Year Four Architecture
The fourth year of the architecture tripos provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their ability and creativity in design and professional competence, as well as giving opportunity for research. Both the studio and dissertation make use of the knowledge and skills developed in the first three years of the degree, and the nature of the projects will be determined by the student’s interests
Students choose from a choice of design studios based on their own interests, working on a single project over the whole year, enabling them to explore building at a greater depth or at greater scale. This project brings together all the skills and knowledge they have acquired over the previous three years. They will be expected, where appropriate, to liaise with professionals and consultants and to be able to carry out work independently and in teams.
The dissertation provides an opportunity to do a sustained piece of research under the direct supervision of one the academics in the Faculty and to explore an area in greater depth. It does not need to be related to the studio project, though it will often inform it.
There is one compulsory paper, Professional Practice, which covers aspects of the economics and finance of architectural projects and looks at the legal aspects in greater depth. Students are free to sit any other papers in the Architecture and Design Triposes and are encouraged to explore lectures and other papers offered by the University that might be relevant to their chosen areas of exploration.
Studio work in the MArch involves the production a single sophisticated design project which is developed over the whole year, working with studio teachers and consultants. The project should demonstrate a clear grasp of design principles and will involve drawings, models and presentations. The project gives students an opportunity to explore themes and ideas and demonstrate the skills they have learned in previous years.
The dissertation gives students the opportunity and freedom to research in greater depth an area that they are particularly interested in. The choice of subjects is very wide and limited principally by the availability of a supervisor who is knowledgeable in the particular topic. Recent dissertations have focused on subjects raised in the different lecture courses (either questions concerning Environment, Structures and Construction or the History and Theory of Architecture), as well from issues that have emerged from work in the studios. Projects can involve testing structures or measuring, or they can involve fieldwork in the UK or abroad or they can be entirely based on documentary sources. The 7,000-9,000 word dissertation is handed in at the beginning of the Easter Term.
This course is designed to provide a thorough grounding in the professional side of design practice, including running a business, finance, law and legislation, proving students with a firm grounding for entering design practice and towards professional accreditation.