Osamu Masaki
Osamu graduated from the University of Sheffield with an MA in Architectural Design in 2009
I came to Sheffield after working for more than 4 years for an architectural firm in Japan. While it was necessary to developing my design skills, I was also interested in architectural education in Europe. The fact that the School of Architecture is ranked as one of the top schools in the UK helped me to choose this university.
I find my course, MA in Architectural Design, inspirational and useful for my future career. The course runs alongside the conventional MArch course, so as an international student, I can mix with both students with international backgrounds and also UK based students.
The course content is mainly comprised of studio / practical design work rather than being lecture based. For example, in the first semester there is a module called `Live Project´, where you have a real client and you conduct a real project. Along with your other team members you go through a series of design processes such as site analysis, consultation with the client, design proposal, and the final product. Relations with the teaching staff are good and teachers are always keen to expand students´ possibilities.
The University of Sheffield attracts students from all over the world because of its academic excellence and variety of disciplines. Sheffield is known as one of the safest and the cheapest cities to live in. The transportation system is also well established so you can easily travel around by bus or plus there are good rail links to other cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, London.
Everything you need in daily life is located within walking distance. There is a big shopping mall near the city center, approximately 20-30 minutes by tram, which has a great range of shops.
The city of Sheffield is also described as a village-like city. On the outskirts of the city pretty houses are lined up on thestreets, the green belt areas are retained well. The hilly geographical aspect makes the scenery very attractive as well. In addition, one of the most popular national parks in the UK, The Peak District, is located on the outskirts of Sheffield. This village-like aspect of the city is characterized not only in its appearance, but also by people´s calm disposition; they are friendly and kind.
Apart from the School of Architecture, the University of Sheffield offers various opportunities to pursue your interests. I´m enjoying student life in Sheffield and I would like you to feel the same here!
Web Diary
Read about the experiences I had during my time at Sheffield in my web diary.