BA in Architecture
Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
GBP 9,250 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* only for home students. We will continue to accept applications from international students after the 25th of January
** UK students: ยฃ9,250 per year | international: ยฃ16,500 for the first year
Introduction
Why choose this course?
Architecture is a profession, and this course is an integral part of a sequence of steps โ RIBA parts 1, 2 and 3 - that leads to entry into it. Criteria for entry to the UK Register of Architects are prescribed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB). The ARB and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) have agreed to hold the criteria in the common and successful completion of this Honours Degree course gives Part 1 exemption. In addition to this, the RIBA has introduced new Themes and Values for Architectural Education, which include a further focus on climate literacy, health and life safety, ethical practice, and research literacy. The modules in the course work within this framework provide a coherent balance of intellectual and practical skills, as well as facilitate various avenues to develop students' transferable and digital skills for a wide range of employment.
The course sits in the Department of Landscape and Architecture, one of four Departments in the School of Arts, which is one of three Schools (with the Design School and the School of Creative and Cultural Industries) in the Faculty of Kingston School of Art (KSA). It is located in the compact Knights Park campus, which is directly adjacent to the range of other creative disciplines within KSA. It has immediate access to excellent and wide-ranging resources for physical making, an opportunity which sits at the heart of the pedagogy in each of the programmes and forms a key component of the BA Architecture programme. The Department's accommodation currently occupies the fourth and fifth floors of the New Extension Building at Knights Park, with the KSA workshops on the ground and first floors of the same building. This is a place in which to converse, debate, work and learns from each other.
Professional Recognition
Kingston University is ranked among Europe's top 50 architecture schools, with a recent graduate awarded the top international portfolio prize by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
Students often feature in the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) President's Medals โ considered the world's most prestigious and established awards in architectural education. Our graduate Simon Dean won Bronze for the best degree-level design project in 2014. More recently, Yousuf Khalil was awarded the Architect's Journal Student Prize in 2018.
In the past few years, Domus magazine has consistently featured our school among Europe's top 50 architecture schools. We were one of the eight UK Architecture Schools in the Domus Guide 2017. We were one of the two UK schools invited to present at the 12th Biennale in Venice.
Reasons to choose Kingston
- This course is validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and prescribed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB). You'll graduate with RIBA Part 1 exemption โ the first step towards becoming an architect.
- This course is taught by a team of talented, practising architects, whose work is widely recognised.
- Kingston students often feature in prestigious national and international awards, such as the AJ Student Prize and the RIBA President's Medals.
Accreditation
The Architecture BA (Hons) course is validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and prescribed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB).
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
What you will study
This degree centres on the design, on the creative processes of observation and making, and an ethos of โthinking through making'. Architecture is emphasised as a material practice, with particular attention given to how buildings are made and how tectonic components are fundamental to architectural character.
Studio projects form at least 50% of the course, giving you the skills and knowledge to tackle design issues in the built environment. Workshops teach drawing and making skills, such as casting, pencil and charcoal rendering, detailed large-scale model-making, computer-based graphics and CAD drawing. You will also study theoretical, cultural, historical, social, sustainable, material and technical issues.
Year 1
Year 1 is focused on the acquisition and consolidation of architectural representation and drawing skills. The Design Studio work features site-based projects, addressing the principles and context of architectural design. It also includes and real scale-built project. The coursework supporting studies comprises assignments on drawing, model-making, materials, sustainability, professional practice and the history of architecture.
Core modules
- Reading and Representing: Architecture Starts With Seeing
- Professional Practice and Making: Architecture is for Others
- Studio: Architecture is Slow
Year 2
In Years 2 and 3, you will work in independent studio groups, carrying out design projects that may last from a few weeks to a year. In Year 2, you will be encouraged to experiment creatively, typically working on the main design project each semester. You will continue the skills-based learning introduced in Year 1, expanding your knowledge of supporting subjects and applying it to your design projects.
Core modules
- Reading: Architecture Is Seen by Each of Us Differently
- Professional Practice: Architecture Is Shaped by Society
- Studio: Architecture Is Formed by Climate and Comfort
- Making & Representing: Architecture Is Found in Play
Year 3
Year 3 involves the production of a thesis design project. In its presentation, you will show the integration of your professional skills and knowledge.
Your design studio work, the research undertaken for your thesis project, and your written dissertation, all give you the opportunity to develop and express your individual interests. Modules incorporate aspects of sustainability, tectonics and structure, the history of architecture and professional practice.
Core modules
- Reading: Architecture Is a Common Ground
- Professional Practice and Making: Architecture Is a Matter of Ethics and Competence
- Architecture Is...
Please note
Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Graduates find employment in architectural and multidisciplinary built environment practices. Others find work in environmental, and planning consultancies, some in the public sector, and in not-for-profit agencies. Students find work locally in London and the southeast, across the UK and internationally. Some students go on to develop small businesses or another specialism, while others pursue further study.