The Foundation in Architecture and Design Foundation Courses
Julian Williams [course lead], Alex Fox, Roman Pardon, Catherine Phillips, Sue Phillips & Shukri Sultan
The Foundation course at the University of Westminster is an opportunity to develop fundamental skills, build your confidence in creative experimentation, and gain an invaluable introduction to the role creative professionals play in the design of our built world. The course involves intensive weekly instructional workshops in observational drawing, making and designing, focused on four creative projects in urban design, architectural technology, interior design and architecture. From the Foundation Year, students progress on to their degree or can apply to switch to a different course.
The first project was geared to give students the confidence and skills to look, read, interpret and capture the build landscape. Instructional drawing workshops saw the students go out and explore London’s urban spaces with sensitivity to its spatial qualities. Learning about the politics of place in shaping regeneration, they drew on their own experiences of feeling ‘in’ or conversely ‘out of’ place.
The second project offered an introduction to self-build architecture and furniture, with visits to the Young V&A and to a Segal self-build community centre in London. The students then designed and built furniture using techniques informed by Enzo Mari’s Autoprogettazione.
The resulting pieces, on display at OPEN2026, are destined for the Tower Tavern in Fitzrovia, where a university project is underway to convert this disused pub into a community and outreach facility.
In the final project of the year, the students worked together to design a kiosk for the University’s lobal Mobility team which is dedicated to supporting students to volunteer and travel abroad for summer schools and study. Taking inspiration from the V&A’s displays on innovative timber technology, the project brought together the creative thinking, modelling, drawing and fabrication skills learned over the year.
Archive of Foundation in Architecture and Design’s work from previous years:
