UCD Architecture by Th!nk Media

UCD College of Engineering and Architecture

ARCHITECTURE BSc (Architectural Science) (Hons) and MArch

UCD ARCHITECTURE BSc (Architectural Science) (Hons) and MArch Direct Entry Length of Programme

CAO Code DN100 3 years (BSc) (Hons) + 2 years (MArch)

Minimum CAO points 2010

495

Entry Requirements Irish, English, a third language and Mathematics. And two other recognised subjects.

Introduction

What’s on offer through architecture in UCD?

UCD is at the centre of architecture education in Ireland. By far the country’s longest running architecture programme, the BSc (Architectural Science) and MArch (Hons) is also the only programme that is accredited by the professional institutes of both Ireland and Britain (RIAI and RIBA). Over the years the school has produced countless architects of note, who have not only redefined design in Ireland and abroad, but have also redefined the role of the architect in modern society.

When students enter Richview, the home of UCD Architecture, they enter a world of creativity, innovation and diversity. Creativity lies at the core of the programme. From the outset, the emphasis is on students proposing creative solutions to set problems and situations. Through learning by doing, students propose, test and develop ideas. There is a strong emphasis on group work and collaboration, mainly through design tasks and problem-solving. However, the educational experience is not confined to the studios, lecture theatres and library – it spills over into the cafés and social spaces, and out into students’ daily encounters with the world around them.

At UCD our aim is to continuously deepen understanding, extend capacities and broaden horizons in relation to architecture. We aim to produce architects capable of addressing global and societal issues. The architecture design studios based in the UCD School of Architecture are hubs of creativity, capable not only of producing award-winning designs but also of responding to some of today’s greatest issues and challenges, such as increasing urbanisation, the need for sustainable development, and the possibilities for technological innovation. As a result, the programme is constantly evolving, seeking to extend architecture’s role and potential in a complex world. Our educational programme attracts a diverse cross-section of talents and approaches – from the technically minded to the artistically gifted; from the socially conscious to the natural communicators and leaders. All have the capacity to become successful and productive graduates in architecture.

What the programme offers is a means to engage creatively and constructively with society. Put simply, architects change the world. Whether at the scale of a small domestic extension or a new masterplan for an urban quarter, they add something new. During your time at UCD your lecturers will include many architects who are at the forefront of their profession and have won national and international acclaim for their buildings. The reality of cutting-edge practice feeds directly into the lecture theatre and design studio, encouraging and motivating the student to come up with realistic yet creative answers to real-life problems. At the same time, our academic staff are leading research in areas such as: sustainable development; environmental modelling; technological innovation; and, the history and theory of architecture, cities and landscapes. Skills obtained during your years in UCD Architecture in addition to the ability to design buildings include: critical thinking; negotiation; time and budget management; communications and presentation; familiarity with languages and cultures; a respect for the environment; and, the ability to work in teams and to lead projects. Through the UCD Horizons options, each year students can choose to study modules ranging from languages and politics, or philosophy and art history, to mathematical and scientific subjects. This breadth of opportunity is augmented by the possibility to experience other cultures and societies during field trips and workshops abroad. Many of our students also elect to spend some time studying in architectural schools in Europe, Asia, America and Australia, encountering different approaches and philosophies.

Educational model Architecture at UCD is at the forefront of the architectural and urban design debate in Ireland. The UCD School of Architecture provides a unique forum for interaction between research, teaching and the practice of architecture. The School is located at the Richview section of the campus and boasts its own building laboratory, computer laboratories, library and café. The UCD School of Architecture five-year full-time degree programme is accredited by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). From 2010 entry onwards, entrants into UCD Architecture will be awarded a Master’s degree (MArch). This represents a departure from previous years where graduates received the award of Bachelor of Architecture (BArch). The change is in line with practice in most leading British and European schools. While the 3 + 2 model has been in place at UCD for many years, the change to a MArch reflects the advanced, graduate nature of the second part of the programme. It builds on the foundation of the BSc (Architectural Science) to develop students’ capacity for research, innovation and independent work in defining their own personal paths within architecture. Having satisfactorily completed the first three stages of the architectural programme, students will automatically be awarded the BSc (Architectural Science) degree. For follow-on entry into the MArch, students must satisfy the progression requirement.

