously very attracted to the possibilities glass has to offer in their architectural expression.
But there are other factors beyond that : glass is particularly interesting for example in the restoration or reconversion of architectural patrimony.
We believe in the dialogue and intellectual vitality that comes from an education that crosses cultural divides.
And the professionals have not been disappointed!
But as in all educational systems, there remains work to do in perfecting our program.
We have however already noticed - much to our satisfaction- that our students thoroughly enjoy their studies ; and thanks to their initial training and their strong character they have become important members of remarkable teams of professionals working on exceptional projects to which they would never before have had access.
We hope to maintain the cultural balance between the different students selected and to continue to awaken interest in the glass medium among architects, engineers and designers.
If all goes well, one could even imagine another level of training.
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