Year one core modules

• History and Theory of Architecture

  This module is designed for students of Architecture to provide a rigorous overview of architectural history and theory as an integral part of a professional education. Through an understanding of the most significant movements and innovations in architecture from antiquity to the present day, students will appreciate the importance of precedent in architectural design. Seminal historical and recent buildings and related writings will be applied as critical references to enable students to analyse and appraise contemporary design, including their own work, in a range of appropriate cultural and artistic contexts. The core subject will be introduced in a series of lectures, following a chronological sequence to demonstrate the continuous and evolutionary nature of architectural theory and practice. Students will be directed to relevant and authoritative references for each subject, and to prepare brief seminar presentations, individually or in small groups, on selected topics. Typically each teaching session will begin with a discussion of the previous week's subject, during which students will present their research and observations to peers and tutors. Students will be encouraged to present their research using PowerPoint and/or other illustrative materials, incorporating well-referenced factual information to support their individual interpretations and appreciations of each subject studied. Each of these seminars will be followed by a formal lecture, during which the subsequent topic will be introduced, and subsequent seminar exercises will be assigned.

• Site Management and Safety

  The module provides course members with the opportunity to examine health and safety issues within the construction industry and their integration throughout the processes of design, tender award and construction. The roles of all parties involved will be explored from both moral and legal viewpoints. Past and current attitudes will be discussed. Students will consider the safety record within the construction industry and identify health and safety legislation aimed at reducing accident rates. The process of hazard identification and risk assessment will be explained and students will produce method statements following on from their risk assessments. Safe systems of work will be identified enabling the student to relate theory and practice.

• An Introduction to Technology and Design

  This module is designed for students of construction, surveying and architecture with little and/or no prior knowledge of building construction, services and material properties. Students will learn the common materials and methods of construction of both new and traditional housing, by considering in turn each of the main elements of the buildings' structure. They will also study the requirements of the internal environment, so as to understand how services installations contribute to user comfort. Other basic aspects such as the personnel involved, health and safety requirements and specialised terminology will be illustrated as appropriate to support this. The module is also designed to provide an insight into the behaviour and properties for a variety of materials commonly used in the construction of buildings and civil engineering projects. The behavioural properties and performance of these materials will be explored using basic scientific principles in order to develop the students' ability to make informed choices. Students will also gain an appreciation of the role of the designer in the construction process and have an understanding of the design process. An integrated learning system comprising course text book, weekly videos, and workbooks for students' home study, are used together with formal lectures and group tutorials. Students will also undertake a series of calculations culminating in a design exercise.

• Architecture and Planning Design Studio A and B

  This module is designed for students of Architecture, Architectural Technology, Environmental Planning as an introduction to the creative processes embodied and the skills required within the three related professions. Students will learn a range of graphic communication techniques and develop freehand and technical drawing skills. The ability to understand and produce simple professional technical drawings will be developed as well as an appreciation of the extent of information required in planning, designing and constructing a building. The module will also provide an introduction into the basic concepts and techniques of architectural design applied to small buildings. Students will have the opportunity to investigate organising space and form, structure and technology. Drawing skills are developed and issues related to scale and proportion are explored. The knowledge and skills required to successfully complete this module are directly relevant to the employment environment. The module is project based with studio teaching and as such requires the student to develop the project work week by week over the entire semester in order that regular individual and collective tutorials can occur. Students will work both individually as well as in groups. The groups will be mixed and comprise students from each of the three pathways. Although there will be some formal lectures the teaching will be predominantly in tutorials. Joint staff and student criticisms and presentations occur throughout the module. Assessment is by means of reports, drawings, 3 dimensional representations and related oral presentations.

• Learning and Practical Skills Development (HE & Work)

  Foundation Degree Students entering Higher Education will need specific study skills to enable them to maximise their learning potential and take advantage of opportunities available both in the academic setting and workplace. The module is intended to be both preparatory and supportive, building a strong foundation for learning and later development. Students will gain Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills for information management and presentation purposes and will be encouraged to use contemporary ICT methods for research and for the production and presentation of reports, in a style suitable both for university coursework requirements and the commercial environment. The module will enable students to gain experience in applying the elementary surveying techniques of levelling and linear measurement, both for detail acquisition and setting out. The relevant mathematical skills will be introduced and developed contextually. Final survey drawings will be produced and annotated. Students will be introduced to basic 2D drafting techniques using a powerful set of tools. Skills in this medium are highly sought after in the construction industry. Students will develop and maintain a reflective learning log to support this module and their continuing studies, the reflective log to be used as the basis of their PDP submission.

