Architecture/Architecture (International) (RIBA Part 2) Master of

Cities are changing in dynamic, complex ways. In the long term, the urban fabric and urban form will continue to be re-shaped: by unpredictable patterns of climate change; by rapid changes in various technologies of movement and communication; by shifts in geo-political relations and cultural centres of gravity; by erratic swings in real-estate investment trends and in the very concept of value; and by demographic surges and large-scale migration patterns. As importantly, city-making is shaped by us – our visions as stakeholders and designers who seize their right to reimagine the city after their own desires. This module gives you the opportunity to explore visions of urban futures for urban settlements in the UK North and/or beyond in well-considered phases. You will carry out a survey and analytical study of an existing urban context and prepare strategic proposals for the further development and/or regeneration of the site in relationship to broader social, economic, technological and environmental issues. You will then develop an urban design project at an appropriate scale for further exploration and resolution of a group of buildings and/or public spaces.

In this module you will examine a range of contemporary currents in architecture theory, including: modern and postmodern theories; deconstruction; critical regionalism and its critiques; form-finding, computation and the digital turn; post-humanism and post-Anthropocene; post-colonialism; and environmental concerns and their implications for architecture. The module addresses issues of representation as formative of one’s conceptual thinking process; its agenda involves graphic exercises to practice the formulation of ideas through different media. Through this focus on contemporary movements and ideas, you would revisit historical works and movements that shaped the built environment across multiple scales, from the architectural detail (e.g. a building corner) to the large-scale urban intervention (e.g. an urban block or a high-rise). This broad coverage positions architecture at the intersection of social, cultural and environmental influences on one hand, and architecture’s own inherent motivations as a discipline and its own principles as an artefact on the other hand. Besides offering this overview of contemporary architectural thought, the module probes in depth the focused themes of your interest. All this provides an informed background against which your own theoretical approach to design and your own position on contemporary socio-cultural and conceptual issues can further develop.

This module prepares students for the practical application of advanced building technologies as well as issues of ecology, sustainability and the ethical use of resources. It investigates the integration of different technologies: environmental, material, structural and construction systems, into creative design strategies. The module explores emerging, advanced technologies in context of their historical and cultural developments and philosophical associations. It balances the exploration of hi-tech systems with appropriate applications of building technologies. The module examines how sustainable and advanced construction technology can reduce the effects of global warming, resource depletion, building-related health issues, and air, land and water pollution, through careful design. Students gain an understanding of how buildings and occupants interact and how occupants’ needs for comfort can be satisfied. It enables understanding and application of concepts from first principles and how to make design decisions on use of both passive and active technologies and techniques, to produce buildings of high quality and functional capability. Students are expected to develop analytical skills to understand the impacts of design decisions and subsequently to utilise those skills in designing buildings and their surroundings, and to evaluate the outcome critically and self-reflectively. This module is closely integrated with module TMA1896 Advanced Architectural Design.

The aim of this module is to enable you to enhance your understanding and knowledge of: the organisation and administration of architectural practice; the responsibilities and obligations of an architect to clients and other parties involved in the building design and construction process; collaboration, information management and Building Information Modelling (BIM); building control and planning legislation; the legal and contractual procedures involved in building procurement; estimating and cost control of the construction process; the personal and team management skills appropriate to architectural practice; and the responsibility of the architect towards the health and safety of those employed in the construction industry, the well-being of building users and the effect of building development upon society at large. This module is closely integrated with module TMA1896 Advanced Architectural Design.

In this module, you address a complex problem for an architectural project or building, to produce an integrated solution with a high standard of design based on a sound theoretical approach. You will consider building systems and construction technologies as generators of creative design ideas (spatial, formal, tectonic, etc.) as well as their realisation. Building systems and construction technologies will be explored. The module will also enable you to explore in depth and critically a design philosophy – both in theory and in practice – that is empathetic to your own ideals and aspirations.

The module comprises the production of a 10,000 word (equivalent) dissertation on an architectural subject of your own choice. The study is self-directed, once you have negotiated and agreed a topic with the Module Tutor. Most research will be from secondary sources, but you are expected to pursue primary sources whenever the opportunity presents itself. The module explores design-research processes as well as analytical and interpretive research methodologies.

The aim of this module is to be a preliminary to the Design Thesis and involves the collection of all the background briefing and contextual information necessary from which to work. The range of investigative studies includes contextual and social investigation, site analysis; functional and managerial analysis; precedent and typological studies; client and governance model studies; programme studies; a series of design tests including form-finding and related/required skillsets; consideration of technological and energy issues and any other topics specific to the project.

The aim of this module is for you to undertake a comprehensive architectural design project of your own choice but which must be agreed with the Module Tutor and must be at a level of complexity and depth of resolution comparable to that which pertains in architectural practice. Upon your own initiative you will select a location in the UK or a European Region, and develop a design proposal which is responsive and appropriate to the cultural and environmental context of your chosen location, whilst identifying and responding to the heritage and cultural traditions as evident in the context. Your proposal may be speculative and visionary while grounded in environmental, technological and/or contextual issues. As such your final design should assert an architectural narrative, explore building typology, satisfy predetermined user requirements, resolve spatial organisation, and be made manifest by considered deployment of appropriate technologies.

The aim of this module is for you to undertake a comprehensive architectural design project of your own choice but which must agree with the Module Leader and must be at a level of complexity and depth of resolution comparable to that which pertains in architectural practice. Upon your own initiative you will select a location in a non-UK and non-European Region, and develop a design proposal which is responsive and appropriate to the cultural and environmental context of your chosen location, whilst identifying and responding to the challenges and pressures that exist in procuring architecture within an increasingly globalised economy. Your proposal may be speculative and visionary while grounded in environmental, technological and/or contextual issues. As such your final design should assert an architectural narrative, explore building typology, satisfy predetermined user requirements, resolve spatial organisation, and be made manifest by considered deployment of appropriate technologies.