International Congress on Architectural Technology (ICAT)
In pursuit of its objectives to become a national centre of excellence for architectural technology education the former Dublin School of Architecture has sought to establish links with European institutes and universities.
Contacts have been developed with various colleges including VIA University Horsens and the Copenhagen Technical Academy, both in Denmark, with a view to developing an academic dialogue and to engage in Erasmus exchanges.
In November 2008 the Copenhagen Technical Academy hosted a conference entitled ‘Architectural Technology in a European and Global Perspective’ in Denmark.
The conference was attended by academic staff from Irish architectural technology programmes and by members of the Irish Architectural Technology Graduate Network. The Conference was also attended by representatives of various third level institutions offering architectural technology education including:
- Academy of Professional Higher Education Odense Technical College (Denmark)
- Amsterdamse Hogeschool vor Techniek (Holland)
- Copenhagen Technical Academy (Denmark)
- Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland)
- Napier University Edinburgh (UK/Scotland)
- Robert Gordon University Aberdeen (UK/Scotland)
- Sheffield Hallam University (UK/England)
- University of Ulster (UK/Northern Ireland)
- University of Westminster (UK/England)
- VIA University Horsens (Denmark)
Delegates also included representatives from Konstruktørforeningen (Danish Institute for Architectural Technologists), the CIAT (UK Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists) and the IATGN (Irish Architectural Technology Graduate Network)
This event has led to the emergence of the International Congress Architectural Technology (ICAT) which was reinforced by subsequent conferences held in Amsterdam 2010, Dublin (DIT) 2011, Sheffield 2013, Aberdeen 2014 Alicante 2016, Belfast in 2017 and London 2022. The next conference will be hosted by the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Galway, Ireland, in January 2024.
ICAT is directed by an academic board which includes a standing position for TU Dublin, a position currently occupied by School of Architecture, Building and Environment Senior Lecturer and BIM leader Dr Malachy Mathews.