The Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague has had a new dean since February 1, 2022

The Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague (FA) has a new dean as of February 1, 2022, in the person of Assoc. Prof. Ing. arch. Dalibor Hlaváček, Ph.D. From the Faculty of Architecture, he aims to build the best school of architecture and urbanism in the Central European region.
The architect and former head of the Design Institute II has experience from architectural practice as well as from many years of working in an academic environment. He represents FA in the governing board of the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE), which focuses on improving the quality of architectural education in Europe, and he led the ČVUT Solar Decathlon team, which was a great success and a highlight for FA and the entire CTU on an international scale.
“I perceive my election as dean with humility and at the same time as a great challenge. The Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University is the largest school of architecture in the Czech Republic. Therefore, it has the greatest responsibility for shaping the future of our professions. Its current form is the result of tradition and long-term development, particularly after the major reorganization that took place after 2006. We are now at a moment when it is time to leverage the experiences of previous years and give the school a new impetus. I look forward to that process,” said Dalibor Hlaváček regarding his appointment, which he assumed on February 1. He succeeded Professor Ladislav Lábus, who led the faculty for two election terms since 2014.
Dalibor Hlaváček emphasizes that he has taken over a well-established institution that, thanks to its two previous deans, the team of heads of institutes, the teaching staff, and excellent students, is in good condition and does not have to deal with any acute problems. However, he also wants to move the school toward new challenges.
He emphasizes the exceptional curriculum of the three study programs - Architecture and Urbanism, Landscape Architecture, and Design, which the faculty offers. From the potential of the three fields within “one house,” Dalibor Hlaváček wants to leverage as much as possible. Interdisciplinarity should be reflected in the study plan, which is to be simplified, with theoretical subjects more interconnected with studio teaching.
Another area that the new dean plans to emphasize is sustainable design. “Europe is to become the first climate-neutral continent. Part of the strategy is the New European Bauhaus initiative, which focuses on the integration of design, sustainability, accessibility, availability, and investments. The Faculty of Architecture, as the largest school of architecture, must respond to this theme much more. It should permeate not only the content of teaching and research but should also be reflected in the entire life of the faculty,” he outlines his strategy.
The Faculty of Architecture plans to open up more to foreign collaborations. He wants to systematically support visiting faculty and studios led by foreign professors, strive for the placement of FA CTU in the QS World University Rankings, and work on the validation from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
In the coming weeks, the new dean of FA CTU sees a significant challenge in the faculty's return to life after the pandemic. He also wants to focus on the internal environment of the faculty, envisioning it as more open, inclusive, and supportive. “At the moment, I am assembling a team that will be tasked with preparing a gender audit and its implementation plan, or preparing an ombudsperson institute. This issue is resonating more and more at Czech universities, and it is beginning to be discussed at CTU as well. We want to set an example.”

Assoc. Prof. Ing. arch. Dalibor Hlaváček, Ph.D. is a licensed architect and educator at the Faculty of Architecture of CTU, where he studied and was appointed as an associate professor. From 2001 to 2002, he worked at the Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Genoa, from 2005 to 2008 at the Hlaváček and Partner studio (now Hlaváček Architects), and in 2008 he founded his own architectural office. From 2011 to 2013, he led the ČVUT Solar Decathlon team. He is a member of the board of the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE), is the guarantor of the Ecology course at FA CTU, leads a studio, and has directed the Design Institute II since 2018. He is the author and co-author of many awarded projects and buildings.