Architecture BA VS Architecture and Environmental Design BSc VS Architectural Technology BSc
Hello everyone! We have another guest post for this week, discussing the different architecture degrees. The University of Westminster offers multiple architecture related courses at undergraduate level. We wanted to give a run down and compare what it’s like to do Architecture BA, Architecture and Environmental Design BSc and Architectural Technology BSc. The main purpose is to give you guys an insight into different methods of taking up architecture at university. We’d like to thank Mo for answering our questions and letting us know what it’s like to study Architectural Technology BSc.
Q1) Briefly introduce yourself and your degree.
Elif: Hiya! I’m Elif, a BA Architecture undergraduate at the University of Westminster. In May, I will be completing my second year of study, on the three year course.
Linda: Hey, I’m Linda. I’m a second year Architecture and Environmental Design BSc student at the University of Westminster.
Mo: Hi there, my name is Mohamed Mohamed. Yes my first name is the same as my last but what can I say. I am studying Architectural Technology BSc at the University of Westminster, also in my second year.
Q2) Is your course accredited, if yes, by who?
Elif: Yes, my course is accredited by ARB (Architects Registration Board) and RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects).
Linda: My course is newly established and is currently a candidate course for RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Accreditation as a Part 1 degree.
Mo: Definitely, the course is accredited by CIAT (Chartered Institute of Architectural technologists) and CIOB (Chartered Institute of Building).
Q3) Why did you choose your course as opposed to the other courses?
Elif: When deciding I was mostly stuck between Architectural Environmental Design (AED) and just BA Architecture. The reason I ended up choosing BA Architecture is because AED is very specific and puts a bigger focus on just environmental design, whereas BA Architecture considers sustainability and the environment as a subtopic alongside other factors and technicalities of design. Another contributing factor was that BA Architecture is accredited and AED isn't, which at the time felt too risky for me.
Linda: As I researched into different architecture courses to study, I realised the value of the skills and knowledge I would gain from the AED BSc course when I go into practice. With climate change continuing to threaten our environment, I want to be equipped with the right tools to design in response to these changes whilst still having enough creative freedom to produce beautiful additions to our built environment in shaping the lives of the people I design for.
Mo: I originally wanted to study BA architecture whilst at college. However, after speaking to the course leader and doing research on AT I realised how broad it is. Being so business like I guess I wanted to be able to touch on many aspects of construction and design. There was this analogy which was used before I started my course, ‘if architects are on one side of a ruler and engineers are on the other, we technologists are right in the middle able to sway either way’.
Q4) Over the course of your degree, how many field trips take place?
[Site visits / Stayover field trips / Exchange / Abroad Trip...]
Elif: On every new design project we visit the site multiple times as a studio with our tutors. In addition to this, I also visit the site in my own time to understand the surrounding context better, take more photos and record parts of my site analysis. For example, with my current design brief I have been to my site 5-6 times this whole academic year. Unfortunately we haven't had any field trips this year due to COVID-19, but usually they organise for some second year studios to go abroad. In addition to this, at the end of first year I had applied for an exchange to do my second semester (of second year) abroad at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, which has sadly also been cancelled due to COVID-19.
Linda: Similar to Elif, we visit our chosen sites and sometimes surrounding areas at the start of a brief. Since our first year is mixed with the BA design studio, we only start on AED BSc specific design projects in the second semester. These site visits usually entail detailed site analysis of environmental parameters such as acoustics, daylight and pollution using specialist equipment. Our trip abroad at the start of second semester of second year was cancelled due to COVID, but would have most likely entailed going to Europe around this time.
Mo: Unfortunately, not as much as we’d like. With the current situation, COVID-19 has put pause on a lot of things. For my most recent project in semester 1, we visited the site around 5-7 times before the lockdown on Christmas. Clearly a constraint but you learn to make do and use all the tools available. However, as students when you go on site visits and trips for your projects whether it be for inspiration or for site analysis you get an insight which others may not. So I think as designers, anywhere you go or any structure you see, you look at it as inspiration for your work, consciously or not.
Q5) Which career paths does your course open you up to?
[typical career paths/journeys, most popular career choices with your degree, alternatives, further education required]
Elif: BA Architecture can open you up to a lot of different career paths. The most obvious one being to continue architecture and finish Part 2 (MArch) and Part 3 to become a qualified architect in the UK. However, with the skills you learn throughout the course you can also pursue a future in all sorts of creative professions like digital design, production designer, architectural journalism, set design etc...
Linda: Provided that we get accredited, AED BSc students can follow the conventional architecture path to obtain the Part II and Part III which Elif discussed, as well as other branches in the creative industry. Environmental consultancy is also an alternative career path that would be supplemented with the MSc counterpart to Architecture and Environmental Design in order to be qualified.
