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ArchNet

ArchNet resource is available through the Internet to scholars, practitioners, and interested non-specialists.ArchNet is on-line resource based at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning with the support of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The central goal of ArchNet is to provide an extensive, high-quality, globally accessible, on-line resource focusing on architecture, urban design, urban development, and related issues in the Muslim world. It is available through the Internet, at www.archnet.org, to scholars, practitioners, and interested non-specialists.

New computer and telecommunication technologies have great potential for supporting communication and collaboration among architectural and planning students, faculty, scholars, and practitioners throughout the world. ArchNet will provide opportunities for realising that potential. ArchNet will be carried out under the overall direction of William Mitchell, Dean of the School of Planning and Architecture at MIT and will draw heavily upon the resources of AKPIA and the Trust.

ArchNet will provide an extensive, high-quality, globally accessible, intellectual resource focused on architecture and planning issues and would include restoration, conservation, housing, landscape, and related concerns. It is to be achieved by providing on an accessible server, images, Geographic Information System and Computer Aided Design databases, a searchable text library, bibliographical reference databases, on-line lectures, curricular materials, papers, essays, and reviews, discussion forums and statistical information on an accessible server maintained by the MIT Press. The structure will be designed to offer each user a personal workspace tailored to his or her individual needs. From this space, they will be able to contribute their own findings and research to the larger site. The Website will aim to foster close ties between institutions and between users. Through the use of on-line forums, chat rooms, and debates, it is hoped that the site can encourage and promote discussions amongst participants. ArchNet will be accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. It will be a bottom-up system, in which information will eventually flow directly from the user to a continually expanding database that can be shared by all. The system will be designed to promote ready intercommunication and maintenance of an international scholarly community of ArchNet members.

This resource will be developed and sustained in a decentralised fashion at sites distributed throughout the world. High priority will be given to providing good access in locations where the need is particularly pressing due to lack of traditional library resources and poor terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure. The most important component of the proposal involves the selection of partner institutions in the Islamic world to generate, share, and exchange information. In its infancy, ArchNet will rely on the AKPIA and the Trust to provide the initial content. However, as ArchNet matures and gains greater membership, the aim is to have the content generated through member interaction and exchange, as well as through the research, holdings, and studios of the partner institutions. The current list of participating institutions includes:

ArchNet also hopes to collaborate with research institutions, professional organisations, and professional practices in order to bring together the widest range of expertise, knowledge, and resources.

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