Architectural Technology BSc Honours

You will develop your studio practice and contextual studies along with industry standard CAD skills, focusing on underlying construction techniques, material choices and the environmental factors impacting on buildings.

Your model making skills will be developed so that you can communicate your ideas clearly, with physical and digital models.  You will work on your own and in teams.  A professional portfolio, which is critical to your practice as an Architectural Technology professional, will be developed throughout the course.

This module introduces you to architectural technology as a profession and its role within the industry and its changing landscape. It focuses on the core principles of design and technology by developing your ability to generate, communicate and present design ideas using different means. It explores the steps involved in the design and communication of architecture, developing awareness of the building elements and exploring issues associated with detailing and construction assembly for a low-level complexity project and its relevant building regulations and fire safety.

This module develops your knowledge of mechanics and properties of materials so that you can understand basic elements, components, systems and methods of constructing and servicing a conventional building. It enables you to understand the scientific principles underlying the stability of a building and the control of the environment and to undertake basic design calculations. This includes equipping you with basic skills in choosing and designing appropriate structural and building services systems. This is in addition to introducing skills and methods of detailing basic components and categories of the building.

This module introduces core skills in studio practice and contextual studies. It develops your knowledge of historical and contemporary practice within your discipline and introduces creative processes, critical thinking, visualisation techniques and core study skills. This knowledge and skillset are developed and applied through a series of exercises and projects. 

This module offers an introduction to core computing and communication skills for design practice. You will develop skills in computer-aided design (CAD) modelling, design visualisation, design communication and modelling/prototyping. It introduces strategies for engaging with distributed communities of practice and developing an online presence.

This year will start with considering which year-long placements are available and how to secure one. We highly recommend that you do consider taking this option, so that you differentiate yourself in the marketplace and connect meaningfully with industry, beyond what the academic course will offer.

Your second year of study focuses on deepening your understanding of how building science fundamentals impact on buildings and turn them into not only functional but sustainable and comfortable living spaces and structures. Your ideas will move from concepts to detailed designs, ready for analysis and conforming to standards and regulations.

As you increase your technical knowledge and skill, you will also learn how to embrace and apply the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), a unique feature of this course, into your practice. The course champions these international goals and aims to cover all 17 of these.

There will be weekly industry speakers in Semester 2, who will share updates on current industry practices and related contemporary issues, so that you can learn about them in real-life scenarios, and understand the practices needed to address them. This will include individual work, group activity and debates.

The module develops an advanced understanding of how building science fundamentals impact building performance and create high-performance sustainable buildings that are both comfortable and functional as well as minimize the environmental impacts of their construction and operation, hence developing competence in proposing advanced technical architectural design solutions. This module also develops your design and detailing skills through the comparative study and application of established working practices, concepts, and principles. 

This module develops your understanding of the commercial, legal, financial, ethical and environmental context of design and engineering processes and their impact on society. We will cover issues such as sustainability goals, recognition of obligations to the society, the professional practice and a commitment to professional standards and code(s) of conduct relevant to your discipline (such as the Engineering Council). The module also covers other wider issues such as materials and their impact on environmental factors, waste management, ethics, EDI in a workplace, enterprise and entrepreneurship, security concerns, globalisation (global manufacturing, operating in global markets, cultural issues, financial concerns, risk etc) and its impact on business operations.

This module equips you with in-depth knowledge of UN Sustainable Development Goals in the context of architectural technology. You will apply BIM workflows and sustainable and inclusive design principles to a medium-level complexity project evaluating the environmental impact of your design decisions,  taking an evidence-based approach through an iterative design process. This allows you to evaluate issues associated with detailing and construction assembly in relation to building regulations and fire safety. 

This module will strengthen, extend and apply the knowledge, skills and experiences you have gained from your course in a working environment, and to complement, stimulate, reinforce and encourage the development of discipline-specific technical knowledge, and your transferable skills. You will gain knowledge of professional requirements in an industry context and record and critically reflect on your personal practice

Your last year of study is professional practice year. You will have acquired all of the basic academic knowledge and skills required to practice as an Architectural Technology professional especially if you have taken the Thick Sandwich placement option.

