Architecture
By Neda Mostafavi
Published: 15 August 2004
What do you come out with? A BArch or a DipArch. Before that you will have clocked up a BA or BSc.
Why do it? Because it's creative as well as academic, combining the artistic with the functional. Some students fancy the idea of the architect as a hero, as in Ayn Rand's book The Fountainhead about a god-like Frank Lloyd Wright. Parents like it because it sounds vocational. But not all students stay the course; it's an intensely hard slog. For example, pop singers Brett Anderson of Suede and Justine Frischmann of Elastica, left UCL's Bartlett School of Architecture after gaining BScs. And, if you think all architects make oodles of money like Richard Rogers and Norman Foster, forget it.
What's it about? It's about the manipulation of ideas in built form, according to Professor Jeremy Till of Sheffield. "An art that combines fantasy brought down to earth" says Professor Jim Lawson of Edinburgh. You study everything from the history of buildings to how a beam works. It is also a good introduction into different ways of thinking. And you gain the technical competence to converse with builders, engineers and planners. The emphasis varies between courses however; for example UCL stresses the design aspect.
How long is a degree? Five years at almost all universities. And you do two years' work experience in an architect's office. Four years at Edinburgh including one year's placement for an MA in Architectural design, then two more years for an MArch.
What are the students like? Good at exams because the entry requirements are high. At UCL there are 1,200-1,500 applicants for 40 places. They are bright, articulate, creative and resourceful, and good at working both independently and in groups. They have to be committed with plenty of stamina to survive the training. They also tend to be slightly quirky and are able to think innovatively and often laterally about solving problems in new ways.
How is it packaged? Examinations have given way to assessment. At Cambridge, you have exams each year and dissertations in your third year (the university has recently decided to close its diploma course). At Cambridge and Sheffield more than 50 per cent of work is assessed through a portfolio. Kingston is all coursework assessed with 60 per cent design and 40 per cent theory, culture, technology, management and sustainability. UCL's assessment is similar with 60 per cent design portfolio and 40 per cent professional studies (including practice of architecture/management law, technology, history and theory, and computing).
How cool is it? Pretty cool now that newspapers are full of articles about design.
What A-levels do you need? Anything goes, though a science may come in handy, as does artistic ability. You no longer have to have maths at A level, but it is highly recommended or required at GCSE in most institutions. Cambridge and Kingston prefer art A-level. Edinburgh requires maths GCSE grade A or maths and physics GCSE grade B.
What grades? You need AAB at Cambridge, Bath and Cardiff, ABB at Sheffield, BBB at UCL and minimum at Edinburgh. In reality, most students have a string of As. At UCL the interview and portfolio count for as much as A level results so not only straight A students are encouraged to apply; they specifically look for students with a keen interest in the subject and a good ability to talk about it.
Will you be interviewed? Not at Edinburgh, no portfolio checks either. Not at Cardiff or Kingston, sometimes at Newcastle, always at Cambridge, and at UCL they interview students they are interested in. Some places may also require a portfolio review.
Will it keep you off the dole? That depends on the economy. In Boom-Boom Britain students are having little trouble finding work; in times of recession it's tough and graduates flee abroad. Lottery-funded projects are keeping architects busy.
What do students say? George Thomson, 20, at Edinburgh. "The course here is good because it reflects the profession with a balance between the technical and creative, Edinburgh particularly emphasises developing good drawing skills."
Poppy Kirkwood, graduated part I 2004, at UCL. "I like being able to choose my design unit in the 2nd and 3rd years, there is a lot of variety and you get to choose the tutors that suit you. You are encouraged to develop your own ideas and style while being guided by your tutors."
Neil Ah-Wan, 20, at Kingston. "There have been moments where it has been touch and go but I have enjoyed the course. There is a really good student teacher rapport here."
Antony Joury, 19, at UCL. "The course takes up most of my time, although the teachers really push you, they are very helpful."
Where's best for teaching? Bath, Cambridge, Newcastle, Sheffield, Nottingham, Sheffield, East London, Greenwich and UCL were rated excellent. Although not really an architecture course, York was also rated excellent for Urban Studies. Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art , Glasgow School of Art, Robert Gordon and Strathclyde were rated commendable. Cardiff was rated excellent.
Where's best for research? Cardiff, Sheffield, Bath and Brighton were awarded a grade 5 in the last research assessment exercise. Cambridge, Nottingham, Dundee, De Montfort, Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester, UCL. Strathclyde, Oxford Brookes, Westminster and East London got 4s.
Where's the cutting edge? The most dynamic sphere is sustainability (energy conservation, waste management and the recycling of materials) integrated with design project work, as well projecting ideas 20 to 30 years ahead of their time. Architects are consumed with new technologies, using smart materials that react to their environment and designing for new lifestyles.
Who are the stars? Professor Andrew Ballantyne at Newcastle for his work on politics and landscape; Dalibor Vesely and Peter Carl at Cambridge; architectural scientist Professor Philip Jones at Cardiff; at the Bartlett (UCL) Professor Iain Borden who writes on material culture and Professor Christine Hawley who is an international designer; Sheffield's Professor Jeremy Till and his partner Sarah Wigglesworth who have built a house using straw, is also well-known in the field.
Related courses: At Sheffield you can do joint courses with landscape planning and structural engineering. Hard work but possibly the way of the future.
Added value: Caruso St. John, who were the architects of the Walsall library which has put the town on the architectural map are now professors at Bath. UCL's computer facility, the Cave, simulates 3-D spaces. You walk into a room where space is modelled electronically. Sheffield is launching the country's first PhD in architectural design.