Year two core modules

• Architectural CAD

  This module is intended to give students and built environment practitioners an appreciation of the growing importance of three-dimensional CAD software. It will give hands-on training in some of the most up to date software complying with the latest British and European Standards. Many companies are now realising the benefits of developing a 'single model' of individual building projects within their CAD environment. This allows them to generate working drawings from the model - plans, sections and elevations - and to coordinate the construction in a 3D environment. They can then develop and refine the model over the life of the building, not only through the design and construction phases but also into the management phase. This leads to an increased level of data re-use and resolution of design issues at a much earlier stage. Recent developments in software have allowed building geometry to be represented by intelligent 'objects', making the goal of a single model environment all the more attainable. Instead of drawing a wall as a series of lines and inserting a graphic symbol to represent a door, this new technology allows users to draw 3D walls directly and to insert a component such as a door, which will automatically create a structural opening in the wall. The structure can be modified with a couple of mouse clicks to change the wall construction or to change the design of the door to a different style. Autodesk's AutoCAD Architectural Desktop is currently the cornerstone of this new technology and is being implemented in many companies worldwide. Based on and including all of the functionality of AutoCAD 2004, it provides a powerful set of tools designed to cover the complete building design process from concept stage through to final scheduling and documentation. In this module, intelligent object orientated design methods will be employed to create virtual models of traditional residential/commercial buildings. Students will gain an appreciation of the substantial benefits such systems can offer in terms of client visualisation and design flexibility.

• Design Procedures

  The module provides the students with a theoretical and practical understanding of the nature and processes of the design of a building. It concentrates on practice management and multi-professional team working as well as the various processes and communications required in the realisation of a comprehensive design of a building of medium complexity. It focuses on the collation and presentation of design, technical and contractual information required for the professional planning and management of the design as well as the skills required in creating a building from inception to completion. The module is project based with studio teaching. Teaching will be by means of lectures and tutorials. Joint staff and student criticisms and presentations occur throughout the module. The module has been designed to give students an opportunity to develop creative skills in urban architectural design. The relationship between social processes, buildings and architectural design is studied in a variety of ways from theoretical studies to site visits. The implications of building in the city are explored from the perception of the client, the builder and the public. Drawing and modelling skills are developed to give definition to creative thinking of a more theoretical nature. Alternative design solutions will be developed in groups and individually and the materiality of architecture will be explored. There will be an emphasis towards the urban narrative. However the design proposals must demonstrate a strategic structural and constructional rationale within viable economic restraints. Oral, as well as 2 and 3 dimensional presentation techniques will be developed related to the design solutions adapted. Assessment is by means of drawings and related presentations.

• Design Technology I

  The module provides the student with an understanding of the relationship between design and technology. The realisation of design into built form requires building technology. However, the technology has a very real influence on the generation of the design. Students will have the opportunity to explore technology strategically as well as to develop it in detailed solutions. The importance of economics in technical design will also be explored. An appreciation of materiality will be developed together with techniques of technical drawing. Rationalised building methods will be explored together with methods of specification. Detailed technical drawings will be produced together with technical reports including the rationale behind the drawings and their technical specification. The module is project based with studio teaching. Teaching will be by means of lectures and tutorials. Joint staff and student criticisms and presentations occur throughout the module. The knowledge and skills required to successfully complete this module are directly relevant to the employment environment. This module requires the student to develop the project work week by week over the entire semester in order that regular individual and collective tutorials can occur. Students are encouraged to contribute by positive and constructive criticism of their own work and that of others. Assessment is by means of drawings, reports and related oral presentations.

• Environmental Services and Construction Technology

  This module has been designed to give the students an insight into the scientific basis of the environmental performance and construction of buildings and their services. The main focus is on the introduction of modelling tools that can be used to simulate a building's performance and its affect on the environment. The main approach adopted is that of a scientific one, focusing on the analysis of a problem or set of problems, followed by the synthesis of a solution. Considerable emphasis is placed on the use of environmental criteria to assess a building's thermal, visual and aural performance. A number of scientific methods are explored and there will be a limited amount of practical experiment- based work. A number of technical solutions will be explored for lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning a building. The passive design features of a building are explored. This second level module is also designed to give students a broad understanding of the way we build our commercial and industrial buildings. It is intended to lead on from the study of domestic construction to considering the functional requirements of single-storey industrial sheds and multi-storey framed structures in concrete and steel. In addition, the affects on the construction process of the latest legislation in relation to fire and health & safety are examined. A great deal of guidance is give to students on skill development. The module is delivered by blended learning via WebCT, so good access to the internet is essential. The assessment is by a series of online multi-choice questions and a number of reports on the performance of buildings.

• Site Studies Planning and Design

  The module has been designed to give students an understanding of the inseparable nature of the site and its context as well as the site and built form that it contains. Apart from examining the influences of the primary elements that form the physical environment in its historic, present and future context the legal and planning constraints that affect the Built Environment will be studied. Students will have the opportunity to survey, study, investigate and evaluate real sites and buildings and will learn how to develop an ability to analyse and evaluate elements of townscape. Design procedures and processes will be examined and a design brief will be developed to suit the site and a proposed building as well as a proposed building and the site. 'Sense of Place' will be explored with contextual investigations of design proposals. Planning and building regulations and the way in which they are implemented will be explored. The importance and implications of environmental criteria and financial targets will be considered. The module is project based with formal lectures, site visits, and tutorial teaching in the design studio. Students will work both in groups and individually. Joint staff and student criticisms and presentations occur throughout the module. Assessment is by means of drawings and related oral presentations. The knowledge and skills required to successfully complete this module are core employability skills for planners, architects and architectural technologists.

