Architecture and Built Environment Foundation Year

You will be introduced here to the Built Environment as an industry and its context, both nationally and globally; its sectors and professional activity to give a good grounding in the industry, and one from which you can make an informed choice of career pathway. You will cover the structure and nature of the industry, commercial and financial aspects, business approaches, importance of business location and premises, culture, management and employment prospects. You will develop your ability to reflect and self assess.

This module is intended to introduce you to approaches to building surveys and appraisal through the investigation of structural defects in buildings. You will examine the role and function of the surveyor within the context of the built environment, and will explore the work practices of the surveyor at practical and professional level.

You will learn how to develop a client brief on a real project and then progress a professional surveying assignment through to the production of a concluding report. This will take the form of an introduction to academic, study and professional skills and will draw students’ first year studies into a holistic project experience. It aims to reflect the interdependence of the different topic areas studied at Level 3, in the context of the surveying profession. You will learn how to work both individually and as part of a team and be able to assess your own and others role, responsibilities and contribution via reflective practice.

You will study a range of topics to support the above including:

1.Property Portfolios & Estate Management
Buildings/Land/Other Assets; Commercial/Residential; Private sector/Public sector
2. The Role of Property
Property development and the UK planning system; Property investment, residential Buy-to-Let; Commercial property – Location & Use; Retail/Office/Industrial/Leisure - Occupation & Market Valuation
3. Property and Surveys
Plans & maps; Purpose & Methods of survey; Survey inspection; Property valuation techniques
4. Property Market and The Economy
Basic economic theory; The UK housing market; Finance, interest rates and inflation
5. The Property Profession
Role of the surveyor; Who does what? Key players and property professionals; The RICS and key property legislation
6. Managing the Property
Freehold/Leasehold; Landlord & Tenant Relationship;
On completion of this module the knowledge and understanding acquired forms part of the broader contextual framework for the study of your future discipline specific programme.

You will be introduced here to the role and function of the architect and the architectural technologist within the built environment. You will look at the wide range of activities that go together to make up the busy world of design and construction and begin to consider your future position within the workplace. You will consider the practical application of a theoretical background that informs the way in which the built environment is designed and delivered. You will learn about the design process and fundamental construction technology and material solutions.

You will apply basic mathematical skills to the mensuration of land and buildings and to the calculation of building costs. This module will complement other level 3 modules and will contribute to an integrated project. You will develop throughout this module numeracy skills relating to the use and evaluation of data relating to the measurement of buildings and land and the calculation of building costs. Topics include:

• Productivity rates
• Estimating building costs
• Scheduling of building work
• Mathematical and arithmetic operations
• Mensuration formulae and techniques
• Organisation of information using databases

The emphasis is on organising and communicating information relating to the costs of buildings through the use of relational databases.You will apply basic mathematical skills to the mensuration of land and buildings and to the calculation of building costs. This module will complement other level 3 modules and will contribute to an integrated project. You will develop throughout this module numeracy skills relating to the use and evaluation of data relating to the measurement of buildings and land and the calculation of building costs. Topics include:

• Productivity Rates
• Estimating building costs
• Scheduling of building work
• Mathematical and arithmetic operations
• Mensuration formulae and techniques
• Organisation of information using databases

The emphasis is on organising and communicating information relating to the costs of buildings through the use of relational databases.

This module aims to provide an introduction to construction management. You will appreciate the project-based and uniquely structured construction industry, and the professional roles that operate in it. You will develop an understanding of how the construction industry is structured, how it operates, and its economic significance. The module will also provide knowledge about the roles and responsibilities of the key project team members, how they relate to each other and how they influence the construction project outcomes. In addition, you will gain an appreciation of core construction project deliverables and constraints, including how these are managed on a project, how they are linked together, and how they are connected to the client. Overall, the module will develop your skills as a reflective practitioner to support your future personal and professional development.

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.