Mo: BSc Architectural Technology opens a lot of paths in the construction industry. Project management, product design, journalism, technologists, or consultant. I don't think there's a limit to your options, the skills you learn and transfer can open plenty of doors.
Q6) What’s your favourite part of your course?
Elif: My favourite part of the course is the middle-end of the design process in the studio. As my ideas start to solidify and settle you begin to make decisions that start building the foundations of your design which I find quite exciting. It is challenging and time consuming but moving on from conceptual drawings to start drawing your orthographic’s, is something which I really enjoy.
Linda: I particularly enjoy the challenge of coming up with hybrid architectural designs that respond to the environment whilst still resulting in a visually appealing outcome. The design process becomes so enriched because of the extra tools that we incorporate in our designs, such as simulations that inform parametric testing using software’s like Grasshopper in Rhino.
Mo: My favourite part of the course is the knowledge I obtained from students, lecturers and external information. It honestly shapes my thoughts and how my style of designing develops. I’ve honestly come a long way and it's worth seeing the development, no matter how little it is. Design studios, tutorials, all have this impact that when you start on the course your view is very narrow like a puddle but slowly it takes form into a pond or a lake, and you continue growing. A consequence of this would definitely be how you look at structures as if it's more than what you see on its façade.
Q7) What part of your course do you least like?
Elif: My least favourite part of the course is the lack of teaching on digital representation software’s. The lack of guidance with programs for both drawing and rendering, is so frustrating sometimes as it feels like I’m developing a good project but don’t have the best visuals to showcase it, or I will have a question taking me hours to solve which could have been sorted if there was someone in the uni that I could ask. Since so many firms want their employees to know these programs, showing its a key role in employability, at the very least the basic foundations should be taught through the university, however it has been left outside the curriculum as an independent learning tool.
Linda: Sometimes, we have to deal with more data than I would like to when I would rather just get on with designing. As much as I enjoy considering the environment in architecture, it’s easy for analysis paralysis to get the better of me as I get stuck trying to quantify the success of my design and potentially hold me back from moving forward with my work. Having to deal with graphs and scientific values isn’t as exciting for me as exploring spatial qualities through drawings and experimentation, for instance. However, the end goal of going through all the data is what motivates me to work through it: knowing that the occupants will benefit from the conditions I create in the spaces of my designs in terms of health and wellbeing makes the analysis worth it.
Mo: The part which I dislike the most in my course is the digital design. I'm not fond of designing on software’s like Revit and AutoCAD, maybe because I haven't had sufficient practice. Lockdowns made it harder to have those personal questions with lecturers about designing on such software’s. You could make a mistake and not know how to fix it unless you start again. This however is what it means to be a university student, more independence and a lot more learning on your own.
Q8) How does your degree differ from the other 2 architecture courses?
Elif: In first year we have mixed design studios and the same history modules with AED students, however in 2nd and 3rd year we only share the same history module. I'm more familiar with AED than Architecture and Technology BSc so I can’t comment much but I do think the most technical course is Architecture and Technology BSc, then Architecture BA and then AED BSc as the least technical. For example, Architecture and Technology BSc seems to consider the construction side of design much more than BA and AED. The only time we really consider construction is in the BA technical module when we do a site diary. Having said this, all three courses vary in design briefs, modules and teaching. For example, design studios in 2nd year, for BA students, is all individual work, whereas AED is mostly group work.
Linda: Our focus on environmental design is what sets us apart from the other architecture courses. AED is a hybrid course between architectural design and responses to environmental parameters and climatic changes. In addition to what you’d normally do in a design studio, we have to consider things like natural ventilation, thermal and daylight performance, and acoustic qualities of our spaces to a greater extent, just to name a few. Whilst the Architectural Technology and Architecture BA modules may have a greater focus on technicality, structure, management and design, we kind of have to get the right balance between all these elements in our designs.
Mo: So I'm not much acquainted with the other 2 architecture courses, however I can talk about a few differences. We have some modules which are connected heavily with the other side of construction rather than the design. Though we do have design modules, it is split 50/50. Examples of the modules I'm referring to are, structural principles, project management, procurement, law, fabric and performance, which are more report, and exam based. The other modules are 2 design courses and digital practice.
Q9) Is there anything you would want to incorporate into your course from the other degrees?
Elif: I personally would like to incorporate more of the environmental resources from AED into BA Architecture, which could be done through letting us attend some of their lectures or having access to their reading lists. I feel as though we are just told to work on EDS and DDS, two small modules that look at environmental sustainability in our design, without being taught the different ways we can do so. Almost as if we are expected to know how to design with sustainable concepts. I think the amount of environmental consideration we do is enough, I just don’t think we have the resources or information to complete these modules to the level we might want to.
