Archinect - News

Donation by Zaha Hadid Foundation creates scholarships for students from low-income households

2022-03-09T10:09:00-05:00

The London School of Architecture has announced a scholarship program for students from low-income households. The initiative will see three recipients each awarded £36,000 (approximately $47,000), covering the full fees and associated costs of the LSA’s two-year MArch program. The funding for the scholarship was made viable due to a donation from the Zaha Hadid Foundation.

The initiative is aimed at promising prospective Masters students from low-income backgrounds, defined as those whose household income is below £25,000 ($32,000). To qualify, applicants must either be over 25 and not financially dependent on parents or under 25 and not financially dependent on parents. The scholarship is also open to refugees who would otherwise be unable to pursue their studies, even if financially dependent on parents or relatives.

While the scholarship is aimed at all students from low-income backgrounds, the school also strongly encourages applications from students with “particular inter...

London School of Architecture has found its new school head and executive chief

2021-03-05T16:04:00-05:00

In July 2020, Will Hunter, founder of the London School of Architecture (LSA), announced his plans to step down from his chief executive position. Launched in 2015, the school aimed to provide "alternative routes to architecture." Hunter, the former Deputy Editor of The Architectural Review, was ambitious with the school's founding starting with 30+ postgraduate architecture students during the program's first cohort.

Archinect spoke with Hunter in the Fall of 2015 as a guest on our Archinect Sessions podcast. During our discussion with him, he shared his goals and intentions for shaking up architectural academia in the UK. Quoted during his interview with the podcast team, Hunter explained that he wanted to develop "a 'cost-neutral' model of architecture education, where students work part-time – for pay equal to the cost of tuition – while also attending courses."

The LSA's first graduating cohort (2017) Image courtesy of LSA Instagram

Since then, the school has grown into a thri...

Will Hunter to step down from London School of Architecture

2020-07-07T14:55:00-04:00

Will Hunter, a founder of the London School of Architecture (LSA), has announced a plan to step down as the chief executive of the institution.

The Architects Journal reports that Hunter aims to transition out of his current role at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. Hunter founded the school to help provide an alternative track for attaining architectural education and work experience back in 2012.

Shortly after opening the school Archinect spoke with Will on our podcast about his goals of creating a "cost-neutral" model of architecture education, where students work part-time – for pay equal to the cost of tuition – while also attending courses.

In 2015, the school was formed as an official charity organization. In 2017, LSA received "Part 2" accreditation from the Architects Registration Board as well as validation from the RIBA, AJ reports. Now, the school is aiming to earn its "Part 1" accreditation, as well.

Published on Archinect in 2017, 2 years after founding the s...

Teaching to the City: Archinect Sessions One-to-One #6 with Will Hunter, founder of the brand new London School of Architecture

2015-12-14T16:16:00-05:00

Complaints about the state of architecture education are easy to come by, both in academia and practice. It's expensive, long, and arguably ineffective in preparing graduates for the realities of the field. So who's actually trying to fix it?

Will Hunter, former deputy editor of the Architectural Review, has one idea – start a whole new school altogether. Back in October, Hunter opened the brand new London School of Architecture, starting 30+ postgraduate architecture students on a 2-year course working with local firms on local projects. As the school's founder and director, Hunter wanted to form a "cost-neutral" model of architecture education, where students work part-time – for pay equal to the cost of tuition – while also attending courses. Give students a vested interest in their city and practice, narrow the gap between education and practice considerably, and make their training financially sustaining.

We spoke with Hunter in August, about the thought process behind the school...

New London School of Architecture to open in 2015

2013-10-01T21:13:00-04:00

Rather than get trapped in the false dichotomy between ‘academia’ and ‘practice’ − where one is where ‘thinking’ happens and the other is about ‘buildings’ − we thought instead about ‘design’ and ‘research’ as activities that both students and practitioners would engage in throughout their careers. The question was how can you make a bridge to unite these two groups around those twin pursuits?

Will Hunter, the Deputy Editor of The Architectural Review, developed the London School of Architecture out of the "Alternative Routes for Architecture" think-tank, active in 2012. While much of the school is still being designed, Hunter will serve as Director and is seeking program accreditation by the ARB.