Architecture BA (Hons)

You'll develop your architectural drawing and modeling skills as you learn hand drawing techniques as well as digital tools. You'll prepare to represent your designs through sketches, diagrams, and renderings, and build on your previous studies to develop the key skills you need to prepare your designs for architectural portfolio presentations.

More information for this module will be available soon.

You'll evaluate influential histories and theories that have shaped these creative practices. More importantly, you'll learn to think critically about the context and real-world issues surrounding design. Through discussions, projects and presentations, you'll develop your own perspectives on how design can address today's big issues. Your communication skills will grow as you articulate original ideas through diverse media. By the end, you'll have a deeper appreciation for the narratives, concepts and challenges that drive innovation in architecture and design.

You’ll dive into key structural concepts and eco-friendly approaches. Learn about materials and building construction hands-on. Understand the construction industry better through research. Work in teams to look at the technical details that affect design.

By directly exploring technologies shaping buildings, you’ll lay the groundwork for including these insights in your own designs.

Develop an appreciation for the art and science of construction.

You’ll improve on the basics by mastering technical and expressive methods, from digital tools to handmade crafts. Convey materials, atmosphere, and lighting in your drawings. Create your own unique visual style by mixing traditional ways of showing your work with more experimental images. Put together and analyse presentation sheets that showcase your top work. 

By refining your skills in 2D, 3D, and mixed media, you’ll become more versatile at presenting engaging design ideas.

You’ll investigate sites, delving into their history and environmental aspects. Your architectural concepts will emerge as reflections of these insights. Ideas evolve as you go through cycles of drawing, modeling, and discussing your work. You’ll present a creative proposal that tackles the complexities of the site. Along the way, it’s important to think critically about your design choices and how you communicate them.

Engaging thoroughly with a place and its purpose sharpens your abilities in research, idea generation, and presentation, all crucial to an architect’s creative journey. 

Allow the unique aspects of each context to inspire your designs, leading to innovative shapes and spaces.

Look at how big cultural, industrial, and philosophical changes have influenced building styles and how we think about space. Discuss important modernist buildings from around the world and their impacts. Think about designs that focus on social and environmental responsibility. Build your own way of understanding projects, guiding your work, and thoughtfully connecting with history.

By learning about the recent history of architecture, you’ll find both inspiring examples and cautionary tales.

You’ll understand the intricate requirements of a specific locality. This understanding will help you craft a creative brief for a building that engages the public. Looking into past examples will reveal various influences on your work. Your response to the brief will take shape as you create models and drawings, continuously refining them. Incorporating structural and environmental considerations is also key. At the end, you’ll present a design that not only reflects the site’s story but also showcases your unique creative vision.

Throughout this process, as you work on cultural buildings, your design skills will grow, highlighting how architecture can positively impact communities.

In this module, you’ll get to learn at one of our partner universities around the world. This experience will add an extra dimension to your studies and boost your job chances. It’s a great chance to tackle challenges on your own in a fresh setting, which really builds up your confidence. Plus, you’ll get to think about how this experience helps you grow personally and ties into your degree.

This module will help you gain global skills and understand architecture from a new cultural perspective.

By the time you come back, you’ll have a wider view of the world and be better prepared for a career as an architect on the international stage.

Join a team of creative students and do a project together. Try new things and see how they can help you.

You’ll also grasp how to use your skills with others. Sometimes you’ll be a leader, sometimes a helper. Talk about your ideas and learn from them. You’ll make something to show what you learned and share it with others.

This module helps you gain new skills and understand other fields. You’ll be a smart and creative person, ready to solve real-world problems.

You’ll choose learning tasks that add up to 60 hours, like internships, volunteering, research, or remote study that match your career plans. Workshops will help you make meaningful goals and think about what you’ve accomplished. Through this, you’ll grow the knowledge, skills, and qualities you need to thrive in the workplace.

By looking at your growth through active participation and reading, you’ll become a perceptive, eager job-seeker who stands out.

As a team, you will embark on a journey of entrepreneurship, starting with ideation and ending with the launch of your product or service. You will analyse complex factors influencing a successful launch, conduct thorough research to assess feasibility and gain valuable insights into marketing, manufacturing, and sales strategies.

Working together on pitch presentations, you will discover your strengths as an entrepreneur or team member. This module provides transferable skills essential to thrive in creative industries, whether you plan to launch your own company or seek employment with top organisations. You will develop the mindset and abilities to spot opportunities and act on them, which will benefit your career.

