Why you should study this course
This innovative course has been designed to respond to the challenges of the environmental, economic and social climate of the early 21st century. Coventry is a vibrant, connected city, internationally known for its Centre of Trust, Peace and Social Relations.
Increasingly, we connect with this research expertise to encourage human-centred solutions which explore the complexity of contexts in which architecture is made. Coventry has also been named City of Culture 2021 and you will have the opportunity to engage in the full depth and breadth of contemporary architectural education during this exciting, once in a lifetime opportunity.
We currently have strong links with a growing network of West Midlands practices including IDP Group and Design Buro, many of whom provide input to course management and development as current members of our Architecture Advisory Board. We work with the RIBA West Midlands through the student mentoring scheme which provides potential placement opportunities for students, and are part of the new initiative ‘Learn It, Earn it’ which connects students directly with practitioners through a series of talks each year. These industry connections also provide potential opportunities for professional placements and collaborative projects. Previously, students have worked with organisations including Theatre Absolute, The Centre for Peace and Reconciliation and Coventry Canal Trust.
Based in the School of Art and Design, the course instinctively draws expertise from the wide range of creative disciplines on offer. We believe in collaboration – merging studies in art, history and theory, studio and tectonics – providing opportunities to connect with architects, engineers and built environment professionals.
You will be taught by current staff with significant professional experience, having previously worked in Austria, Argentina, Ghana, Uganda, Nepal and the UK. They have worked in conservation, healthcare, education and housing on commercial, residential, community-led participatory projects, and some are competition winning architects!
Teaching is strongly committed to context and materiality, inspired by the rich context of the city of Coventry, reflecting the historical and contemporary background of the city as an industrial hub and international centre for peace and reconciliation.
Centred around studio practice, teaching will encompass design, technology, cultural contexts and communication, together with professional practice. We will aim to develop your understanding of the relationship between global issues, local context and the reality of architecture.
What you'll study
Year one
The first year introduces you to the fundamentals of architecture including design, technology, communication and cultural context, with a look at the history and theory of architecture. We will teach you methods of hand drawing, sketching, model making and orthographic drawing as generators of creative exploration.
Modules
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Construction and Environmental Fundamentals - 20 credits
This module integrates the environmental aspect of the design process and practices in combination with architectural design.
Optional
Assessment: Coursework
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Experimental Design and Communication - 40 credits
This module introduces you to basic elements of architectural design which integrates learning across different subjects and disciplines. You will learn to communicate your design ideas and proposals through freehand sketching and drawing, modelling and a range of other graphic techniques. You will undertake a series of design exercises to explore the relationship of place, space and human needs to architectural form. Responding to simple briefs and the context of a site, you will lead to small scale architectural proposal which relates to cultural context, materials, construction and environmental aspects of building.
Optional
Assessment: Portfolio
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Spatial Design - 30 credits
This module enables you to develop a comprehensive architectural proposal. Exploring the design process and theoretical concepts, you will apply your knowledge and awareness of architecture in relationship to environmental design, human wellbeing, technology and construction.
Optional
Assessment: Portfolio
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Material Cultures and Histories - 20 credits
This module explores architectural and urban history through selected themes and periods. It focuses on the changing patterns of urban settlements and their buildings, as seen within the context of the broader political, social, economic, and cultural conditions, while considering the impact of new materials and technology on architectural production.
Optional
Assessment: Presentation, coursework
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Digital Skills 1 – 10 credits
This module builds on your manual drawing and representation skills. You will begin to explore representation which balances physical and digital environments. This will include information digitalisation, digital representation, digital drawing, modelling, collating and post editing.
Optional
Assessment: Portfolio
Year two
In the second year, you will have the opportunity to consider the importance of the tectonics of architecture and explore the wider holistic contextual implications of emerging contemporary urban planning. You should start to make informed choices about materials, structure and environmental design, using 3D modelling and digital drawing software as a tool for architectural exploration.
