COURSE IN DEPTH
Year One
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
Built Environment Technology 1
20 credits
This module introduces, for all of the built environment professions, a range of concepts relating to the technology of construction. It provides you with an understanding of modern and sustainable methods of construction. We use the example of low rise residential construction as it is relatively straightforward and allows us to introduce and explore these issues appropriately.
Integrated Digital Design: Residential
20 credits
Digital construction is an integral component of contemporary design, development and maintenance of modern residential development. Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology is at the forefront of the progressive movement towards total digitalisation of the built environment.
Against this backdrop, this module aims to provide a foundation for you to successfully execute the BIM process, facilitate its adoption and achieve interdisciplinary integration on a single project that simulates a residential project.
Professional Environmental and Materials Science
20 credits
Environmental and materials science is an important area of study for all disciplines involved with the design, planning, developing and management of the built environment. This module encourages you to consider how the properties, structures and performance of materials influence why buildings and structures function. You will be encouraged to consider how these properties impact construction from a design and practical use perspective. This module will therefore enable you to develop innovative solutions for more robust, resilient, safe and sustainable buildings and structures. It also gives you the opportunity to produce a professional cv and related documents which you will share with industry on your assessment day.
Architectural Design
40 credits
The purpose of this module is to begin your journey into architectural design and technology knowledge and skills through involvement in a practical industry-focused residential project.
In this module, you will be given a project brief and your goal is to come up with a comprehensive architectural design that responds to the project brief. Learning the design process is one of the most important objectives of this module.
The design process is a series of sequential actions you take and decisions you make to find an architectural response that addresses the project brief while considering a variety of factors influencing the functionality and quality of a residential building such as site features, environmental, contextual, economic, legal parameters and standards. As part of this module, you will work with a variety of industry-standard and cutting-edge digital tools and technologies to produce construction and architectural drawings and presentations.
Law
20 credits
This module is delivered to all of the undergraduate programmes in the built environment disciplines and provides you with the basic legal concepts and principles you will need throughout your professional career.
Year Two
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
Built Environment Technology 2
20 credits
This module builds on your foundation of knowledge gained around residential technology in the Built Environment Technology 1 module at Level 4 (or any other accepted prior learning) and develops your understanding of commercial construction techniques and methods, it will also provide you with an understanding of modern and sustainable methods of commercial construction. Relevant Building Regulation, Health Safety and Welfare legislation will also be reviewed concurrently.
Integrated Digital Design: Commercial
20 credits
The benefits of automation and digitalisation have steered government reforms globally towards embedding digitalization throughout architecture, engineering, construction and operations sectors. For example, the UK government’s strategy ‘Digital Built Britain 2025’ is an ambitious plan to digitise these sectors. This strategic vision has similarly been enacted via the BIM Level 2 mandate to extend digitized design, construction and asset handover for commercial developments.
Design Practice
20 credits
This module develops your ability to assess the needs of clients. It provides a broad based study of Architectural Technology (AT) and Building Surveying (BS); combining the personal qualities of observation, analysis, judgement and their ability to communicate effectively using appropriate technical language and drawings associated with professional practice.
Technological Design
40 credits
This practical module is focused on the technical and technological aspects of designing a commercial building.
In this module, you will work towards addressing the requirements of an industry-focused commercial project. Following a creative and logical design process, you will analyse site features and precedents and incorporate influential parameters (economic, social, contextual, environmental and legal) to shape a design proposal. Your design ideas will be further developed to incorporate building technology aspects such as building services, building structure, building performance, construction material and outline specifications.
One of the most important elements of this module is the application of Building Information Modelling to produce technological design output following UK BIM standards and RIBA Plan of Work Stage 4. The module will allow you to practice the skills to create, manage and extract building data from a digital model.
Advanced Design and Surveying Skills
20 credits
This module supports the Architectural Technologists’ and Building Surveyors’ need for specialisms and will see you focus on specialist professional development and allow you to build on the Level 4 Design and Surveying Skills module (or other approved study) to extend both your specialist CAD skills of computer aided drawing and contextualisation, and to develop further your building design and presentation skills.
The module introduces advanced applications to develop and explore sustainability, urban streetscapes and building forms. It will also allow you to engage with current image creation/transformation software to create advanced display material. You will be provided an opportunity to implement professional skills appropriate to design and surveying, particularly sustainable design and then implement design decisions and focus on professional display using 2D and 3D formats.
Year Three
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
Research in Practice
20 credits
For this module you will be investigating a named site; using common research methods discussed in class you will gather data on various elements of the site and impacting on the site. This module dovetails with the Design Project module: the site for that module and this will be the same. This will ensure the applicability of the research you do for Research in Practice. During the module, contemporary issues of sustainability in the built environment will also be covered, as potential elements to be included in future design work. The use of an applied project to develop research skills and enhance specific knowledge of contemporary issues in this way means this module fits well with the overall programme philosophy of ‘problem based learning’ or a ‘flipped curriculum’. In so doing, it develops and enhances the transferable skills essential for the modern professional.
Professionalism and Citizenship
20 credits
This module will focus on extending and providing appropriate evidence of your professional skills and development. Within an applied socially responsive framework, you will examine a range of issues related to the client, the site, planning, financial/development appraisal, design technology, legal and regulatory, health and safety etc. These will be covered in conjunction with other professional courses or your own discipline as appropriate, given that all built environment professions and recent reports such as the Farrell Review place increasing stress on interdisciplinary understanding and working.
Urban Design Practice in Context
20 credits
This is a design-led module, allowing you to implement and practice advanced design skills in response to a small-scale design project. This module is underpinned by a series of lectures relating to the history and theory of urban and architectural form and design; and time is also devoted to studio-based and lab work that helps develop and enhance your design enquiry and creative drawing / model-making skills. The module also encourages you to explore the wider role of, and connections between, design theory & practice, governance, planning and how innovative design strategies might be used to resolve complex issues associated with contemporary urban challenges.
Individual Honours Project
40 credits
The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and research-informed project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. In agreement with your supervisor, you will decide upon your topic which will take the form of a practical outcome (artefact) with accompanying contextual material. The main consideration when choosing your topic is that it must be aligned to the programme you are studying, and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development.
At this level, you will be expected to work independently but you will receive additional one-to-one support from your supervisor, who will be familiar with your chosen topic area. As you progress on the module, extra support will be available and this may take the form of group seminars, workshops and online materials that will help to develop your project.
Digital Design Practice with Existing Buildings
20 credits
This module will provide you with a foundation of knowledge and practice to establish and execute the BIM process, facilitate its adoption, and achieve site survey data to execute multiple BIM data developments for a client representative. The project development will focus a specified building. The assessment builds on your ability to conduct a professional site survey, develop as-built BIM data for a client, and drawing outputs from site survey and independent desk studies.
