Architecture & Interior Design
Chantelle Gadd – BA (Hons) Interior Architecture & Design UCA Canterbury
Jordan Whitewood-Neal – BA (Hons) Architecture UCA Canterbury
1
Foreword
2
UCA is the highestranked specialist creative university in The Guardian University Guide 2018, with our Architecture courses amongst the top 10. We’re also the top specialist university for the creative industries in the Complete University Guide 2018.
Whichever degree you choose to study with us, you’ll undertake exciting projects that will develop your skills and knowledge. You’ll have the opportunity to produce a diverse range of work using technical resources, including modelling, prototyping, casting, printmaking, drawing, film and animation. Your efforts at UCA are individually focused and owned, not following a formula or recipe, so no two projects look the same. We offer a range of great spatial design courses, including our BA (Hons) Architecture course that has been validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for more than 60 years. Our Interiors courses are recognised by the Society of British Interior Design. Our supportive learning environment enables you to make use of our dedicated design studios, outstanding workshops and you’ll be able to exhibit your work in our galleries and public spaces on campus. We’ll encourage you to develop your skills, working with a range of communities and organisations. In fact, our teaching staff see themselves as implicated collaborators in your work, providing opportunities through their own networks to develop models of live projects locally, regionally and internationally. Our activities expose you to the dynamics of the modern profession of architecture, associated construction and development industries, and the arts and culture sector. Employers have often commented on the breadth of skills that UCA graduates possess; our aim is to allow you to develop a great balance of rigour and skill with optimism and imagination, giving you the ability to critically evaluate and learn the secret to great architecture, interior and theatre design. Colin Holden Head of School, Architecture
Roya Abouhilka – BA (Hons) Interior Architecture & Design UCA Farnham
3
Find the right course for you BA (Hons) Architecture – UCA Canterbury Studying Architecture at UCA is a lively, progressive and creative experience that will enable you to learn from a group of more than 50 highly successful and dedicated architects, designers and engineers. This course is ranked in the top 10 Architecture courses in the Guardian’s University Guide 2018. You’ll experiment with all the elements of architecture – from drawing and modelling, through to full-size project making, exhibition and deployment in public spaces. You’ll also develop digital skills through the use of industry-standard technology and software. Architects Registration Board (ARB) prescribed and Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) validated, this degree course will also offer you a thorough introduction to architectural management, practice and law.
4
We offer a range of courses in architecture & interior design.
BA (Hons) Design for Theatre, Film & Performance – UCA Rochester Our Design for Theatre, Film and Performance course will fully prepare you for a career in this exciting sector – where designers, informed by the skills of departmental making, develop collaborative designs for sets, costumes and props. You will have the opportunity to construct scale models, create characters and develop the hands-on problem solving skills required to bring theatrical and film production to life. Whether working on a small scale within traditional venues, or on a larger scale in art direction for film or events, this course will enable you to develop artisticinterpretation in support of live and recorded performance. We offer an exciting range of opportunities to put what you’ve learned into practice via externally commissioned projects and work experience.
BA (Hons) Interior Architecture & Design – UCA Canterbury
BA (Hons) Interior Architecture & Design – UCA Farnham
Situated at the junction of architecture, critical spatial practice and fine art, Interior Architecture and Design at Canterbury takes a trans-disciplinary approach to the transformation of underused and unused spaces and places.
This course introduces you to an exciting and thriving international discipline, where creative and technical skills combine to transform three-dimensional spaces. We’ll encourage you to explore critical issues in contemporary design, nurturing your ability to not only react to opportunities, but also be responsible for creating them. On this course, 2D and 3D experimentation in our dynamic studio environment will allow you to focus on design development by exploring form, scale, light and colour, digital design processes and building construction. You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of architecture and design, and a working knowledge of materials and building technology.
Setting briefs that are progressive and that engage with real-world challenges, the curriculum provides a research-intensive learning environment, which will encourage you to challenge your preconceptions of the discipline and begin to understand the role of the designer in contemporary society. You will be given the freedom and confidence to speculate; to play, to imagine, to take detours, as you explore in ways previously unimagined and engage with design briefs as agents of social, cultural, political and economic change. Ultimately, you will be joining a course that encourages you to embrace more traditional means of designing, alongside emerging technologies, with the intention of creating graduates who are versatile, innovative and entrepreneurial.
