Architecture

Architecture is the art and science of designing buildings and the spaces between them, combining aesthetic ambition with structural understanding, environmental awareness and the practical realities of construction, regulation and cost. Architects shape the built environment that everyone inhabits every day, from homes and schools to hospitals, cultural institutions and urban spaces, and the decisions they make have lasting consequences for how places look, feel and function. The journey to becoming a registered architect is a long one, and a BSc Architecture provides the essential first stage of that professional formation.

At the University of Reading this programme, which includes a foundation year in its four-year structure, starts you on that journey guided by academics and practising professionals. The foundation year builds your design thinking, drawing skills and visual analysis before you move into the main architecture programme, which develops your ability to design across a range of scales and contexts. You will study architectural history and theory, structural principles, environmental science and building technology alongside studio design work, developing the integration of knowledge and creative practice that the discipline demands.

Reading's architecture school has strong connections with professional practice, and the engagement with working architects runs through the programme.

The BSc Architecture (or ARB Part 1 equivalent) is the first of three stages required for RIBA-chartered architect registration in the UK. After graduating, most students go on to a Part 2 Masters in Architecture, followed by professional experience and a Part 3 qualification. Career destinations for qualified architects include private practice in architectural firms of all sizes, public sector roles in local authorities and housing, project management and development consultancy, conservation and heritage work, and academic research and teaching.

Some graduates with the BSc alone move into related roles in design, urban planning, construction project management or property development.