Architectural Design and Technology with Art & Design Foundation Year

The Art and Design Foundation Year builds the fundamental skills, behaviours, and creative confidence needed for successful progression into higher-level study or early-stage industry engagement. Through a practice-led curriculum, you will learn to generate ideas, experiment across a range of media, and communicate visually through a developing portfolio- key expectations within creative professions. You'll also learn to interpret contextual research, reflect on your practice, and engage constructively with peers and tutors, mirroring industry processes of collaboration, critique, and iteration.

You'll be supported to develop resilience, adaptability, and self-awareness and by the end of the year, you will have a portfolio demonstrating creative progression, an understanding of how research informs experimentation, and the confidence to participate in a creative community. These foundations position you strongly for degree-level study and for exploring future opportunities within the creative industries.

Most students progress from the foundation year into their chosen creative degree, leading to careers in areas such as fine art, photography, graphic design, illustration, interiors, fashion, make-up and prosthetics, and related creative industries. However, the course also develops strong transferable and employability skills, including creativity, adaptability, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Who this course is for

This course is ideal for students who are interested in creative study but may be unsure of their chosen pathway or need additional preparation before starting a degree. It suits applicants from a wide range of educational backgrounds, including those returning to education or lacking confidence, who want to develop practical skills, build a portfolio, and explore creative disciplines in a supportive university environment.

Course Modules

FOUNDATION YEAR
CORE MODULES

STEM Foundation Skills
Fundamental STEM Mathematics
STEM Concepts and Processes (Built Environment)
Degree Related Project

YEAR ONE
CORE MODULES

Architecture and Technology Principles
Architecture Studio
Technology Studio
BIM Essentials

YEAR TWO
CORE MODULES

Advanced BIM
Sustainable Refurbishment
Advanced Architecture Studio
Advanced Technology Studio

FINAL YEAR
CORE MODULES

Sustainable Architecture - Design
Sustainable Architecture - Realisation
Contract Administration and Specification
Professional Practice
Major Project

Design based portfolios
Research reports
Individual presentations
Creative design projects
Final major project
Individual and group projects
Live briefs
Reports
Group presentations
As part of this course, you will study one module at a time, giving you the chance to build a deeper understanding and see the results of your hard work more quickly. With regular assessments and feedback, rather than exams all at once, you’ll also benefit from improved focus, and a more manageable workload.