Global Housing Design (Taught)

The current urgency of the housing crisis in the UK and around the world reveals an insufficiency in architectural solutions and extant policies that prevent new design initiatives. This multidisciplinary programme considers design, environmental issues and policy making to re-imagine cities and homes for future generations.

In the UK, recent topics such as the housing shortage, the climate emergency in relation to the energy performance of homes, and life safety issues (such as those related to the Grenfell disaster) have cast new light on construction practices and housing ownership. Consequently, there is a demand for qualified professionals who can address the issues of housing design in a more holistic manner.

The MSc Global Housing Design integrates architecture, urban planning, design, policy making, engineering and social sciences to enable you to re-envision the city, its housing and its inhabitants. It offers a comprehensive understanding of housing design all over the world – including Europe, China, India, Africa and the Middle East – and teaches various research methods to construct a critical overview of housing issues in different metropolitan contexts.

This is an advanced architectural design graduate programme that aims to negotiate the practical, theoretical, and speculative aspects of housing design, and to prepare you to engage in ever more diverse and dynamic global landscapes in housing production, culture, and politics.

Who is this course for?
This programme is suitable for architects who want to specialise in housing design or contribute to residential projects across the globe. It will also be of interest to designers and planners who want to play a leading role in transforming housing provision.

What you'll learn

• Practical skills in the use of digital tools such as GIS, BIM, and graphic design software

• Insight into regulatory frameworks such as the RIBA/ARB sustainability guidelines and life safety

• Knowledge of how housing design impacts and is impacted by economy, culture, politics, and socio-economic factors, as well as how innovation can be achieved

• How to evaluate the effect of policies, guidelines and regulations on modes of housing production

• Understanding of the global context of historical and contemporary urban housing design issues

• Knowledge of the role of various stakeholders in both the private and public sectors of housing production

• Skills in independent research.