Architecture.

[madmum5811]

Have spoken to a few uni`s about DS attending there, an architect friend warned me, they can be a bit precious where this subject is concerned. So can anyone advise me as to a good uni. we are having to make choices now for applications.

One uni. I spoke to made me feel about 2 feet tall.

How about looking for ones that have strong links or joint degrees with the Civil Engineering department? They may be more down to earth. Bath & Sheffield come to mind

It may be the case they prefer to deal with your son directly as a sort of measure of his interest and commitment. This is not a criticism by the way. Could that be it?

I would have him ring a few and see if the response is different.

Dd and I went to the architecture dept at Bath on their open day. It was off the charts fantastic. Really engaging lecturer gave an Introduction to Architecture talk, fab studios housed in brand new building. Also great campus uni with amazing sports facilities set on hill above Georgian city (what's not to like?!). It is a maths and physics heavy course. Similar at Sheffield. More arty courses elsewhere (e.g. the Architectural Association). Apparently the Cambridge course is different again - very academic and theoretical. If it was my dc I'd definitely encourage them to look at Bath. I think the entry requs were A*AA and I'd have thought maths and physics were desirable even if not both officially required. The lecturer who gave the talk said candidates need to be artistic but not necessarily able to draw.

Try looking at these league tables as a starting point CUG and Guardian table

The Times (won't send link as supscription required) ranks Bath as No1

Sheffield is definitely worth a look at, it is in my opinion a very welcoming and inclusive university.

Thank you for the tips all.

Son is doing physics, art and DT plus city and guilds auto cad 1-3.

Friend's DD is studying architecture at Oxford Brookes.
Apparently there are different 'flavours' of courses, some Art oriented, some Physics oriented so you need to know what kind you want.

Has your DS been to open days etc?

You are giving the impression that you both have not done much research?

Lots of discussion and advice about architecture degree over on TSR

www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=256

RIBA is the place to start. Their web site has advice on how to become an architect and choose a course. You must choose an accredited course that ensures progression to stage/part 2.

Bath is top of the pile but plenty of others are great. As he is not doing Maths, check if the courses prefer this, or not. Bath used to like A level Art but times change! It can afford to be a bit sniffy though.

I would say don’t combine architecture and engineering. DH, who is a Structural Engineer, always feels architects who dabble in Engineering are rarely well enough qualified to do so. Without maths, Engineering is off the agenda anyway.

From the RIBA list of universities, make a shortlist. Then go on open days. See what you think. It’s useful to know that architecture is a bit of a yo yo profession. If the country is not in spending mood, architecture work can dry up. It mirrors economic good times and woes! Plenty of architecture grads struggle to get jobs in order to fully qualify so check destinations of grads. That is very important. How many go on to stage 2 with architect employers? What are the true career prospects? Does the university have productive links with architects? We over produce architects so be choosy about the course to maximise employment prospects.

Hopefully your son is comfortable with numbers/science? Ability to grasp numerical concepts makes designing buildings that stand up, and are energy efficient, a lot easier - and the latter is likely to be very important by the time he is in practice!

Second the reccomenations about Sheffield. Also maybe worth a look at Central St Martins - quite a "different" approach there

But yeah, he should be doing the legwork, not you!

Strathclyde

No need for Maths or Physics to do an Architecture degree unless you are at Bath where there is more of an Engineering bent as BSc (most BA)
As an architect you are designing the building ...it is up to the Structural Engineers to make sure it can stand up
Most Architecture Departments are interested in just your creative ability, how you think and can you grasp the idea of perspective and the idea of people and place!
There are lots of good courses and Uni...not necessarily all Russell Groups for Architecture (Bath Sheffield Cambridge UCL are all A*AA)

Best idea is once you have an idea of what predicted grades you have, then include or write off the above "recommended" universities, because unless you are realistically going to get A*AA you are wasting time even visiting. Look at the league tables and visit the departments, you will get a feel of how it works and how you feel there and your likely fellow students
ie went to Oxford Brookes the two students showing us around clearly didn't like each other! And workshop very small and overbooked
Newcastle...thought would be THE place....building old and mostly dungeon like (They are having new building now or soon)
Norhumbria...thought would be an also ran! But VERY impressed, lovely light studio, huge workshop, most of all enthusiastic students and staff. Down to earth and realistic
You have to go and see the places you think you'd like, just get a list and short list by your likely results, but at the end of the day IT IS just about your creative thinking processes they are interested in NOT any maths or physics ability

Mum of a 3rd yr Architecture Student at Northumbria.....so it's mainly about having a concept and developing the idea and showing the thought process that went into it and making lots of models (in said Studio and Workshop...so that is really important!!) out of cardboard and lollypop sticks.....that is what the initial BA degree consists of and a few lectures

Sheffield, is the department still based at the top of the Art's Tower ?

Yes it is with the Paternoster lift....if Health and Safety still allows!

Riding the paternoster all the way round is a Sheffield rite of passage !

The Architecture Degree seems to be far more in depth at Sheffield than at Northumbria then! However the good news is that Sheffield like a mix of A levels from humanities and sciences. So Maths, Physics, Geography, History, Art and quite a few others could be in the mix. The portfolio is very important there. I think scraping a 4/5 in Maths GCSE could make some modules very challenging. They also ask for AAA at A level which is lower than some other leading schools of architecture. It is known for being a down to earth university.

Glasgow School of Art also requires either Maths or Physics A level, plus GCSE English at grade A.