Introduction
We live in a time of rapid social, economic and environmental change. Demand for housing is increasing, but not enough new homes are being built. Not only that, home ownership is out of reach for a lot of people. The type of housing we need is changing, and this course will give you the opportunity to meet these challenges head-on.
Design for Future Living aims to develop exciting and innovative design thinking, questioning preconceptions about how society lives now and into the future. Developed in collaboration with TV architect George Clarke’s Ministry of Building, Innovation and Education (MOBIE), the course places you at the forefront of the next generation of designers tackling the design and delivery of new homes. You could break new ground through an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to designing for future living. The course prepares a new model of creative, skilled and disruptive designers with knowledge of the home, digital technologies and creative design.
What's covered in this course?
How we live affects us all. Housing is a basic human right but what we produce doesn’t always meet today’s needs. Our homes should be smart, well designed and affordable; they should create a sense of community, respect the environment and support changing family structures. We urgently need new design thinking to revolutionise how we live.
The BA (Hons) Design for Future Living is a unique opportunity for you to lead the way in designing how and where we live. Through innovative ideas, new design methods, advanced technologies and entrepreneurial skills, you will critique, challenge and disrupt traditional thinking around the idea of ‘home’ and develop radical alternatives.
Design - the course embodies our ethos of “design through the scales”, from product design, furniture, interior spaces and architecture to urban design. In the final year, you will have the opportunity to pursue your own interests through a major project.
Make – we have a tradition and preoccupation with “making”, inspired by Birmingham’s industrial and artisan heritage, making this an ideal setting for exploring new approaches to the production and manufacture of homes. Using our workshops and the city beyond, you will explore advanced materials, digital and analogue fabrication and technology transfer from product design, manufacturing and industry.
Live – we see houses not as ‘one size fits all’ units but as homes for specific users in specific places. Throughout the course, you will be challenged to consider the implications of your designs on how people live.
The course prepares a new model of creative, skilled and disruptive designers with knowledge of how new understandings of home, digital technologies and creative design can shape the places we live.
Professional placement year
This course offers a professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, between the second and third years of your degree and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.
The University will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. If you do not find a suitable placement, you will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.
Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year (£1,850 for UK students).
Why choose us?
- To explore and experience design problems focussed on housing, construction, and future living from a range of design disciplines/perspectives.
- An opportunity to explore and experiment with technologies and materials, within the construction industry.
- A focus on the user, client, or target market to develop opportunities for innovation.
- Developed in collaboration with TV Architect George Clarke’s MOBIE, offering a unique opportunity to engage with industry leaders.
- Birmingham School of Architecture and Design is highly respected and has a rich history of providing education and opportunities. It celebrated its centenary in 2009.
- Two-thirds of the impact of our research was judged to be very considerable (3*) or outstanding (4*) - REF2021
Curriculum
Year one
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following core modules (totalling 120 credits):
- History of Modern Architecture and Design
- How We Live(d)
- Technology Transfer
- Inhabit
- Future Homes 1
Year two
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following core modules (totalling 120 credits):
- Production
- Sustainable Housing Communities
- PRAXIS
- Co.LAB
- Future Homes 2
Year three
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following core modules (totalling 120 credits):
- Prototype
- Design Entrepreneurship
- Design Project Management
- Major Project
Career Opportunities
The BA (Hons) Design for Future Living programme is located within the Birmingham School of Architecture and Design.
The course builds upon the School’s employability-driven reputation, by providing students with the knowledge and skills to work in industry, which could lead to a career in designing sustainable housing and architecture.
The collaboration with MOBIE brings a wealth of knowledge and industry connections to the course.
The course enables students to explore a diverse range of career routes, based on the following disciplines/areas:
- Technology in construction methods/housing of the future
- Development of sustainable methods/materials & processes
- Strategic Innovation and management
- Innovation in sustainable methods of construction
- Design entrepreneurship/prototyping
- Digital technologies/user experience/researchers
As well as gaining course-specific skills, you could also gain broader tools through our Graduate+ programme, which will help enhance your employment options by helping with career development, employability activities, volunteering and part-time work experience.
Allied with these course-specific experiences, you will also have access to a range of support staff and services from the University’s Careers Service, who can help with:
- Reviewing CVs, covering letters and application forms
- Career planning and decision making
- Preparing for interviews and assessment centres
- Developing portfolios
- Networking with employers
- Advice about self-employment and entrepreneurship
Placements
As part of our commitment to developing the essential skills required as part of the BA (Hons) Design for Future Living, we have continued to develop the two-week, assessed work placement scheme in Year Two. The placement is part of the PRAXIS (Management Practice and Law) module and takes place towards the end of the academic year.
While on placement, organisations are encouraged to provide you with a wide range of activities, including meetings, site visits and design reviews, as well as developing additional writing, CAD and graphic skills.