Our MA Urban Design programme is jointly delivered by the Welsh School of Architecture and the School of Geography and Planning, which are ranked among the top 50 in the world. And the goal of this programme is to enable practitioners and scholars to transform the field of urban design through critical thinking and creative practice.
The programme fully embraces this transdisciplinarity through the theory, research training and design teaching it offers. Thus, this course enables students to learn by deploying design, theory, and development and design control practices, which inform urban design processes.
We students can learn from academic staff from both schools who are highly accomplished and locally engaged in Cardiff, nationally in the UK, and internationally across the world. In the context of the design studios, we are also able to benefit from the input and expertise of many leading practitioners.
Studio Teaching
Both Autumn Studio and Spring Studio focuses on developing critically informed as well as creative and practical proposals for real sites, addressing important contemporary issues of design and urbanism.
Lectures
The lecturers of MA Urban Design are all experts in their fields – in geography, urban planning, urbanism, urban design, and architecture. The design tutors also include leading practitioners who bring their experience of cutting-edge practice to the core of design studio work.
Workshops
Students are encouraged to brainstorm, and we are also allowed to put forward as many ideas and suggestions as we can think of. We meet our professors and design tutors every week to discuss the progress and be more clear to our goals.
Seminars
We have many opportunities for getting frequent feedback. There are seminars where we are required to present and discuss what we have learnt, and design review sessions, which is then discussed by guest critics, tutors, and peers.
Teamwork in Design Studios
The design work is pinned up and presented by students. Every team member has the opportunity to express ideas freely.
Since we focus on developing critically informed as well as creative and practical proposals for real sites, addressing important contemporary issues of design and urbanism. We make solid models to help us analyze the real sites.
Fieldtrip in London
To learn more about the site, we walked around the Olympic Park and project site. Led by the module leader and tutors, we engaged to explore the history of the site and develop it innovatively.
Christmas Party
We are a big family with about 100 students and many professors and tutors. Before the Christmas Recess, we gathered together to enjoy the snacks and dancing to the music. It was truly beneficial to our friendship.