5
6
Vivien Lau Wee Na – BA (Hons) Design for Theatre, Film & Performance UCA Rochester
7
We Create Careers The UK’s creative industries are growing faster than at any other time in history, generating nearly £9.6million an hour in revenue for the UK economy. UCA is the UK's number one specialist creative university (Complete University Guide 2018 and The Guardian University Guide 2018), and we have a proud tradition of supporting students and equipping them with everything they need to thrive in the workplace. 94.6% of our students find employment or go on to further study within the first six months after graduating.
An Architecture or Interior Design course could lead you to a variety of careers. Here is a taste of just some of the roles that you could explore after you graduate…
Architect –
8
In this profession, you’ll be responsible for planning, designing and overseeing the construction of buildings. You need a good eye for design, the ability to work well within a team and excellent communication skills to be able to hold effective discussions with clients and builders. Our Architecture degree will give you all the technical skills to flourish in this environment.
Callum Plumb – BA (Hons) Architecture UCA Canterbury
Interior Architect or Designer –
Event and Interaction Designers –
You’d be responsible for planning and organising the design of commercial and domestic interiors. Creativity is key to this role and you need to be a good organiser, a strong communicator and have an understanding of all design processes, as well as understanding how materials, objects and furniture, lighting and acoustics work together to create great spaces for people.
If you decided to follow this path, you’d be directing the overall design and production of an event or experience, ranging from anything such as exhibitions to conferences, festivals and public art installations. You’d need excellent organisation and time management skills, be a great communicator and have the ability to learn quickly about how technologies, materials and spaces can be coordinated to create great experiences for people.
Urban Designers and Planners – As an urban designer, you would work to shape the places where we live, which involves the design of buildings, groups of buildings, spaces between them and landscapes. You’ll need to have a broad interest in people and environments and how they interact, a creative flair to be able to think imaginatively about how we will live in the future, and be adaptable to change.
Specialist Consultant – From your initial training in architecture and interiors you may well go on to develop a niche specialism, which can contribute to design projects in a number of different ways. Specialisations include: lighting design, sound design, fabrication, environmental and sustainable design, heritage and conservation, visualisation specialist, model-maker, project management, and planning consultancy.
9
Daisy Bendrey – BA (Hons) Architecture UCA Canterbury
10
Portfolio advice
What is a portfolio? – A portfolio is a collection of your work that demonstrates a range of skills and creative talent. It’s your opportunity to showcase your individuality, creativity, inspirations and artistic abilities, and is a useful way for us to evaluate your suitability for the course you’ve applied to. It might contain design work, drawings/art projects, photographs, or examples of essays. Think of your portfolio as a statement about your work – it should exhibit your creative journey, thought processes and influences. Don’t be afraid to be bold and appeal to the viewer, keeping their attention and leaving them feeling excited about your creative potential.
Make sure your portfolio is well presented. Remember, our tutors will only have a short amount of time to look through each portfolio, so you need to organise your work intelligently. Generally, we would recommend that you include between 10 and 25 pieces of work in your portfolio, neatly mounted on white or off-white paper in either landscape or portrait format (not a mixture of both). Put some of your most attention-grabbing and interesting work at the front and lead the viewer through your journey by exhibiting pieces of work that showcase a variety of skills, materials, techniques and influences – this might include paintings, drawings, photography, digital pieces, storyboards, animation images or written work. If you include moving image work, we would recommend a maximum of two minutes’ running time. Highlight your favourite pieces too, and indicate what or who inspires you.
What should my portfolio include? –
Find out more –
Your portfolio should feature examples of your research and show the development of your ideas and projects – this should be highly presentable and well organised. It may be useful to arrange your work into themes, styles or chronological order. This will demonstrate good organisational skills and your own artistic awareness.
