Student Council
Architecture
The Architecture Student Council (NUDA) of the Department of Architecture (DARQ) started in 1997-1998 with the goal of boosting DARQ activities, encouraging students intellectually and increase their interest in areas related with the professional environment. During the past few years, there were several activities such as movie conferences, exhibitions, lectures, photo contest, book fairs, etc. involving always a great number of students. From the initiatives mentioned, we can focus in 2005 the organization of an “architectural fair” entitled darq_reboot, which consisted of a roundtable discussion on schools of architecture and there identity, followed by a social dinner. Another goal of NUDA is to promote a good relationship among students of the department and therefore organize a number of gatherings where students and teachers get to know each other better. On the 20th anniversary of DARQ in 2009, NUDA organized a celebration with former and current students, faculty and staff, that included lunch, an exhibition and a concert. NUDA also fights for the rights of DARQ students, and their duty to ensure that the student voice is heard by the Academic Association of Coimbra. An example is the plenary held during the year that expose students to the problems of the Department of Architecture and propose activities to be undertaken.
NU Magazine
The magazine appeared in the year 2001-2002, part of NUDA’s program. The first number, Crossroads, came out in May 2002, and from then on NU Magazine became a Journal of reflection and debate on themes related with architecture and primarily as a pretext for discussion as well as a learning tool for those who are behind the magazine and the readers. Since then 35 editions of the NU Magazine were released, being a publication of theory and criticism, focusing on architectural interest but also extra-disciplinary. Thus, the critical texts are produced by students, we can also add up numerous collaborations with national and international names over the years, such as Alvaro Siza, Eduardo Souto de Moura, Dominique Perrault, MVRDV, Josep Maria Montaner, Beatriz Colomina, Toyo Ito, Paul Mendes da Rocha, Saskia Sassen, Hans Ibelings, Mansilla and Tunon, Alberto Campo Baeza, Bjarke Ingels, FOA (Foreign Office Architects), Gonçalo Byrne and Kurt Forster.