Linda: I think Elif and I kind of want that give and take that was compromised in each of our courses! I do wish we had a specific technical studies module which assessed us on our structural and detailing understanding more rigorously. I also wonder if my outlook on the industry would differ if we had a project management module like Mo’s Architectural Technology BSc course. It’s easy to get caught up in the ‘what if’s’ of our design modules but at some point we’re going to have to consider the place of our creations in the real world and what it takes to carry through with such projects. A project management course may prepare us for when we have to consider the impact of our decisions as designers on the other elements of our projects that other professionals are involved with.
Mo: In my opinion I wouldn't want to incorporate anything else into the course I'm studying. This is mainly because we have that balance which is providing insights you wouldn't really get elsewhere. Of Course there's things you would like to improve on however its things which could be done in your personal time.
Q10) Which modules did you have in first year?
Elif: In total there were 4 modules in our first year. In the first semester, you are introduced to your first design module (DES1A) which entails a couple design briefs, a digital skills submission (Adobe Suite: InDesign, Photoshop) and sketchbook studies submission. A history module with 2 different deliverables and lastly, a technical studies module. In semester 2, you continue with the history module, technical studies module and digital skills module (Adobe Illustrator, Vectorworks) and are introduced to your final design module (DES1B) which includes project work as a material studies submission.
Linda: I had all the same modules as Elif, but instead of Technical Studies, I had Technical Environmental Studies. This entailed learning basic environmental design principles such as daylighting, thermal, ventilation and acoustic performance. We also explored spaces for this module by visiting different sites and producing sketches and data to get a sense of the environmental features of the buildings we went to.
Mo: In my first year I studied a total of six modules. It was separated into three, so two modules were technology, two were management, and the last two were design. The technology modules included Building Science and Structures, as well as Construction Technology and Services. The management courses included Project Commercial and Organisational Environment, and Introduction to The Built Environment. Lastly, the design modules entailed, Design Principles and Digital Literacy.
Q11) Which modules do you have in second year?
Elif: In the second year of BA Architecture, we have a total of 4 modules like the year before; 2 design modules, a technical module and a history module. The deliverables however are a bit more different in second year. Our design modules are dedicated to only 2 single projects. One project in the first semester and the other in the second. In our design studio specifically, the two projects have overlapping points. We also have EDS (Environmental Design Study) and DDS (Detailed Design Study) submissions which work along with the design projects. The technical module is made up of a site diary for a site chosen by us. The history module is kind of similar to how it was in first year with small differences like an additional presentation, a longer essay, and group work.
Linda: We have four design modules split over the two semesters of second year. This year we focused on different sites within the same vicinity, and the modules are linked from one to the other. As well as Cultural Context which both BA and BSc share, AED BSc also have a continuation of our Technical Environmental Studies which go into more depth about the relationship between climate, energy and architecture as well as the environmental principles we were introduced to last year. For TES we spend the year writing a report linked to our design studio work which goes into more detail about the analysis we perform.
Mo: Like first year we have six modules, however, instead of being split three way with 2/2/2 its 3/2/1, with this year having more design modules and less management. The three design modules include Design Project 1 and Design Project 2, with us focusing on different projects in both semesters but having a link, and also Digital Practice as the third design module. The two technology modules are Fabric and Performance, and Structural Principles, this is more scientific studies. Lastly, we have one management module called Project Procurement, Management and law which is split in those three sections over the year.
Q12) Are you satisfied with what you’ve learnt on your course so far?
Elif: I would say I’m satisfied to a certain extent. There are some aspects of my course which I am pleased with, like the majority of the history module and parts of the design module. However I did have some expectations that haven't been met, such as teaching of programs like Rhino and a much better learning experience through the technical module. For example, as part of the module we did a site diary which was supposed to teach us more about the construction process, the contract between roles, the building application and construction drawings. Whilst it did efficiently teach about the contracts between the professionals, it seems like with every technical drawing you’re told it’s okay if it’s not right as long as you try, but then you aren’t shown the correct way to draw it, which is counter productive in my opinion as I’m not learning how to draw details correctly.
Linda: In general, yes. Initially, I was concerned about not being able to apply my environmental knowledge in studio in first year. However, second year has brought about opportunities to learn and use detailed environmental design principles to back up my design decisions environmentally as well as use my simulations to really understand the performance of my proposals. On the other hand, as mentioned in question 9, I do wish we had a stronger focus on structural and detailing design principles, and the opportunity to have conversations on these principles more regularly to integrate then into our proposals.