The course pages at uca.ac.uk provide clear guidance on what we’d like to see in your portfolio for each of our courses. We’ve also put together a set of videos talking you through the process: uca.ac.uk/study/portfolio-advice
It should exhibit your creative journey, thinking processes and individual personality, so we can assess your potential. It’s also important to show both your inspirations and aspirations, as your portfolio should say a lot about you and your creative identity, as well as the course you’re applying to. Documenting the development of your ideas in a sketchbook is a great way to show us how you approached the task of creating your work, allowing us to gain insight into your creative thought processes and approach to your subject, and demonstrating a clear rationale.
11
Graduate profile I enjoyed everything about the course; the creative freedom, the studio life, the intensity, the reviews, the midnight candles. The course is a very rewarding experience because of the confidence you gain from it at the end. The course pushes you throughout the three years and there is an empowering feeling about being able to say I completed a degree in architecture. I personally feel the staff are one of the strongest parts of the course; that alongside the staff-to-student ratio. They are very supportive, and acutely tuned to the architecture industry. This becomes ever more important when you begin considering job prospects. The facilities, resources and the support you get when using them is great. The virtual reality studio, photography studio, wood workshop, plaster studio and the library were frequent destinations of mine during my time here. The studio culture imbues a certain work ethic which is visible across each year group. I came to the university with a habit of spending my holidays, looking and working in internships with the industry. The tutors encouraged this habit and helped grow my network during my time. I have gained over 12 months’ industry experience at AHMM Architects, Ed Toovey Architects and Cross Harris Architects. 12
Ayo Rosanwo – BA (Hons) Architecture UCA Canterbury, 2017
I have really enjoyed my three years at UCA. The staff, the students and the city have left me with fond memories I can always look back on. There is a real sense of community and family within the architecture department which is hard to find and a real credit to UCA. The number of graduates returning to Canterbury school for Architecture for their MArch is the biggest testament to the quality.
13
14
Aron Lewer – BA (Hons) Architecture UCA Canterbury
15
Graduate profile
16
After doing my foundation course, UCA was the only place I applied to for the Architecture degree, because I loved the atmosphere and the close relationships with tutors and students.
Connie Latham – BA (Hons) Architecture UCA Canterbury, 2017
I would definitely advise others to come and look at the work and the campus. You can really tell what the school is like after seeing the approach to the course as well as everything and everyone you have supporting you throughout the degree. I never thought that one day I would dream of becoming an architect, but after exploring so many aspects of the profession within our studies and getting so excited by the physical application of creative arts, it’s my absolute goal. I really loved every part of the course. It’s great to be able to flick between physical models and 3D drawings to creating 2D visuals which represent your concepts. We all get so absorbed with our projects and what we’re doing that between peers and visiting tutors, we all end up having really interesting discussions about some pretty obscure things. We’re like a huge family in Canterbury. It’s one of the benefits of attending such a small school, everyone knows everyone. The staff are all so supportive and approachable that you know you could ask anyone anything and they would help at the drop of a hat. We’re very lucky. I definitely have more ambition and determination to do well since I started at UCA, as well as a lot more confidence. My plan for the future is to apply for the MArch part one, to work in industry for at least a year, and then follow it with part two. My proudest achievements were when I won the Stage One Drawing prize in first year, and the Stage Two Convenors prize in 2nd year. I also see it as an accomplishment to have finished the degree, it’s not been easy!
17
Course leaders Sam McElhinney – BA (Hons) Architecture UCA Canterbury Sam first studied architecture at the University of Cambridge and then The Bartlett, University College London (UCL). On graduating, he wrote his thesis, ‘Labyrinths, Mazes and the Spaces Inbetween’, and in 2010 won the prestigious best paper award at the European Meeting of Cybernetics and Systems Research (2010) in Vienna. Sam has been an invited guest lecturer at numerous institutions including the University of Texas at Austin, the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, the University of Cambridge, the University of Innsbruck and the MAXXI Centre in Rome. He has also participated in expansive theoretical and exhibit-based research on adaptive maze and labyrinth spaces.
