Top Architecture Schools in UK (2017)

Top Architecture Schools in the UK (2017):

If you plan to study architecture in the UK and are unsure which School you should apply to, this article can be helpful. Here we will review the rankings of the UK Architecture Schools in 2017 as proposed by the Guardian and the Complete University Guide.

Both rankings show the different criteria for evaluating architecture schools. The requirements include student satisfaction and graduate prospects, among other points.

What are The Top Architecture Schools?

Following these rankings, we will briefly introduce some of the UK’s most reputed architecture schools. So now, let’s take a look at these rankings.

1. Cambridge University

With a long-standing tradition in Architecture, Cambridge University focuses on something contemporary architects tend to forget as an important factor in design: urban contextualization. With an emphasis on sustainable building, manual labor, and digital research, Cambridge University offers a versatile and complete methodology.

2. UCL (The Bartlett)

The Bartlett has become a “go-to” source for new architectural styles. The famous Architecture Research Group has heavily impacted the school trend and is now renowned for its interdisciplinary project approach, which guarantees unique and unconventional architectural mannerisms.

The Bartlett also hosts many workshops, which propose out-of-school activities to better students from other universities. The Bartlett is a safe choice if you are a fan of digital research and ultra-contemporary design.

3. Architectural Association School of Architecture

Choosing between the Architectural Association and Bartlett as our top architecture schools have been a real struggle. It may seem cliché or too convenient to choose it as our top school, but let’s be honest – AA is one of the most unique architectural schools in the world.

From the primary studios, which emphasize material research, new digital approaches, and unconventional themes, to the more famous studios such as the AA – DRL (Architectural Association Design Research Laboratory), which is the ultimate trendsetter design speaking, the AA is for sure the best school if you want to spread your wings as an architecture student and go beyond conventional architectural paradigms. The AA Workshops and Visiting Workshops are the best choices for learning new form-finding techniques.

4. University of Bath

The architecture program at the University of Bath provides students with the opportunity to develop holistic design skills by integrating the artistic and technical domains.

Objectives of the program are based on: the acquisition of skills necessary to explore, interrogate and communicate architectural proposals; the ability to control, manipulate and compose internal space and external form; the ability to integrate, within architectural proposals, principles of structural design, environmental design, and sustainability; knowledge of materials and the detailed assembly of building elements; an understanding of how cultural, historical and socio-economic factors influence design decisions.

5. Royal College of Art

As the name suggests, this University has a more artistic approach, which we found to be highly needed in the present architectural scene. However, it would be an error to consider the works developed at the Royal College of Art as highly conceptual or unrealistic – the University has one of the best series of manufacturing workshops, focusing on the actual physical modeling of objects, which aids its students to become familiar with various materials, a much-needed element to develop a good design.

6. University of Sheffield

Architects are nowadays faced with the question: can you become a household name in this area if you are not a good entrepreneur? Possibly, but it is challenging. This is why the University of Sheffield proposes, alongside traditional architectural courses, to teach its students political, social, and business classes, which architects rarely learn early on. This offers its students obvious advantages in front of other graduates and enables them to become self-sufficient instead of dependent on big architecture firms to create a name for themselves.

7. London Metropolitan University

The skill that is developed uniquely at this University is writing. Heavily focusing on how students develop their brief and research for their projects, we recommend The Sir John Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture, and Design within the London Metropolitan University as a school to attend if you are passionate about the field of the architectural press.

8. Glasgow School of Art

Famous for the MacMag magazine, written for students, by students, the faculty of architecture of the Glasgow School of Art particularizes itself by the projects assigned to students – from realistic, site-assigned themes to competition themes, the approach varies and develops in a multi-oriented manner.

9. Kingston University

With a hands-on approach, marked by the motto “thinking through making,” Kingston University is a school that heavily relies on the importance of manual work, which offers a different form and material than digital modeling.

Owing to the different evaluation criteria for both rankings, they might have turned out slightly different; however, Cambridge, Bath, and Cardiff seem to be holding well in both, satisfying most of the criteria. On the other hand, some of the most prestigious and historically famous architecture schools, like the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, are missing from the top positions in both. Have times changed, or are the evaluating points not sufficient? You can be the judge of that.

Also Check:

1. Most Prominent Architecture Schools in the World

2. Top 10 Architecture Schools in Europe

3. Top 10 Architecture Schools in Germany

4. What are the Best Architecture Schools in the USA in 2019?