Architecture and Environmental Design with Foundation BSc Honours - Courses

Program Overview

The Architecture and Environmental Design with Foundation BSc Honours program prepares students for careers in architecture and environmental design. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, combining "artistic" and "scientific" elements, and equipping students with creative, technical, and analytical skills. Graduates are well-prepared for a variety of career paths, including fully qualified architect with environmental design expertise, environmental design consultant, and combined career as an architect and environmental design consultant. The program is prescribed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), providing exemption from RIBA Part 1.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Architecture and Environmental Design with Foundation BSc Honours degree is a four or five-year program designed to prepare students for advanced study in architecture and environmental design. The program aims to cultivate a new generation of architects who are not only architecturally competent and environmentally aware but also capable of exploring spatial poetics with an evidence-informed approach, evaluating design options, and quantifying building performance and environmental impact. The program emphasizes a strong interdisciplinary approach, highlighting the value that environmental architects bring to the building industry and society. It combines "artistic" and "scientific" elements, equipping students with creative space- and form-making, environmental design, technical, and analytical skills, alongside critical thinking and awareness of the broader architectural context. The program's curriculum is structured to provide a balanced learning experience, with half of the time dedicated to studio-based design activities and the other half to bioclimatic, historical, cultural, socio-economic, and professional studies.

Outline:

The program is structured as follows:

• Foundation Year: This year offers an introduction to the creative professional field of architecture, shaping the built environment.
It includes four studio-based modules: Recording Place, Making Practices, Reading Spaces, and the Major Project. The Major Project is a design challenge that encourages students to draw upon skills and interests ignited by their earlier studio-based work and topics explored in the Foundation Pathway Modules. The work from this project forms the centerpiece of the final exhibition, showcasing students' skills and creative visions.
• Subjects of study: Critical Thinking for Academic and Professional Development, Introduction to Academic Practice, Major Project, Making Practices, Reading Spaces, Recording Place.
• Year 1: This year focuses on the principles of environmental and architectural design, introducing students to the evidence-informed approach and quantification skills necessary to evaluate design proposals.
Students acquire fundamental skills (technical, design, and representation skills) through their personal experience of architectural space.
• Typical subject areas: Introduction to Design Skills, Introduction to Design Practice, Design Project, A History of Architecture, Environmental Design and Principles of Building Physics, Transformation and Application.
• Year 2: This year consolidates and applies the architectural and environmental principles and skills acquired in Year 1 to a wider context, moving from personal space to the remit of the building and its surroundings.
• Typical subject areas: Design in Cities, Material Studies and Environmental Design, Designing in Extreme Climatic Conditions, Zero-Plus Energy Buildings, Architectural History & Urbanism, Climate, Energy and Architecture.
• Placement Year: This optional year allows students to gain work experience and increase their employability after graduation.
Students who complete their placement year successfully will have the additional wording "with Professional Experience" appended to their degree title.
• Year 3: This year focuses on the design of an architectural proposition and the making and testing of prototype/component.
It prepares students for practice in architectural and environmental design, utilizing advanced building performance prediction and testing tools.
• Typical subject areas: Architecture, Climate Change and the Planetary Emergency, Final Thesis Project, Prototype Fabrication and Testing, Professional Practice, Environmental and Energy Performance.

Assessment:

The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Practical: Presentations, videos, podcasts, lab work, creating artifacts.
• Coursework: Essays, reports, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation.

Teaching:

The program employs a variety of teaching methods, including:

• Lectures: Delivering information and concepts.
• Seminars: Interactive discussions and group work.
• Workshops: Practical application of skills and knowledge.
• Problem-based learning: Solving real-world problems through group projects.
• Blended learning: Combining online and in-person learning.
• Practical application: Applying theoretical knowledge to real-world projects.
The program is taught by a dedicated team of experienced architectural practitioners, world-renowned scholars, and engineers.

Careers:

Graduates of the Architecture and Environmental Design BSc Honours program are well-prepared for a variety of career paths, including:

• Fully qualified architect with environmental design expertise (RIBA): This path requires completion of RIBA Part 2 studies and Part 3 training.
• Environmental design consultant: This role involves advising on sustainable design solutions for buildings and infrastructure.
• Combined career as an architect (RIBA) and environmental design consultant: This path combines the skills and knowledge of both professions.
The program's focus on environmental design, sustainability, and low-carbon design makes graduates highly sought after by employers in the UK and internationally, particularly in consulting engineering firms.

Other:

• The program is prescribed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), providing exemption from RIBA Part 1.
• The program offers opportunities for international study and work experiences, including semester or year-long exchanges at institutions around the world, international summer schools or field trips, and volunteering or work placements abroad.
• The program has a strong network of industry partners, providing students with opportunities for internships and hands-on experience.
• The program has a high student satisfaction rate, with 92% of students reporting satisfaction with the course.

• UK tuition fee: £9,250 (Price per academic year)
• International tuition fee: £15,400 (Price per academic year)
• EU Qualifications Welcome Award Scheme
• The packs are priced at around £150-£160.
• Printing: for environmental reasons, we avoid printing as much as possible, but sometimes it is unavoidable.
The cost for printing could be around £150-180 per academic year.
• Gallery and site visits: the cost will be £20 per semester/£40 per academic year.
• Field trip costs: an optional field trip is offered to second year students at an additional cost of £379 per field trip.