Studios form the core of design teaching. Students carry out a series of design projects which form the bulk of their marked work. The Cambridge Architecture Department emphasises an understanding of architecture in its cultural context. Against this background the studio teaching seeks to foster a continuity and coherence of approach in all three undergraduate years. Diversity is provided by the content of studio projects.
The school seeks to maintain a balance between theory and practice. Studio staff are architects in practice and have experience of a range of projects and practice in different parts of the world. Most students study for a career in the profession, but the course also provides a preparation for those who wish to move into other fields of art, design and planning and into academic life.