Progression requirement from BSc (Architectural Science) to MArch: minimum degree award GPA of 2.8 (mid 2H2) for automatic progression. Students who do not achieve a GPA of 2.8 will be offered an interview to assess their suitability to progress. For those who not continue with the MArch programme, the BSc qualification provides an opportunity to pursue associated professions such as landscape architecture, planning or research, and also an option to transfer into other areas of study. There are two main elements to the degree – project work (architectural design, drawing and model making) and lecture programmes (theoretical material). Project work is taught in the architecture design studios through a combination of lectures, individual tuition, field trips, group tutorials, large reviews and exhibitions. Lecture-based modules are grouped under the broad headings of: Technical – Architectural Technologies, Structures, Environmental Science; Cultural – Architectural History and Theory, Ecology, Conservation; and, Managerial – Professional Studies. Project work is assessed on the basis of the student’s efforts over the two semesters, while lecture-based modules have a combination of written exams and continuous assessment, projects or written exams. Upon completion of the MArch students may embark on further research leading to research Masters and PhDs.

Profile of John Tuomey I always liked drawing when I was a child. My father was an engineer and I worked with him on building sites and land surveys during my school holidays. I used to read about architecture in his books and journals, and I was attracted to the creative and practical aspects of studying architecture.

Studying architecture can lead directly to a career in general architectural practice or to different directions in historic conservation, academic research, construction and environmental studies, strategic and urban planning, and landscape and furniture design; architects are specialists in non-specialisation.

Studying architecture at UCD opened up a whole new world to me. Once I started studying architecture my perception of what we see around us every day changed dramatically. I began to see buildings, cities and landscapes as evidence of human activity, individual intention and collective intelligence. Studying architecture opened my eyes to the curious complex reality of the man-made world. It is a lifelong enquiry.

My own academic career started with teaching part-time in a number of schools of architecture in the UK a few years after graduating from UCD. At that time I was working in London. When I returned to live in Dublin I took up a part-time studio lectureship in architecture at UCD. I taught for a couple of years in America, in Princeton and Harvard Universities, and still travel a couple of times a year to visit other schools in Europe and America. Six years ago I took a sabbatical from teaching to reflect on practice and design, leading to the first Masters in Architecture awarded in UCD. Last year I was appointed as the inaugural Professor of Architectural Design. An integral part of my role is to direct the course of the design studio and to develop research-by-design activity in the school.

I met many like-minded people in my first year at UCD, who would become lasting friends. My wife and partner was one of the first people I met in the first-year studio, although it took a good few years before we realised that we were to be each other’s life companion. Now we run our own partnership, designing buildings in various places in Ireland and abroad. Our office is an open plan studio, with young and creative colleagues who work together in collaborative teams. We design all kinds of schemes and structures, from public buildings to housing and educational projects. O’Donnell+Tuomey began with our first public commission for the Irish Film Institute in Temple Bar. We worked with Group 91 on the regeneration of Temple Bar, making public buildings and spaces in Dublin’s cultural quarter. Our educational buildings include Ranelagh School, the Furniture College Letterfrack, medical laboratories at UCD, and the Glucksman Gallery UCC. Most of our buildings are for social, cultural or educational activities and each project seems to lead us to a different solution than the one before.

My strongest memory is of my first days in the first-year studio at UCD. I had the feeling that I might have arrived at the place where I belonged. Today in my teaching life and practice I still believe that I was not mistaken in that first impression. Studying architecture at UCD is a unique experience. The centre of the students’ world is the design studio. It is at the core of the course and is a very different world than the school classroom or college lecture hall. It is where each UCD architecture student sets up their base and, although the hours are long, there is always an interesting conversation going on somewhere in the studio. It is a place where drawings and models are made and ideas are discussed in an informal creative atmosphere of exploration and learning by doing.

August 2011

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