Hi everyone, I’m Sadie, and I’m going to tell you about my first semester studying BA Architecture at York.
Real-world knowledge
I’ve really enjoyed my time at York so far. There are so many positives: lovely people, great workspaces, supportive environment. My favourite module so far has been Studio & professional skills 1 – Demystifying York Analogue communication. This module is led by our Head of School Lorraine Farrelly, and Dean Ireland. We get to meet with real-life clients and work on real design briefs. For example, we went to the York Sculpture Park where were given the design brief of creating an indoor artistic workspace, and we took a field trip to the site. Then over the course of the semester we developed designs using software (Revit) and models. We presented them as part of our end of module portfolio.
We have also visited York Central, The Retreat and have met visiting professionals from Yorspace. Each company showcased different visions and motivations for their architecture. It gave great insight into how wide-ranging the industry can be.
Guest lecturers
Dean also runs the external lecture series for the YSA where we have had multiple guest lecturers. It’s a wonderful opportunity to mingle and network with members of the public and architecture professionals. The lectures are held in our brand new studio space.
Studio work
In our design studio, we each have our own desk and workspace. It’s just one of the many spaces YSA has. We also have the workshop for modelmaking, with a range of tools like laser cutters and a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine. We also have the BIM (building information modeling) suite. This suite has high-end computers for running design software. We have CAD software workshops in here!
Some of the projects we have worked on include wearable architecture, making a chair out of cardboard, and our current project “The Nest”. We have to create a space for a single person with any function we like.
All our modules have review sessions with the academics. They’re great for getting feedback and learning our strengths, but also areas we could develop further. They can be tough to sit through sometimes, but you come away with ideas of how to grow.
York’s architectural history
Finally, there’s Architectural Humanities 1 – Architecture in Settlements & Cities. This one is more theory based, but fascinating. We worked on a project mapping historic York, where we looked at groups of historic buildings in the city. I looked at Lady Row (the oldest street in the UK), the Roman Bathhouse and Holy Trinity Church. This project helped me explore York through a different lens, the information did come in handy on nights out as well to help us find our bearings!
Conclusion
The tutors and lecturers are very supportive and I have found my own little community! All my course mates are so lovely. The lecturers are lovely and the space is lovely! I would easily recommend this course to anybody interested in architecture.
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