Architectural Design & Technology - BSc (Hons) Degree

Through lectures, seminars, exercises and time in our dedicated studios, you’ll learn to think both creatively and analytically. You’ll study core topics including architectural technology, construction materials and architectural science and become adept at Building Information Modelling and Computer Aided Design.

You’ll also develop strong presentation skills and cover a range of key competencies throughout your course, including:

• architectural drawing and presentation skills

• building design, interpreting a brief and meeting clients’ needs

• construction technology – how buildings are structured and constructed

• construction materials and finishes

• Law and regulatory controls relating to design of buildings

• specification writing

• architectural detailing

• conservation and refurbishment of buildings

• architectural science – heating, cooling, ventilation etc.

• Innovation and sustainability

• Professional practice, the business of architectural practice

Preparing for your future career is a priority. The course structure gives you an invaluable opportunity to study a four-year sandwich degree, spending your third year immersed in the industry with a placement at an architectural practice. There are also opportunities to study abroad, collaborate on research and get real-world experience – all designed to prepare you for your next step after graduation. 

The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) and the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE), enabling graduates to progress to become fully chartered members in this diverse and exciting profession.

Year One

Subject: Architectural Technology 1 - 40 credits
Subject: Architectural Technology 2 - 20 credits
Your first term introduces you to the world of architectural technology, giving you insight into the ever-changing role of a practitioner in this field. In a series of lectures and exercises you’ll explore the design, construction and servicing of low rise domestic buildings. And you’ll develop your skills in computer aided drawing and virtual and physical model making.

Research Basics - 20 credits*
This module aims to develop students' core academic research skills including locating sources, evaluating credibility, and analysing information. It will provide the foundations from which students will cultivate their confidence to engage in theoretical discourse and idea-driven dialogues which will be required throughout their undergraduate studies.

Interdisciplinary Understanding - 40 credits
This module aims to introduce you to the principles of Interdisciplinary working: collaborative working, critical thinking and reflection. Projects within the module will challenge you to work with another discipline to explore a societal and cultural theme or challenge​.

Year Two

Subject: Exploring Architectural Technology - 40 credits
Improve your practice knowledge and skills through lectures and exercises – covering design, construction and servicing of medium rise, framed buildings. You’ll continue to build on your presentation and technical drawing skills as well as your professional development.

Architectural Science - 40 credits
This module focuses on the science of architectural technology. You'll explore the servicing of buildings, fire, drainage and environmental controls. And you'll apply and demonstrate your knowledge through learning activities and studio projects.

Real-World Contexts - 20 credits
The Real-World Contexts module challenges you to apply the situated awareness and future-thinking skills to deploy your own practice in the creation or promotion of value for a variety of external stakeholders and communities.

Research Proposal - 20 credits*
The Research Proposal offers you an opportunity to strengthen your research skills, consolidate your research experience and orientate your level 6 contribution around an enquiry of your choosing that is inspired by your learning across all modules at level 4 and 5. This research proposal will be used to continue your personal and professional development at level 6 where you will identify a route for your own enquiry.

Year Three

Subject: The Architectural Technology Professional - 40 credits
This is your opportunity to actively plan and start your career – whether you become a professional or take your studies further. You’ll gain deeper insight into the role of a professional architectural technologist and continue to work more independently.

Positioning in Practice - 20 credits
The module aims to support your readiness in developing your unique professional career. It will embed attributes reflective of the requirements of real-world practice aligned to your specialist discipline.

You will have the opportunity to reflect upon how your experiences over the last 3 years have allowed you to position yourself as a professional in preparation for graduate level work, continued study, research, and entrepreneurial ventures.

Contribution - 40 credits*
Your practice is underpinned by your knowledge. Demonstrate your research and analysis skills in your final research submission, where you explore ideas in both written and practical forms.​

*modules available through the medium of Welsh

Sandwich Option
The course can also be structured as a sandwich degree. Between years 2 and 3 you can work for a year in an architectural practice or similar design-oriented construction practice. This provides you with an opportunity to further develop the skills gained in years 1 and 2 and gain valuable experience in a real-world environment. Your CV and therefore your employability will be greatly enhanced.

From the outset, you will gain hands-on experience in practical studio sessions and workshops – developing your core material skills. Lectures, led by members of the academic staff, will broaden your theoretical understanding of your field, whilst smaller, targeted seminars are designed to provide guidance for meeting more individual intellectual and practical demands.

Group work will give you the opportunity to forge working relationships with your peers (collaboration which have frequently extended into extra-curricular or personal projects thereafter). As early on as in your second term, sharing a brief with students across different disciplines from within the school, you will engage with your own perspective to assert your skills and interpretations in the wider context of other mediums and creative thinking.

Your personal tutor will provide dedicated support, encouraging you to evolve a critical opinion of your work and perspective as well as the necessary skills for self-reflection and autonomous working.

Motivating yourself – from independent research and development right through to production – will be key to your academic experience. This will frequently be measured by the maintenance of a Personal Development Plan (or PDP), which is designed to start as a focal point for your aims and experimentalism, eventually serving as a comprehensive portfolio through which you can reflect upon a quality body of work.

The opportunity to showcase your designs, in specially co-ordinated programs, will provide you with practical experience in exhibiting your work. A professional emphasis, particularly in the second half of your studies, will similarly build on your vocational skills by introducing you to the industry through guest speakers, placements and experiential assignments with existing agencies. Your studies will often be enhanced through the use of the university's e-learning system.

