Architecture

UCAS code: K100

Here's what University of Wales Trinity Saint David says about its Architecture course.

Architecture is a field that shapes the world we live in. Architects are experts in the design of buildings and places, creating the spaces where we live, work, and play. They turn design ideas into real buildings, working with engineers, contractors, and other experts to build sustainable environments that are both useful and beautiful.

Our course offers a new way to learn about architecture, focusing on local ideas but also looking at a global perspective.

The programme is approved by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and provides students with the first step (Part One) in the three-step journey to becoming a qualified architect.

Throughout this course, we balance theory with practical skills to give you a complete architecture education. We focus on how architecture can meet people’s needs in a way that respects their culture, while also using the latest building technology and contemporary design ideas.

In our studio, you will learn a wide range of skills. These include freehand drawing, surveying, CAD (Computer-Aided Design), graphic composition and model making.

You will work in small groups to explore and develop your designs, and then you will have the chance to grow your critical and creative thinking skills and shape your own unique approach to design.

Architecture is about more than just designing buildings. It is about creating spaces that meet the needs of people, respect their culture, and fit the character and traditions of their communities. At the same time, it uses the best of new technology and the latest contemporary design ideas to improve the environment. This course will teach you how to combine all these elements into high-quality design.

Our program is the starting point of the professional path to becoming an architect. It sets the foundation for you to gain the skills and qualifications you need to succeed in the field of architecture. By studying with us, you will learn how to create spaces that are both imaginative and practical, and that respect and regenerate the environment around them.

In the first year, students focus on developing essential design skills through projects exploring space, form, colour, and materials. Students will gain understanding of foundational concepts and building physics, enabling them to design small but complex buildings in detail.

Architecture Studio 1A (Design Skills) (20 credits) Technology and Environment 1 (20 credits) The Modern World (20 credits) History and Theory 1 (20 credits) Architecture Studio 1B (Space and Form) (20 credits) Architecture Studio 1C (Structure and Materials) (20 credits)

The second-year centres on the ideas of home and community, with design projects focusing on houses, flats, and neighbourhoods. Students will explore public buildings that support social life and gain insights into architectural history and basic construction law.

Technology and Environment 2 (20 credits) History and Theory 2 (20 credits) Architecture Studio 2A (20 credits) Architecture Studio 2B (20 credits) Profession and Business 1 (20 credits) Architecture Studio 2C (20 credits)

In the final year, students tackle advanced larger scale building projects, culminating in a comprehensive design for a substantial cultural building in a real setting. The dissertation allows for independent research on a chosen architectural topic and additional modules enhances business management skills.

Architecture Studio 3B (20 credits) Profession and Business 2 (20 credits) Architecture Studio 3A (20 credits) Architecture Studio 3C (20 credits) Architecture Dissertation (40 credits)

Design project work is assessed on the basis of a portfolio consisting of a series of assignments completed during the year.

The portfolio will include drawings, photographs of models and illustrated written reports. Feedback on student progress is given throughout the year — usually in the form of verbal comments by a team of tutors on the basis of student presentations and review attended by fellow students. Formative assessment is made at the end of each project — usually in the form of a provisional mark, which allows students to respond to feedback before the final submission of the portfolio when the final (or ‘summative’) assessment is made.

Assessments of work in the contextual modules will take the form of practical exercises during the year, reports and essays and time-constrained assessment by means of tests and formal examinations.