First Year BA Architecture + BSc Architecture & Environmental Design Architecture BA (Hons)
TUTORS: Group A: Richard Watson & Afolabi Spence; Group B: Rim Kalsoom, Adam West & Conor Sheehan; Group C: Jenny Kingston & Jisoo Hwang; Group D: Paol Kemp & Vasilija Abramovic; Group E: Richa Mukhia & Jerome Wren; Group F: Alison Gwynne & Matthew Stewart; Group G: Neil Kiernan, Gabriele Pauryte, Jon Shmulevitch & Elantha Evans; Group H1: Paresh Parmar & Filomena Russo; Group H2: Paolo Cascone & Yota Adilenidou
Year 1 marks the beginning of architectural education through curiosity, critical thinking and material experimentation in response to social and environmental change.
Architecture today is shaped by urgent social, political and environmental challenges. Issues of inequality, climate crisis and changing patterns of living and working demand new forms of spatial thinking and responsibility. Year 1 marks the beginning of this journey, introducing students to architecture not only as a discipline of design, but as a practice grounded in engagement with the world.
This year’s programme fostered a strong foundation through an integrated approach across design studio, technical studies, material practices and cultural context modules. Students developed their ability to think spatially, critically and materially, using drawing and making as tools to test ideas and explore possibilities.
In Semester One, students investigated themes of re-use and circularity through the Chair Re-Mix project. Beginning with the deconstruction of discarded furniture, they explored ergonomics, structure and adaptability, developing experimental models and prototypes. This work culminated in an exhibition where full-scale, reimagined chairs demonstrated creativity, collaboration and resourcefulness.
Technical and material studies introduced construction logic and environmental thinking, while cultural context modules situated architecture within wider social and historical debates. Climate Week provided a key moment of reflection on sustainability, alongside visits to architectural practices that offered insight into professional life.
In Semester Two, the studio groups moved to Deptford. Through the Live/Work brief, students designed small-scale mixed-use buildings responding to everyday economies and urban life. The resulting projects reflect an emerging understanding of architecture as a tool for supporting livelihoods, community and exchange.
