Design Yearbook 2017

BA Architecture & Urban Planning (AUP)
Andrew Law & Armelle Tardiveau – Degree Programme Directors
The BA (Hons) Architecture and Urban Planning (AUP) is an evolving three-year
programme that seeks to unite academic themes and approaches from the architecture
and urban planning programmes across the School. The AUP degree carries its own
intellectual and pedagogical themes that cannot be found on other programmes
elsewhere in the School. There are four conceptual strands, which includes one major
theme, ‘alternative practice’, and three minor themes: visual culture, urban design and
spatial practice as well as social enterprise.
The alternative practice strand responds to a critique of twentieth century architecture
and planning as overly technocratic and individualised. Returning to these critiques,
alternative practice bring to the fore social, cultural, political and environmental
concerns in the design and construction of the built environment. Our course has
drawn inspiration from a range of thinkers and practitioners concerned with the built
environment (including philosophers, political activists, sociologists, geographers,
architects and planners) that have sought to engage and include communities in design
and building (sometimes self-build, sometimes co-production).
The design work from Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the programme selectively showcases much of
the intellectual and practical academic content of the degree while helping the students
to develop visual and spatial skills; we aim to engage students in developing their own
agenda and interests making clear the connections between social, environmental and
design issues and the built environment as the driving spirit of their endeavors.
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