Year one interludes a crossroad in the life of students, where they adapt to university life and adopt new architecture and design skills. During this year, students integrate historical, cultural, aesthetic, and technical components in their architectural design through different sequential design briefs. Year one scrutinises the complex and multi-faceted nature of architecture that frames precedents and historic contexts, fosters intuition and creativity, while embedding tectonic and sustainable principles in design. Such a holistic approach equips students with basic design that are communicated through drawing and visual media that they learn through reflective engagement and creative exploration. Discerning design knowledge requires active engagement with the design subject through experimentation, exploration, risk taking and reflection of design processes. Hence, year one emphasises integrated learning from historic precedents, considers technical constraints, while creatively challenging design responses to briefs that grow in complexity and scale. Through the multi-modal formats of lectures, design studios, site visits, and study trips students debate and explore notions of space and scale, shelter and stage, threshold and boundary.
To harness such skills, students adapt to different contexts, and conditions, thus coinciding with this year’s exhibition theme of ‘Adaptation.’ Design requires an adaptive and creative response to design briefs; adapt technical constraints to fulfil sustainable and bioclimatic needs; and responds to cultural and ethical adaptations in society. In year one, students start the journey that marks the rest of their lives where they grow as designers and respond to the ever changing and adapting environs around them. Our learning activities and projects have been choreographed to facilitate a practice-based pedagogical journey and student experience; designed to take architectural novices through an educational programme towards becoming world-leading emerging professionals. WSA harnesses and fosters such strengths to guide the future directions of student learning and educational professionalisation.

DP 1 : Space Narratives
The German word ‘Bauen’ has a rich connotation of building and dwelling. DP1 offers first-year students the opportunity to delve into a journey of discovery, imagination and personal expression. Inspired by Heidegger’s insights, they explored the profound essence of dwelling and its deep-rooted connection to our existence on Earth. Through their senses and spatial encounters, they conducted investigations on behaviour, relationships and way of life. Their task was to unravel the intricate interplay between everyday activities, people, nature, materials, and sounds within the WSA Bute building. This exciting exploration provided the foundation for crafting their unique ‘dwelling space narratives’.

DP 2 : The Cabinet of the River
The cabinet of the river allows first-year students to embark on an exciting project studying Cardiff’s River Taff. Exploring the profound impact of rivers, from their peaceful beginnings to their mighty currents, rivers shape landscapes and connect ecosystems, influencing both nature and culture. Drawing inspiration from mythology, poetry and other stories, students delved into the symbolic significance of rivers as conduits of time and memory. They examined rivers as thresholds between the natural and cultural realms, unifying flora, fauna, mountains and seas.

DP 3 : Creative Shelters
This project is featuring the design of private spaces for creative individuals. Nestled amidst the natural beauty of the river Taff, these spaces serve three key purposes. They provide secluded shelters, protecting artists from environmental conditions. They act as interpretive shells, encouraging innovative exploration of the river and surroundings. Additionally, they amplify sensory input, fueling creativity and inspiration.
These unique sanctuaries establish a controlled threshold between artists and nature, enabling them to find new perspectives and nourishment for their creative endeavors.

DP 4 : Culinary Kiosk
DP4 provides our first-year students with the creative opportunity to craft a culinary kiosk in the popular Cardiff Bay. Nestled along the quay, facing the Pierhead building, they were tasked with creating a space that caters to both local and global visitors. This is with the aim to enhance the public realm by providing a variety of concessions during the open-air events at Roald Dahl Pass and other cultural hotspots such as Mermaid Quay and Wales Millennium Centre. With a focus on outdoor dining, safety, night-time ambience, and fostering cultural exchange, the students transform this waterfront space into a hub of culinary delight and positive connections.

DP 5 : Festive Stages
DP5 set at the Mount Stuart Graving Docks at Cardiff Bay tasks the first-year students to create an urban stage. A community hub that brings together various facets of the urban realm. This platform is intended to host a range of activities from civic gatherings to art performances, urban cinemas, workshops and more. It responds to the context of the National Eisteddfod 2025 that attracts thousands of visitors to the area. The students have hence, crafted designs that prioritize visibility, audibility and the visitor that leaves a lasting impression on the urbanscape of Cardiff Bay.