Architecture and Environmental Design

Architects design buildings, spaces, the places in which we live and work; our homes, schools, sports buildings, theatres, hospitals, the environment in which we spend our lives. We work with both new build design and existing buildings with a focus on environmental sustainability.

Our course will equip you with the knowledge to design spaces that improve our surroundings, making a positive contribution to our environment.

If you are thinking about studying architecture and have an interest in environmental design, our four-year M.Eng course will also 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 also shows a comprehensive understanding of climate and the need to keep building occupants comfortable.

Year 1 design studio modules provide a common foundation with a focus on the fundamental skills of design and presentation. In years 2 3 and 4and 3 you will have the opportunity to choose from up to 12 design studio units so that you can select to work in an area of your own interest. You will also be part of our vertical studios where year 2, 3 and 43 students from both the M.Eng Programme and the BArch sister course work alongside each other providing opportunities for peer mentoring and skills transfer in an engaging collaborative environment. With a mixture of teaching, workshops, study trips and collaborating with real clients and experts on projects, our course gives you the skills that architectural practice seeks.

Based in University Park, you will have access to excellent facilities supporting your studies and research. These include dedicated studio spaces, our workshops and research labs equipped with the latest renewable energy technologies, and a dedicated technical team.

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).

The course is fully validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and supports the leads to exemption from Part One of the three-part qualification programme for professional architects in the UK. It is also accredited by the Engineering Council through the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

Why choose this course?

• Top 10 for Architecture in all three UK university guides (7th in The Complete University Guide 2024, 9th in The Guardian University Guide 2024 and - 10th in The Times Good University Guide 2024)

• 1st in the UK for Building (The Complete University Guide 2024) and ** 2nd** in the UK for Building (The Times Good University Guide 2024)

• Voted a top 3 school for Architecture by Architects Journal, 2020

• Field trips to Europe are an essential part of our BArch Architecture and MEng Architecture and Environmental Design courses