Architectural Technology BSc (Hons)

30 credits

To achieve successful projects in the built environment, you will need to work with a wide range of skills and information types. These range from describing a project and developing conceptual designs to producing detailed architectural and construction information, visualisations, presentations, and coordinated outputs.

In this module, you will explore how graphical information communicates design intent and responds to client needs, and how this information develops as a project moves from design to construction. As drawings and models are reviewed, revised, and re-issued, you will develop an understanding of the digital management of information and the growing role of Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Revit, and Building Information Modelling (BIM) in construction design and documentation.

You will learn to create and manage 2D and 3D construction information using industry-standard software, and engage with drawings, detailing, schedules, specifications, and other project documentation. You will also explore how digital information is shared and coordinated, and how effective collaboration supports the construction information process. Through these activities, you will develop KU Graduate Attributes, particularly digital competency, creative problem solving, having a questioning mindset, adaptability, and self-awareness. Online learning will support guided skill development and professional collaboration.

30 credits

This is a core technology module where you will explore alternative construction materials and technologies used for low-rise built facilities. You will learn about the impact of construction methods and materials on important issues, including building regulations, health, safety and welfare regulations, sustainability and the environment.

By the end of the module, you should have developed a fundamental knowledge of building types, and be able to interpret drawings, produce sketches and appreciate the reasons for the selection and use of different construction materials and service solutions.

30 credits

This module introduces you to Future Skills through engagement with Navigate and Design Studio 1. Through the KU Navigate Programme and the Personal Tutorial System (PTS), you will explore your course learning aims, set learning targets, and take ownership of your development from induction to graduation. You will develop the capabilities to underpin your engagement with the later Explore phase of the Future Skills programme. You will build core learning-to-learn skills, including reflection, feedback and assessment literacy, while developing KU Graduate Attributes such as creative problem solving, empathy, collaboration, resilience and self-awareness.

These skills are applied and reinforced through Design Studio 1. You will begin with observation and spatial enquiry, developing confidence in freehand drawing, spatial composition and precedent analysis, before progressing to the design of a small building for a specific client and site. A three-hour taught fieldtrip supports contextual analysis through on-site observation and evidence gathering. Throughout the studio, you will further develop creative problem solving, empathy, digital competency, and being enterprising through design exploration, communication, ethical awareness, and response to client needs, context, accessibility, and inclusive design. Studio discussion and critique will support inclusive, reflective, and professionally aware design thinking.

30 credits

In this module, you will explore the regulatory, legal, and organisational contexts that shape professional practice in the built environment. You will gain an overview of the modern English legal system, with particular focus on legislative and regulatory frameworks relevant to the construction sector. You will be introduced to core principles of contract law, tort law, and key construction-related legal issues. This will enable you to apply structured legal reasoning to scenario-based problems and build a foundation for further study in construction law and professional practice.

Alongside this, you will examine people management and organisational behaviour within construction organisations. This includes recruitment and selection, leadership, motivation, teamwork, organisational culture, and change management. You will also explore how social, economic, cultural, and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) factors influence organisations and professional practice in the built environment. These themes are explicitly assessed through the module’s assessments.

Through these activities, the module is mapped against KU Graduate Attributes, particularly having a questioning mindset, creative problem solving, collaboration, empathy, being enterprising, adaptability, resilience and self-awareness. This enables you to develop and evidence Future Skills through legal reasoning, teamwork, professional communication, and critical engagement with organisational and management practices.

30 credits

In this module, you will build on Level 4 Introduction to Construction Technology to develop a broader understanding of how buildings are constructed, serviced, and perform in use. You will progress from basic construction forms to framed and more complex commercial buildings, including the integration of building services, and learn how materials, assemblies, structural systems, and services strategies influence technical and environmental performance.

A key rationale of the module is sustainability. You will explore building physics principles such as heat transfer, thermal performance, lighting, and environmental conditions, and examine how these affect occupant wellbeing, energy use, and overall building performance. Sustainability is explicitly linked to assessment through the Building Physics Analysis and the Building Services Client Advisory Report, where you are required to evaluate performance and justify design or services solutions in relation to energy efficiency, environmental performance, and user needs.