Modules
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Assembly and Environmental Systems – 20 credits
This module is designed to expand knowledge of construction technology, environmental design and building materials that cohesively contribute to successful building design, through the study of larger scale buildings, including the design of single and multi-storey framed structures. You will also develop environmental knowledge with the aim of creating sustainable spaces, adapted to the needs of the user and executed to the appropriate standards of architectural design.
Optional
Assessment: Quiz, portfolio
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Urban Design and Communication- 40 credits
The module introduces you to the urban design discipline and the investigation of the architecture of the city to identify those factors that contribute to the transformation of urban environments. The focus will be on large-scale proposals that respond to the site and context while introducing urban placemaking and master-planning and the relevant communication and representation skills. Urban design theories and themes will be analysed with a particular focus on sustainable developments and environmental strategies.
Optional
Assessment: Report, portfolio
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Residential Design – 30 credits
This module enables you to investigate and test alternative forms of housing. You will design a housing building typology which relates to public/community related secondary. You will record, understand and evaluate a site and its context, using a wide variety of methods and criteria to build a relationship between the building user and the public realm.
Optional
Assessment: Portfolio
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Architectural and Cultural Critiques – 20 credits
The module explores modern concepts in the architectural production of the post-industrial world. It is an introduction to a variety of theoretical positions in architecture, landscape and urban design with a focus on the 20th and 21st centuries.
Optional
Assessment: Presentation, coursework
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Digital Skills 2 – 10 credits
This module explores advanced applications of digital opportunities in order to generate, analyse and prototype architectural design propositions. You will be introduced to a range software and methodologies which subsequently allow complex modelling and analysis of proposed architectural projects against a range of environmental, sustainability, wellbeing and buildability criteria.
Optional
Assessment: Portfolio
Final year
The final year consolidates the modules taught in the previous years and provides an opportunity to undertake a comprehensive design project that incorporates the core subjects of design, technology and environment and reflects your own emerging design philosophy.
You will focus on the whole design process on a brief directly related to the city of Coventry and the urban fabric. For example, past students have worked on a Council House for the city and the Centre of Peace and Reconciliation.
Modules
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Design, Planning and Ethics – 30 credits
This module brings together learning about how architecture operates in professional practice in the UK and using the overall framework of RIBA stages 0 and 1 to prepare a design brief for an urban strategy. You will be exploring how to set up and run an architecture practice in the UK taking into consideration the relevant ethical, legal and management principles as well as formulating and defining a project-specific design brief.
Optional
Assessment: Portfolio
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Contemporary Debates and Research – 20 credits
This module discusses contemporary and potential future trends of design in relation to societal perspectives. The module is designed to enable a sustained and in-depth investigation into your specialist area of interest negotiated with tutors.
Optional
Assessment: Coursework
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Interdisciplinary Collaborative Project -10 credits
This module provides you with the opportunity to collaborate with students from the built environment and construction engineering courses in the School of Energy, Construction and Environment in a group project module. You will develop a practical understanding of some of the key stages involved in a building project by taking part in a project-specific simulated role play scenario. You will be representing the role of architects amongst other built environment professions. You will learn how to manage a project and use Building Information Modelling as an industry standard tool. Typical scenarios will look at aspects of a project from its initial design inception through to its tender submission and presentation by working in interdisciplinary groups.
Optional
Assessment: Portfolio
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Comprehensive Design – 30 credits
Architectural design is a complex and challenging process which requires the ability to creatively synthesise and integrate a diverse range of knowledge and skills. The portfolio from this module will include a broad range of work demonstrating your ability to create an integrated architectural solution. You will be asked to develop the design of a specific building in terms of the structural, constructional and environmental strategies that underpin its design.
Optional
Assessment: Portfolio
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Applied Construction and Environmental Sciences – 20 credits
The module builds on your technical knowledge and connects that knowledge with advanced application in a major building project. You will carry out research into systems, techniques and materials, and will apply these investigations to create a complex building that is sound and creative in terms of environmental, structural and constructional competence.
Optional
Assessment: Portfolio
