MA in Architectural Design
As programme leaders of the MA in Architectural Design course we are really looking forward to starting the new term.
Our work at the University allows us to engage with the world through our teaching and research. Every year, we really look forward to exploring the breadth and depth of ideas with students and our colleagues.
The MA in Architectural Design is critical, innovative and creative. You can expect a supportive but intellectually challenging environment, friendly and helpful staff, where you will develop new and stimulating ideas.
Welcome Week
Welcome Week is essential for your introduction to the school - and you'll want to attend so you can start your first module promptly. Live Projects starts on the Monday following Welcome Week.
Welcome Week starts on Monday 23 September 2024. The first full week of the Autumn Semester starts on Monday 30 September 2024.
During Welcome Week you will be introduced to members of staff who will support you during your time studying here, and to the essential arrangements for Live Projects. Please take a look at the Live Projects and Live Works websites in preparation.
During this week you will also be encouraged to gain basic familiarity with the city of Sheffield - we will give you hints about how to do that. It is an exciting start and we are looking forward to meeting you!
Climate and social emergencies, and the ‘Precarities’ theme
As a School of Architecture and Landscape, we are largely concerned about the climate and social crises that our world is currently experiencing.
In the MA in Architectural Design, we approach this challenge through our umbrella theme of, ‘Precarities’. We will discuss this throughout the year, but you may want to do a few readings in preparation, including:
- Mbembe, Achilles (2021). “Introduction,”Out of the Dark Night: essays on decolonization (Columbia University Press)
- Simone, AbdouMaliq (2004). ‘People as Infrastructure: Intersecting Fragments in Johannesburg’. Public Culture 16(3), pp. 407-429
- Tyszczuk, Renata (2018) Provisional Cities: Cautionary Tales for the Anthropocene (Routledge)
- Butler, Judith. (2012) ‘Precarious Life, Vulnerability, and the Ethics of Cohabitation’, The Journal of Speculative Philosophy , Vol. 26, No. 2 , pp. 134-151
Buying computer equipment
General IT Information can be found on the Virtual Reception. The software commonly used on the MA in Architectural Design course includes:
- CAD software such as AutoDesk Revit 2021, Rhino 7 (including Grasshopper), SketchUp
- Miro: An Online Whiteboard & Visual Collaboration Platform
- Image editors like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign
- Video editors like Adobe Premiere
- Mapping tools like Google Earth Pro, Promap and Arcview
Most of this software runs under both Windows and Apple computers. You may need to use rendering softwares to represent your design development.
We are extremely excited for the start of term and can’t wait to meet you and get started.
Dr Adriana Massidda and Dr Iulia Statica
Programme leaders for MA in Architectural Design
