Manchester Architecture

Manchester is a great place to study architecture. The city is a showcase for recent regeneration and historic context, much of which has been designed with the involvement of our graduates, who are highly valued by the sector for their confidence and creativity.

The city's rich tradition and vibrant contemporary architectural scene engages directly with our leading-edge design practice. The ongoing regeneration of the city centre is seen as an international exemplar, recognising the value of high quality design, together with innovative and pragmatic approaches to resolving practical issues.

In year one, you will gain an understanding of architectural history and theory. It covers foundational principles in space-making, material expression, brief-writing, contextual research, and the role of humanities in the design process. A series of studio design projects and skills workshops will develop your architectural creative process and the year culminates with events jointly undertaken with second and fifth year students.

In year two, the multi-layered nature of the design process is explored and urban theory and specialised sustainability knowledge is applied to design projects, transforming the aesthetic concepts of first year into the techno-cultural strategies used by professionals. You'll develop an increased awareness of architecture in a variety of contexts and improve your design processes and critical thinking skills.

In year three, you will begin to formulate your individual position on contemporary architecture and urbanism. The third year is organised around a themed 'atelier' system, each atelier applies a particular design methodology to an extended urban project which lasts the entire year. The course culminates with an assessed self-build exhibition.