The module is mapped against KU Graduate Attributes, particularly creative problem solving, digital competency, having a questioning mindset, adaptability, empathy, being enterprising, and resilience and self-awareness. Through analysis, simulation, and client-focused evaluation, you will develop and evidence Future Skills progressively across the course.

30 credits

In this module, you will develop the strategic, contractual, and financial management skills required of a construction professional. The module introduces you to procurement strategies and contract administration within the UK construction industry, while developing advanced cost and financial management techniques used during project initiation, design development, and delivery.

You will explore the responsibilities of the project manager and quantity surveyor in managing contracts and financial performance, and examine how construction methods, financial information, and decision-making are integrated to control cost, risk, and value. The assessment is driven by a client brief, requiring you to interpret project requirements and produce an appropriate contract administration response. This supports the application of theoretical principles to realistic project scenarios and strengthens problem-solving, professional judgement, and communication skills.

Throughout the module, you will also develop key graduate attributes, including having a questioning mindset, creative problem solving, being enterprising, adaptability, empathy, resilience and self-awareness. You will also strengthen your professional responsiveness to client and project needs. The module prepares you for professional practice by situating cost and contract management within the wider economic, environmental, and social context of the construction industry.

30 credits

In this module, you will build on the foundational skills developed in Studio 1 and prepare for the larger-scale and urban focus of Studio 3. The module focuses on the integration of architectural design, building technology, and environmental performance at the scale of a single building, enabling you to combine creative design thinking with technical resolution.

Through studio-based learning, group activity, and individual design development, you will explore environmental design strategies, building services, and renewable energy systems, and evaluate how these shape high-performing architectural outcomes. You will use digital tools, including Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Building Information Modelling (BIM), and environmental simulation software, to test, refine, and communicate design proposals. Sustainability is a central theme, with environmental response, building performance, and low-energy design explicitly assessed through both the Collaborative Site and Environmental Design Study and the Individual Integrated Design and Technology Project.

The module is mapped against KU Graduate Attributes, particularly creative problem solving, digital competency, having a questioning mindset, adaptability, empathy, collaboration, being enterprising, and resilience and self-awareness. Through integrated design, analysis, and teamwork, you will develop and evidence Future Skills progressively across the course.

30 credits

This core Level 5 module supports your development as a built environment professional by integrating Future Skills, project management, design thinking, and digital construction technologies. The Future Skills Explore Learning Outcomes are delivered in this module. Building on Level 4 Navigate and Design Studio 1, it supports your progression to the Apply phase of the Future Skills programme by developing your professional identity, career direction, and the capabilities to work effectively in built environment contexts.

You will explore engineering project design and management, including planning, delivery, monitoring, risk, health and safety, sustainability, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), teamwork, stakeholder engagement, leadership, and ethics. These are applied through an interdisciplinary sustainability challenge, where you will work in a mixed-discipline group while being assessed individually. Alongside this, you will critically examine digital construction, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and related technologies, and evaluate their role in transforming project delivery, organisational practice, and the wider construction industry.

The module is mapped against KU Graduate Attributes, particularly digital competency, creative problem solving, collaboration, resilience and self-awareness, enabling you to develop and evidence Future Skills progressively across the course.

30 credits

In this module, you will develop an advanced understanding of building performance across the lifecycle by integrating sustainable environmental design with the study of building defects, material decay, and pathology. You will explore how bioclimatic design, passive and active systems, renewable energy technologies, smart building technologies, and green building rating frameworks influence building performance, durability, and environmental impact.

Using industry-standard simulation tools, you will evaluate environmental performance to support evidence-based design, retrofit, and refurbishment decisions. You will also investigate deterioration mechanisms and diagnose defects in traditional and modern buildings, developing strategies for rehabilitation, conservation, restoration, and low-carbon renewal. Sustainability is explicitly assessed through the Building Performance Consultancy Report, which requires critical evaluation of sustainable construction and environmental design strategies, and is further extended in the Building Pathology Diagnostic Report through rehabilitation and low-carbon renewal proposals.

