Architectural Institute In Prague (ARCHIP) is a private international school of architecture in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
,
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
, established in 2010.
The school offers instruction only in English and has an emphasis on international students and faculty.
ARCHIP has recently moved to the
CIEE building in the historic fort of
Vyšehrad in the
Prague 2 district.
History

The school was conceived in 2005 by architect
Martin Roubík (1949–2008) and his wife Regina Loukotová, now rector of the school.
Roubík had returned from a period teaching and working in
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
, and the couple wanted to establish a school of architecture in the Czech Republic offering a bachelor's degree programme in English.
The school received approval to open from the
Ministry of Education in May 2010,
and opened its
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
programme. In 2015 the school opened a 2-year
Master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. programme entitled "Architecture and Urbanism".
ARCHIP has moved several times, its first location being the Trade Fair Palace, the largest
National Gallery Prague site. In 2012, the school relocated to the Kartografie Praha building around the corner. Five years later, ARCHIP moved into a new campus in a renovated factory next to the DOX contemporary art gallery.
As a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, ARCHIP moved again in 2020 to the
CIEE building in Štulcova street, within the walls of the historic
Vyšehrad fort in the
Prague 2 district.
Academics
The school has around 50 teachers, about two thirds of whom are Czech, and the rest from abroad. Class sizes are between 20 and 30 students.
The school's study programme is based on a vertical studio model where students from different grades work in parallel on a single site and programme. The students also attend lectures, practical seminars, and participate in excursions and workshops. Instruction takes place in Prague and occasionally at architectural projects in other parts of the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
, such as in the Bohemian towns of
Líbeznice and
Jenišov
Jenišov (german: Janessen) is a municipality and village in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known a ...
(2020) or the
Romani Holocaust
The Romani Holocaust or the Romani genocide—also known as the ''Porajmos'' ( Romani pronunciation: , meaning "the Devouring"), the ''Pharrajimos'' meaning the hard times ("Cutting up", "Fragmentation", "Destruction"), and the ''Samudaripen'' ( ...
memorial in
Lety (2019).
The school has a small exhibition space and a library, and also hosts lectures from local and international architects in cooperation with the Prague-based Center of Architecture and Town Planning (CAMP).
The school's credit system and classification scale are compatible with the
European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), allowing students to join other European education programmes through the
Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...
programme. ARCHIP has various international partners, mostly based in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
but also in other regions of Europe.
External links
Architectural Institute in Prague (ARCHIP) website
References
{{Reflist
Educational institutions in Prague
Educational institutions established in 2010
2010 establishments in the Czech Republic