Mo: I am content with what I’ve studied so far in the course, but i wouldn't say i'm satisfied. In second year we don't get much lectures during our design modules even though they are project based. Personally I would like to have those lectures I did in first year which were guiding and teaching me that which I didn't know. The design modules are more like crits every week but perhaps that's how it's meant to be.
Q13) How are you assessed? (e.g. essays, portfolio submissions, exams, posters, reports)
Elif: Firstly, it’s important to point out that our degree is based on coursework only. Unlike most degrees, we do not have any timed exams throughout the 3 years. The majority of our submissions are in portfolio formats. From the previous run down of our second year modules, both design projects, EDS, DDS, technical module (optional for portfolio format) and the workbook for the history module were in portfolio format. Although the content displayed across all the portfolio submissions were very different to each other. Other than that, we have one essay and a presentation as part of the history module.
Linda: We submit a portfolio for each design module at the end of the year in May, with draft submissions in January. This year (second-year) we have four short but tight design projects. Our history module is shared with BA - consisting of the presentation, the workbook and the essay. For our technical module, the assessment is also split. We have to submit a detailed report of our in depth site and building analysis. Our contributions to a discussion board based on further discussions after our lectures are also assessed for this module, including replies to other course mates on what they are arguing for or against.
Mo: For the design modules it's mostly portfolio submissions or reports, whereas the other modules have exams and reports. We submit 2 portfolios this year, and a numerous amount of reports. We have exams at the end of each semester for certain modules, many of which are timed assessments.
Q14) What’s your current schedule/timetable like?
Elif: My current schedule is all online. I have studio days twice a week, Wednesday’s and Thursdays from 11-4 , but within that time I only have one 30-40 minute tutorial. Depending on your studio, the days might differ but the quantity per week remains the same. Alongside this we have DDS tutorials and lectures on Monday, additional whole year talks on Thursday’s and my studio presentation talks on Wednesday evenings. Bear in mind this is my current schedule and semester 1 was a lot busier with history, technical, EDS and design module altogether.
Linda: Currently, I have two studio days from 10pm-4pm during the week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesdays I have a technical lecture from 11:30am-1:30pm. On Fridays, our studio has also started student-led sessions at 2pm which tend to be more informal, but feature things like discussions on wider architectural topics or mini crits/feedback sessions. To give some insight into our history and cultural context module which Elif and I share, we had a lecture from 3pm-4pm on Mondays, and seminars from 5pm-6pm on the same day.
Mo: We have classes twice a week with Mondays starting from 2pm - 6pm and Tuesdays from 9am - 6pm. Our tutorials are during our design classes which means the lecturers are just reviewing the progress, but we have lectures in our other modules during the time. Each module is 2 hours. After that I allocate a day for each module and do what I plan for the week. I also try to have group meetings on a regular basis every week just to stay on top of things.
Q15) What is the biggest effect COVID-19 has had on your studies?
Elif: The biggest effect of Covid-19 has been the quality of tutorials and crits in the design studio. I much prefer a face to face crit as it’s more engaging and I wouldn't have to worry about connection problems, lagging etc… In person crits also encourage more discussion, whereas online it feels informal and as if I am getting less feedback. In addition to this the pandemic has definitely caused a loss of studio culture. When in uni you would have the chance to talk to your peers, get inspiration and ideas from those around you, whereas now this feeling has been completely lost in the digital realm.
Linda: Site analysis with specialist equipment has been essentially disregarded in our assessments - especially for my course mates who aren’t even in the country to go to our site even during eased lockdown restriction periods. I feel like this is an important foundation for us environmental architecture students, but because of the pandemic we can’t take advantage of these facilities. Plus, I find myself feeling uninspired and stuck in a rut more often when trying to design because I’m trying to force myself to work in the same place. As architecture students I feel like we need to engage with and explore the physical realm of the world, so we can put ourselves in our occupant’s shoes and truly relate to and understand the experiences we are designing for them. I’m starting to forget what it’s like to be somewhere other than my bedroom and the supermarket!
Mo: The biggest challenge during this pandemic has been the quality of communication. It's been difficult trying to communicate with lecturers and ask those questions or engage during the classes. As a student who prefers to study in a more hands on environment, online learning has proven to be a test. I personally used to spend time on campus and in the library to get work done and enjoy the journals and architectural books available, but this isn't the story anymore. I can only hope I can get the chance to study as I used to before I graduate.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our guest post uncovering the differences between the 3 degrees at the University of Westminster. Thank you very much to Mo for sparing his time to answer our questions. Make sure to follow him on Instagram @mono_blk.Make sure to also look out for our content Monday posts and our blog updates over at @archidabble on Instagram! We are also introducing a ‘study/work with us’ Instagram live series soon, so make sure to keep updated with us on there to know when they are happening and at what time. See you back here next week for another blog post!