This year gives you the opportunity to develop your practice as an individual, working towards a goal to launch your career at the end of the year degree show. To help you achieve that, the final year will focus on synthesising your learning and apply it to self-limited and self-directed work, with your tutors support. Alongside this, you will also have access to critics and advice from industry practitioners that will be part of your learning. 

You will also develop further skills in critiquing designs, assessing their efficiency as well effectiveness and also offer innovative alternative solutions.

This module gives you the opportunity to synthesise prior learning and develop your planned graduation trajectory through a self-selected, self-initiated and self-directed major project and complementary professional practice components including EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) principles. The direction of the project is a personal choice supported by appropriate staff to help you best synthesise your course experiences into a project that develops your working practice and professional profile to a quality and in a direction suited to your exit trajectory. You will develop a body of coherent and detailed knowledge of project development, management and communication frameworks and methods in an appropriate professional sector.

The module equips you to critique design and construction processes and systems efficiency/effectiveness for social, economic and environmental sustainability and impact. You will create and evaluate regenerative and inclusive design projects, and systematic reviews of case studies, informed by current understandings in the discipline and using various sustainability and life cycle assessment and analysis tools, concepts and software. This module aims to equip you to perform appraisal of different building types and propose solutions to perform alterations, adaptations and retrofits to monitor, enhance or transform an existing condition or conditions. 

This module equips you with the skills to understand the process of innovation in design and engineering contexts and be able to appreciate the way it impacts sectoral professional practice. You will further develop research and written communication skills through the identification of evidence-based innovation opportunities

You will gain knowledge and understanding of design, technology, practice and management through a dynamic mix of teaching, learning, and assessment strategies designed to actively engage you and enhance your learning.   
 
We use practice-based learning approaches and hands-on activities so that you can apply your learning to your project work.  

These approaches and interactive sessions include:   

• Project-based learning   
• Real-case live projects such as MDX Living Pavilion  
• Using campus buildings as case study to enhance your sense of belonging to the University 
• Laboratory-based IT classes  
• Industry challenges and competitions  
• Design workshops and creative exercises  
• Research-based and practice-led learning through visits and fieldwork  
• Group and individual project work  
• Interactive guest talks delivered by industry professionals and course alumni.

We have ongoing engagement with the industry through guest talks, live projects, visits and also via the staff teaching on the course. This ensures the course is relevant and future-fit and supports students in building their networks.  

Central to the curriculum is addressing current societal challenges in relation to people and the planet such as climate emergency, EDI, health, well-being & safety and ethical practice with a particular focus on UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).  The curriculum is further informed by research and practice frameworks such as Climate Framework and Digital Built Britain. These equip and empower our students to address those challenges and be agents of change for a better, more sustainable and inclusive world. 

You will learn practical and analytical skills through hands-on activities such as drawing and making physical and virtual models in workshop, studio and computer lab sessions. 

During your first year, your weekly timetable will typically consist of: 

• 3 hour of supervised practical computer laboratory work
• 6 hours of studio practice
• 3 hours of practical workshops.

Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and exams. Here is an indication of how you will split your time:

For each academic year the breakdown will be as follows:

Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop your skills from research and practical skills to critical thinking. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus.

This course is assessed by 100% coursework.

Your knowledge and understanding will be assessed using various assessment techniques, including interactive assignments like presentations, petcha-kucha sessions, posters and debates through to recorded presentations, reports, technical drawings, models (physical, digital or virtual), and reflective blogs/videos and portfolios of work.   

We also use statutory reports and formal technical documentation as part of the assessment. These tasks assess your understanding and ability to communicate complex ideas and also foster critical thinking and collaborative learning.  

Ongoing formative feedback includes approaches such as design reviews, peer feedback, weekly individual tutor feedback, interim submissions etc.  

Design Crit sessions with invited industry practitioners are used to enhance authenticity and to ensuring you are continuously guided and supported in your learning. 
 
The first year of the course has a pass/fail outcome for each module using Student Observable Behaviours (SOBs). This is supported by extensive ongoing formative feedback and supports core skills development. 

To help you achieve the best results, we will provide regular feedback.