You’ll get into theory, look at real-life examples, and creative ideas from various fields. Try out different ways to express your ideas, from drawing to mapping to building models. You’ll work alone and with others to explore themes in projects you choose.

This module gives you the freedom to pursue your interests through both research and practical work.

You’ll learn skills you can use in many areas by handling information and sharing ideas about designing spaces of all sizes.

Discover modern city settings and brainstorm thoughtful ideas for different areas, from small communities to entire districts.

You’ll create a building plan that considers the environment, society, and the economy.

You’ll also test and use your technical know-how to find the best materials and structures for your designs.

This module is a fantastic opportunity to improve your design approach through self-reflection.

Follow your passions by picking an architectural topic that interests you. With support from a tutor, you’ll sharpen your research, writing, and design abilities — but the project is yours. Look into existing literature and past examples to set the stage for your innovative ideas. Use creative methods to explore and shape your research. Analyse different contexts to tackle a specific issue. Discuss your findings to show your academic and professional insight.

This is your chance to dive deep into the research process. You can present your findings in a well-structured dissertation or a design portfolio.

This module is all about you taking the lead, allowing you to highlight your interests while gaining in-depth knowledge.

You’ll explore how to use structures, materials, energy, and technology for architecture. Then you’ll make an architectural plan that uses these elements.

Use simple models to test and improve your plan. Think about how the weather, building methods and materials affect your design.

You’ll also look at the costs of different products. Most importantly, you’ll see why you need to care about the environment in every step of your design.

This module will let you create sustainable plans that work well. Your plans will show how technology and environment are connected.

You will learn about the operations of architectural practices. These include understanding office structures, legal aspects, and management processes. This is your chance to build the professional skills to impress future employers. Learn how to create an impressive CV, portfolio, and nail your interview skills.

You’ll also learn how to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively through presentations. Gain a deeper understanding of the legal and ethical responsibilities of architects. You’ll prepare for your own year in the industry by fostering a responsible professional mindset.

This module provides you with all the tools you need to make the most out of your practical training period.

You’ll explain how you approach creativity and why you made certain choices in terms of the course, context, and how things look. By summarising your projects, you’ll be able to express your unique architectural style and philosophy.

This module allows you to bring together your technical solutions, ideas, and critical viewpoints. It’s a way to showcase what you’ve learned and use it as a base for future development.

Complete disciplinarily-relevant tasks showcasing your skills. Reflect critically on personal growth, honing transferable abilities valuable for future study and employability.

During this module, you'll spend 6 months working on your own business venture, then 3 months gaining industry experience. This opportunity allows you to apply what you've learned in a practical setting while exploring different career options. You'll also have the chance to develop professional relationships and expand your network.

Assess your personal strengths and weaknesses to set goals for the future. Throughout the module, you'll demonstrate increasing independence while still valuing the support of others. Gain a broader understanding of the world through real-world experiences and insights. Additionally, you'll earn valuable credits for your CV and enhance your skill set.

By the end of this module, you'll graduate with the practical experience that employers are seeking.

This experience lets you learn firsthand how to set up and run a small business. You’ll absorb professional practices and business situations that matter to your entrepreneurial goals. Make important connections while working independently within set rules. Think deeply about your strengths, weaknesses, criteria for success, and future plans.

This opportunity is useful for your career. It lets you use what you’ve learnt in your degree in the real world and helps you understand your capabilities.

After finishing this placement and the related assessments, you’ll get more credits for your sandwich degree. This practical experience is a valuable step in developing an entrepreneurial way of thinking.

You’ll spend 24–48 weeks at a chosen company, learning from professionals and helping out with actual projects. Gain confidence, knowledge, and skills by taking on more responsibility with gradually less help. As you progress, you’ll make professional connections and think about how you’re doing. Take in what you learn about how industries and businesses work.

This placement is an ideal chance to grow in your career. By using what you’ve learnt in a workplace, you’ll understand more about your own strengths, what you need to work on, and your plans after you graduate.

After this placement and the related assessments, you’ll get extra credits for your sandwich degree. This practical experience is a valuable part of your education.

Evaluating international contexts, you'll critically relate on-site activities to your disciplinary knowledge, gaining global design insights. Working independently abroad, you'll complete relevant assignments, honing skills transferable to your future architectural career.

Upon returning, thoughtful reflection will reveal your personal growth as you process new worldviews and cross-cultural competencies. This invaluable opportunity provides a chance to expand your architectural knowledge while developing adaptability as a global citizen.