Throughout the duration of your studies, you will be evaluated on three main criteria which underpin all of the disciplines being taught at CSAD:

SKILLS: The practical, technical and conceptual skills you acquire during your course.

CONTEXT: Your understanding and knowledge of broader intellectual context within which your discipline and work is located. This includes historical, environmental and ethical issues and will often be explored in your 'Theory and Context' modules.

IDEAS: Your understanding of intellectual and creative ideas from within and beyond your discipline; plus your ability to acquire new concepts and form new ideas. Ideas will be explored in your written work, as well as being evident in your practical progress.

Each of these criteria is given equal weighting during the assessment process. That is to say that they are seen as equally important and critical to your development; an emphasis which is designed, for example, to enable a more well-rounded skill set from a student who may be skilled technically, but weak in generating ideas, or a student with much creative flair who may struggle to hone a broad concept into a strong, individual design.

We provide a number of ways for you to track your progress en route to submitting your work for marking. Understanding that the emphases will revolve around the core areas of skills, context and ideas, you will also become familiar with the structured assessment form used by your tutors and learn to relate to your work back to the intended learning outcomes of each brief.

The main types of formative assessment are; academic (feedback from your tutors); peer (from your course-mates or project partners); and self-assessment (which is your own critique, in light of other forms of feedback). You won't just be receiving feedback at the end of a brief, however – your tutors will often assess your progress as your work develops, providing formative feedback at crucial moments where it is hoped to encourage you to take risks, maintain your motivation or shape-up your ideas ahead of deadline.

Whilst your learning is designed to develop you into a rounded and capable architectural technologist, your curriculum is similarly structured with your potential in mind.

As such, the emphasis that will have been placed upon your work ethic, both creatively and academically, is matched with significant focus on real world experience; from building contacts and undertaking placements to live briefs and, should you choose so, support in forming your own business.

Throughout your time at CSAD, you will be meeting and hearing from professionals within your industry, honing your skills and ideas for commercial and professional advantage. Cross-disciplinary projects will prepare you for teamwork later on, whilst live briefs will prepare you for deadlines and the demands of tight specifications.

Graduates from the programme are well placed to join architectural practices, working as architectural technologists. You are encouraged to continue your professional development by gaining chartered membership of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists and/or Chartered Association of Building Engineers.

Typical Offers

• Tariff points: 96-120
• Contextual offer: See our contextual offers page.
• GCSE: Preferably five GCSEs at Grade C / 4 or above to include English Language / Welsh First Language, Mathematics / Mathematics – Numeracy.
• English Language Requirement: Academic IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in all elements, or equivalent.
• A level: Minimum three A levels. No specific subjects required. Welsh Advanced Skills Baccalaureate considered as a third subject.
• BTEC National / Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma: MMM-DDM
• T Level: No specific subjects required.
• Access to Higher Education Diploma: No specific subjects required.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma: 24 points. No specific subjects required.
• Irish Leaving Certificate: No specific subjects required. Higher level subjects only considered with a minimum grade H4.
• Scottish Advanced Highers: No specific subjects required.

Combinations of the above qualifications are accepted if they meet our minimum requirements. If your qualifications aren’t listed, please contact Admissions or refer to the UCAS Course Search.

Further information on Overseas qualifications can be found here.

If you are a mature applicant, have relevant experience or RPL that you would like us to consider, please contact Admissions.

How to Apply

Further information on how to apply can be found here.

What’s included?

We offer a wide range of specialist facilities for our creative programmes, with dedicated studios, purpose-built workshops, and extensive technical equipment. You will have access to these workshops following successful inductions, and will be supported by a highly skilled technical team.

You will not be charged a studio fee and will be provided with all the essential materials that you need to learn the processes that your course requires.

Cardiff Met is an Adobe® Creative Campus, and CSAD students have access to the full Adobe® Creative Cloud at no additional cost.

We pride ourselves on leading the way in sustainable studio and workshop practices. Whether that’s carbon literacy, re-use, waste reduction and material science, you will be encouraged to use materials consciously as you develop your own way of working. You will also get:

• Dedicated studios for independent work or group study
• UK-based study trips that are core to your learning experience
• Creative digital facilities tailored to your course, such as specific software, print facilities or digital visualisation tools
• IT and library facilities, which include an extensive range of artists’ books, publications, journals, magazines, and digital resources to support your learning and research

What is an additional cost?

When developing individual projects, you will select and provide your own materials, many of which can be purchased at cost price on campus. We will support you in sourcing additional materials depending on your creative ambitions and budget, and in keeping with our sustainable and safe practices.

You may require course-specific equipment and tools, but this will vary depending on your practice. A joining pack will be sent to you before you start, containing detailed information about any recommended equipment including laptop specification advice. We recommend that you don’t make major purchases before receiving the joining pack or speaking with a member of staff.

Some examples of additional costs:

• Students will find a laptop or tablet helpful and will need to allow for the purchase of apps and software
• Optional UK or overseas study trips and exchange programmes
• Placements and associated costs such as travel and accommodation
• Optional access to Cardiff FabLab which is subject to charges for equipment use and materials
• Material costs when opting to use specialist equipment independently, such as digital fabric printing, 3D printing and laser cutting
• Other costs such as printing, copying, and the purchase of textbooks

For up-to-date information on tuition fees and financial support that may be available whilst at Cardiff Met, please visit www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/fees.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact us.

For general enquiries please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6044 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

For programme-specific enquiries, please the tutors on architectureenquiries@cardiffmet.ac.uk.