The module is mapped against KU Graduate Attributes, particularly creative problem solving, digital competency, having a questioning mindset, adaptability, empathy, being enterprising, and resilience and self-awareness. Through performance analysis, diagnostic investigation, and case-based evaluation, you will develop and evidence Future Skills progressively across the course.

30 credits

In this design studio module, you will build on the knowledge and skills developed in Design Studio 1 and 2 through an integrated, group-based urban design project. The module focuses on urban regeneration and building adaptation, enabling you to explore how architectural technology, digital tools, and sustainability principles can be applied to the reuse and transformation of existing urban environments.

You will work collaboratively to undertake a professional site analysis of a selected urban area requiring regeneration, examining environmental, social, economic, and spatial conditions. Building on this analysis, you will develop an integrated design proposal that adapts a group of buildings, responding to the climate emergency and embedding digital and smart technologies within the urban context. Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and sustainability are explicitly linked to assessment through the Collaborative Urban Design task, which requires socially aware, community-responsive analysis and critical reflection on the collaborative design process, and through the Architectural Technology Design Resolution task, which addresses resilience, regeneration, and sustainable urban response.

The module is mapped against KU Graduate Attributes: creative problem solving, digital competency, having a questioning mindset, being enterprising, adaptability, empathy, collaboration, resilience and self-awareness, enabling you to develop and evidence Future Skills progressively.

15 credits

This module provides you with a dedicated opportunity to develop your Future Skills Graduate Attributes that will set you apart from other graduates and enhance your employability and confidence. At the start of the module, you will be supported to self-assess your current skills profile and determine which attributes you need to develop to support your career ambitions. 

Taught sessions will give you the opportunity to have coaching conversations with students from across the University, supported and facilitated by the Module team. Outside of these taught sessions, you will engage in activities from a menu of opportunities to develop your Graduate Attributes. 

The menu of opportunities allows you to self-select activities such as hackathons, masterclasses and taster sessions, short online learning courses, and study abroad. In your taught classes with students from across the University, you will be encouraged to reflect on the activities you undertake to develop your graduate attributes and work towards the final assignment, a portfolio.

30 credits

This module gives you the opportunity to explore a topic of your own choice and to initiate, design, and carry out a small-scale research project under supervision. You will develop and apply research skills through reviewing literature, selecting appropriate methodologies, collecting and analysing data, and drawing well-founded conclusions. You will also reflect on how your project supports your professional development, employability, and awareness of environmental, commercial, and wider stakeholder impacts.

The module is mapped against KU Graduate Attributes, particularly having a questioning mindset, creative problem solving, digital competency, being enterprising, adaptability, resilience and self-awareness, and empathy where relevant to your research context. Through independent enquiry, critical evaluation, and professional communication, you will develop and evidence these Future Skills as a culmination of learning across the course.

Workshops and one-to-one supervision will support you throughout the process. Formative methods include an initial research statement and an interim report, with feedback on the interim report intended to inform and strengthen your final dissertation submission. Assessment is by dissertation, which enables you to demonstrate scholarly writing, critical analysis, ethical awareness, and independent research capability.

15 credits

In this module, you will explore the principles and applications of smart cities and digital twin technologies in addressing the climate emergency and enhancing urban resilience. You will examine how architectural technology, digital data, and simulation-based models are used to understand, design, and manage complex urban environments in environmentally, socially, economically, and culturally sustainable ways.

A central focus of the module is developing a critical understanding of digital twins as dynamic tools for modelling, analysing, and testing urban systems, enabling you to evaluate performance, resilience, and sustainability at city scale. Through lectures, workshops, fieldwork, and applied project-based learning, you will critically engage with smart city strategies and develop evidence-based digital responses to real-world urban challenges.

The module is mapped against KU Graduate Attributes, particularly digital competency, creative problem solving, having a questioning mindset, being enterprising, adaptability, empathy, and resilience and self-awareness. Through the Smart City Digital Strategy and Solution Proposal, you will develop and evidence these Future Skills by critically appraising urban strategies, evaluating digital twin applications, and proposing robust, data-informed solutions for smart and sustainable urban environments.