The Faculty of Architecture, Chiang Mai University (ARCH CMU), opened its doors as a major centre of architectural education in the northern region of Thailand in June 1995. Established within one of the most prestigious Faculties of Fine Arts in Thailand, the department of Architecture then established its pedagogical philosophy with the first group of students in the academic year of 1995-1996. After a couple of years of innovative approach in teaching, learning and researching Architecture, the Faculty of Architecture, on the 3rd of June 2000, was completely authorized to take on faculty status. Since then, FACMU has attained a reputation for a high standard of teaching, learning and researching Architecture and FACMU has gradually become one of the top Architectural Schools in Thailand. FACMU does not believe in teaching Architecture per se, but rather recognizes that it is our teaching philosophy's ambition to unfold the main ideas, approaches and methodologies for students to understand Architecture as well as the process of architectural intervention and innovation (with the support of associated fundamental research, techniques and theory). It is our aim to guide students to become themselves and develop their ability to think critically and work effectively and creatively. Students will familiarize themselves with the history and the development of global architecture with the concentration on the integration of traditional Thai-Lanna and global Architecture. We have our long term goal to pioneer FACMU as a centre of excellent education within the region and to lead our students to the highest ability with the use of FACMU as a laboratory to help them grow into the leaders in their fields. Students will develop their skills and intellectual abilities so as to be able to approach formal and informal design challenges. FACMU will help them to continue with further innovations of their ideology and architectural design process. We probe, push, interrogate and ensure that students acquire not just the fundamentals of their field, but also the ability to articulate critically, to see the broader implications of their design proposition and to deeply understand the design process in which they are engaged.