Architecture and Environmental Design

If you are thinking about studying architecture and have an interest in environmental design, our four-year course will give you the specialist knowledge and skills needed to design environmental systems for buildings.

When you graduate, you will have the expertise to confidently develop high-quality architecture that shows a comprehensive understanding of climate and the need to keep building occupants comfortable.

Based on University Park, you will have access to excellent facilities to support your studies and research. These include dedicated studio spaces, workshops and research labs equipped with the latest renewable energy technologies.

In years two and three there’s the opportunity to choose from up to 12 different studio units which means you can select based on your area of interest. With a mixture of teaching, workshops, field work trips and working with customers on projects, our course gives you the skills that architecture practices are looking for. You’ll also be part of our vertical studio which sees year two, three and four students (K100/K230) working alongside each other, providing great opportunities for peer mentoring and skills transfer.

You will have the opportunity to submit your work to international competitions such as CIBSE Young Engineer Award and the Royal Academy British Institution Award for Students’ Work.

Our students have won many national and international awards including the AJ Student Prize 2021 (undergraduate category), the RIBA Bronze Medal (2017) and the RIBA Sergeant Award for Excellence in Drawing at Part 1 (2020).

If you want to become an architect, the MEng course is followed by one year's supervised professional experience before embarking on the two-year MArch Architecture (ARB/RIBA Part II) and one further year's professional experience culminating in a Part Three exam.

This course is accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and is exempt from the Part One professional exam. It is also accredited by the Engineering Council through the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

In year one you will develop key design skills and techniques as well as looking at fundamental ideas and concepts relating to environmental design, construction, structural design, and architectural theory. You will also learn important mathematical tools that support the design of environmentally responsible building systems. The second year explores the concepts behind the active and passive systems used to provide healthy, comfortable conditions for building occupants and includes modules such as: electricity and the built environment, tectonics, architectural humanities and environmental design. In year three you will progress to advanced environmental design techniques and complete a major studio project, designing a complex building. Your fourth year will develop your ability to tackle complex building briefs and your independent research skills.