18
Between 2005 and 2012, Sam was a key member of Surface Architects. During that time, the practice
came third twice in BD’s Young Architect of the Year Awards. In 2012 Sam was Project Architect and Design Lead for Surface’s highest-profile built project, a series of wayfinding structures in the 2012 Olympic Park. After leaving Surface, Sam became Design Manager at Jason Bruges Studio, running the design, construction and commissioning of the prestigious WWF Experience installation. He founded the practice MUD Architecture in September 2012 as a vehicle to bring together strands of research, teaching and practice. MUD has ongoing private housing projects, including a self-build refurbishment of an historic building in Canterbury. Sam’s ongoing research looks at developing realtime and motive spatial analytic and relational models. He is active in the fields of cybernetics, coding and interaction, as well as that of architectural design.
Rob Nice – BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design UCA Canterbury Rob has been active within design education and the associated disciplines since 1995 and over the past nine years he has contributed to Canterbury School of Architecture’s development and success. During this period, he has established a researchintensive learning environment, which encourages students to dive in at the deep end, exploring the social, cultural and political milieus of the region. Rob encourages students to work in an investigative and explorative manner and is also aware that it is equally important that they develop the conventional skillsets, such as design drawing and model making, to provide the grounding and confidence necessary to aid their progression through the different stages and ultimately gain employment.
Alongside Rob’s teaching, he has worked on Arts Council funded research projects through Urbanlab, which he co-founded in Brighton in 1999. It brought together a loose collective of artists, designers, architects and educators, whose endeavour was to explore the social, cultural and political layers that construct the built environment, through a mix of autonomous actions – installations, performance and photography. Rob’s own practice specialises in the exploration of the mundane, the banal, the habitual, the quotidian; the parts of everyday life that go unnoticed, and what could be defined as the consequences of architecture. In 2013, Rob gained professional recognition for his teaching, becoming a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Mark Gower – BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design UCA Farnham Mark Gower is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Before joining UCA, Mark was Principal Lecturer and Head of the Fashion and Design programmes at Regent’s University London where he also practiced in the field of design. Mark graduated from the Royal College of Art (RCA) in 1999 with an MA in Architecture and Interiors and formerly attended Kingston University, where he achieved a BA (Hons) in Interior Design with First Class Honours. While at the RCA, Mark received a commendation for his dissertation entitled ‘Football’s hidden Architecture’. Mark has worked with various design companies, including Imagination Ltd. and Studio db, on projects ranging from the recent redevelopment of Fenwick on Bond Street, to designing a European tour stage set for a pop band. Mark has been responsible for leading design teams for major clients in the UK and worldwide including Hong Kong and India. His clients have included Aquascutum, B&Q, Land Rover and Eureka! The museum for Children.
Will Alsop – Professor of Architecture UCA Canterbury Will Alsop is a worldrenowned architect who has worked on countless inspirational building projects, including International Cruise Terminal in Shanghai, Stratford’s Docklands Light Railway Station, and Cardiff Bay’s Visitor Centre. Responsible for several iconic buildings, his designs have added splashes of bright colour to city skylines all over the world. With over 40 years’ experience in the industry, Will has founded his own award-winning interdisciplinary design agency which has practices in London and Chongqing, China. An elected member of the Royal Academy and a recipient of an OBE, he’s also received the Stirling Prize – the most prestigious architecture award in the UK.
Gary Thorne – BA (Hons) Design for Theatre, Film & Performance UCA Rochester
Prior to Motley, Gary studied fine art with Byam Shaw School in London, later acquiring his MA in Public Art (Art in Architecture) through UEL.
Gary Thorne is the Course Leader for BA (Hons) Design for Theatre, Film & Performance. Before joining UCA he was RADA's Head of Theatre Design between 2004 and 2016, responsible for the two-year Postgraduate in Set & Costume Design, a programme he co-wrote. Many of his graduates work professionally across theatre, film, television, opera, and dance.
Gary’s professional work since 1984 ranges from small to medium scale touring, repertory theatre in the UK and across Canada, opera, public art commissions such as Gloucester City Millennium Banners, to fine art group exhibitions in London. Gary has written three educational books on design: Stage Design, Designing Stage Costumes, and Technical Drawing for the Stage, published by Crowood Press, Wiltshire. Gary is under commission to combine current approaches to set and costume design in Design for Performance with Crowood Press, due in 2018. His conference papers have been published with École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs, Paris, France and with NACTA, Beijing, China.