Year three core modules

• Conversion and Adaptation of Buildings

  The key aim of studies in this module will be to develop an understanding of user needs in relation to economic re-use of existing buildings by extending, adapting, altering and conserving buildings. This module has been designed to enable students to use a typical building to demonstrate principles and criteria to be applied to achieve a holistic approach to the future treatment of a building over its whole life-cycle; enhancement and/or conservation of built environment; appropriate and creative technology and specialist economic appraisals. Students complete an in-depth case study either individually or as a group. The student will need to be aware of the concepts of extension, conversion and adaptation of existing buildings, and maximisation of economic viability of buildings together to enhance user needs, modern design concepts, landscaping, environmental and green issues together with low energy issues and sustainability. Students will need to study aspects of architectural periods and types of building including components and materials of construction commonly used in the types of building under study and life-cycle options. It will be important for students to acquire a range of analytical skills to enable them to measure existing and proposed building performance from a number of standpoints and be in a position to select a range of re-use options which can be employed by a building owner. Ancillary to this aim will be the acquisition of a critical awareness of the construction options available to a building owner seeking to maximise the economic viability of a building and be aware from detailed reading and research how new works, alteration and adaptation can enhance use of an existing building. Students will carry out individually or in groups a case study of a building (or range buildings) in need of economic regeneration and enhancement, advising a client on options available to a building owner, and producing a written report and one A1 display board per student illustrating their designs and proposals for future treatment, including materials, employing creative technology, taking into consideration landscaping proposals and issues of sustainability, life-cycle costings, energy efficiency and environmental requirements.

• Project Evaluation and Development

  The module provides the student with the opportunity to explore the various issues that need to be evaluated when considering a building development from inception until final completion and retention and / or disposal of the building. The context and content of this module integrates knowledge and skills obtained from previous management and design modules. It examines them in a holistic manner and explores their complex inter-relationships. Issues related to the client, the site, planning, financial appraisal, design technology, legal, health and safety and environment will all be examined within a theoretical and practical framework. The module develops the student?s ability to comprehend the totality and implications of the development process and to make reasoned value judgements as to its potential feasibility. This is achieved by a detailed examination of local planning policies for the site coupled with a financial analysis of the proposed scheme by use of traditional and modern forms of valuation techniques. The module also focuses on project appraisal, pre construction processes, construction and post construction processes, marketing disposal and evaluation. The module is project based with studio teaching which is undertaken by various strategies such as formal group lectures, group seminars and individual tutorials. Site visits are arranged where appropriate to underpin student knowledge and understanding of practical issues. Joint staff and student criticisms and presentations occur throughout the delivery.

• Built Environment Major Project (Dissertation)

  This module enables students to carry out an original piece of research which will require a literature review of current knowledge in the chosen topic area, the formulation of a research question and the collection of primary data (by case study, interview or questionnaire, for example) in order to answer the research question. The research will be undertaken under the supervision of an academic member of staff but the early part of the module is supported by classroom sessions to explain the processes of reviewing literature, formulating a research question, and the collection and the evaluation of primary data. A minimum number of four supervision tutorials will take place during the academic year in which the module is studied. The dissertation will not only present the literature review and results of the research but will also describe and reflect upon the research process. The dissertation will be a maximum of 10,000 words in length and will be handed in during the penultimate week of teaching of the academic year. However an interim submission will be made at the end of Semester 1. This will normally be 3,000 to 4,000 words in length and present the main findings of the literature review, the research question and the proposal for the collection of data. This interim submission will be marked by the Supervisor and will be returned to the student (after second marking) by the beginning of Semester 2. The mark for the interim submission will constitute 20% of the module mark. Of course in most cases a proportion of the interim submission will also appear in the final dissertation. Advice will be given on choosing a research topic in a briefing session delivered towards the end of the academic year in which the student undertakes their dissertation. Students will also identify their achievements and skills and provide a plan for progression.

• Design Technology II

  This module develops the knowledge based and practical skills required to evaluate design and technological solutions for medium complexity buildings. It explores the theory and practice of appraising, selecting and justifying the design and production of buildings and their constituent components. An elemental approach to technological design will be examined in an integrated way. The relationship between the major elements of construction such as the roof, walls and floors will be critically examined especially within the strategic framework related to structure, environmental services and sustainability. The skills required within the designing of components, their specification and their production will be developed, together with an appreciation of their on-site buildability and performance in use. The skills required to successfully complete this module are central employability skills for the architectural technologist. Continual development throughout the year is required to acquire these skills and consequently the module is project based with studio teaching. Teaching will be by means of lectures, site visits, seminars and tutorials. Joint staff and student criticisms and presentations occur throughout the module and student preparation, design development and regular attendance are vital to achieving success. Assessment is by means of group presentation, illustrated reports, drawings and related oral presentation.