As short-course tutor for 'Stage Design' and 'Costume for Stage and Screen' (1997-2016) with Central Saint Martins (UAL), Gary has supported over 100 students annually in preparing a design portfolio for applications to HE, and MA/ Postgraduate programmes in Theatre Design. Many such students are now fully trained and working within the industry. Gary studied in London with Motley Theatre Design (1983-84) under Margaret "Percy" Harris and Elizabeth Montgomery (Sophie Harris was the third Motley), whose creative period embraced 1920-2000. With a philosophy of respect for language and meaning of text – directorial and design integrity together craft a visual language to serve characters, their relationships and their developing situation.
19
We Create Space Architecture workshops UCA Canterbury
20
Canterbury – UCA Canterbury provides purpose-built studios, workshops and lecture theatres for nearly 1,000 students studying fine art, graphics, illustration and animation, architecture and interiors. We promote a culture of creativity across all our courses. Facilities include: – Dedicated, professionally equipped studio spaces – Free and Open Access Fabrication Lab equipped with laser cutting, 3D printing and CNC routing – Digital Visualisation and Simulation Lab – Digital Media rooms equipped with PCs and Macs and a range of industry standard specialist 2D and 3D CAD and animation software – Specialist shop on campus for art supplies, materials and equipment hire – Wood, metal, casting and printmaking workshops and a photography studio, and darkrooms to support the widest possible range of making.
Rochester – Our UCA Rochester campus provides you with a fantastic range of facilities to help you realise your creative visions. Dedicated workshop space includes equipment for metal work, wood work, casting resin and plaster work. You’ll also have access to our sewing rooms, dye and print facilities, campus photography studios, laser cutting and 3D printing.
– Access to campus photography studios – Dedicated studios for set building, costume and prop-making – Dye and print facilities – Laser cutter and 3D printing – Sewing rooms – Wood, metal, resin, plaster and ceramic workshops.
Farnham –
UCA Farnham has extensive facilities for over 2,000 students learning on a wide range of creative arts subject areas including film, animation, graphics, illustration, fine art, photography, textiles, journalism and advertising. Facilities include: – An artificial sky and a fully equipped wood and metal workshop with facilities for vacuum forming and welding – Media Resource Centre for printing, publishing and scanning, as well as hire of digital equipment. Please note, access to each campus and its resources can sometimes depend on the campus you choose to study at (for example, if you study at one campus, you may be using the facilities at that campus but not always at others – this depends on your course).
On our Rochester campus you’ll find the Design for Theatre, Film and Performance course – please note this is part of the school of architecture and is not a performing course. Our campus at UCA Rochester offers a range of theatre and prop design facilities, including:
21
Deborah Abbott – BA (Hons) Design for Theatre, Film & Performance UCA Rochester
22
23
Next steps
24
Hamza Shaikh – BA (Hons) Architecture UCA Canterbury
How to apply –
Contact us –
The course you choose determines how you apply – this could be through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) or directly to UCA.
If you’ve got any queries regarding the admissions process or your application, please contact the relevant admissions team:
uca.ac.uk/study/how-to-apply ucas.com/apply
UK/EU admissions: T: +44 (0)1252 892 960 E: admissions@uca.ac.uk International admissions: T: +44 (0)1252 892 785 E: internationaladmissions@uca.ac.uk
Connect with us – @UniCreativeArts facebook.com/ucreativearts @unicreativearts @unicreativearts youtube.com/unicreativearts unicreativearts.tumblr.com blog.uca.ac.uk social.uca.ac.uk #WeCreate Disclaimer – The information in this brochure is believed to be correct at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to introduce changes to the information given including the addition, withdrawal, relocation or restructuring of any programmes. The information in this brochure is subject to change and does not form part of any contract between UCA and the student and his/ her sponsor. For up-to-date and more detailed information on any of our courses and studying at UCA, please go to: uca.ac.uk
25
uca.ac.uk
26