Architecture is fundamentally about the future, about making plans and proposals for how the full range of human activities and needs can be housed and sustained. The UCD School of Architecture invites its students to engage creatively and constructively with the complex challenge of designing the future. If you have a capacity and passion for creativity, for making things through technological invention or artistic experimentation, and you are excited by the idea of devising solutions to complex problems, by the prospect of designing buildings, urban environments and landscapes, then the UCD School of Architecture is for you. It has the widest range of facilities in Ireland, and the most established and respected courses to ensure that you achieve that potential.
Celebrating its centenary in 2011/12, the School of Architecture has long led the way for architecture in Ireland. Its undergraduate, graduate and research programmes cover all aspects of the practice of architecture and landscape architecture, as well as advanced areas of conservation, sustainability, history and urbanism. Its staff include many of the leading figures in architectural practice as well as internationally-recognised researchers. Its graduates are working all over the world. Many have achieved great prominence in architectural design and related fields.
Rooted in its context, the school is global in its outlook. Uniquely in Ireland, its architecture programmes are accredited by the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) as well as the RIAI, thus ensuring all graduates an internationally benchmarked qualification. UCD is currently the only university in Ireland to offer an undergraduate degree in Landscape Architecture. This course is accredited by the Irish Landscape Institute (ILI) and recognised by the European Foundation for Landscape Architecture (EFLA).
The majority of students at the school spend at least one semester on international exchange with a network of over twenty leading architecture programmes in Europe, US, Australia and Asia. International students are increasingly attracted to the school’s graduate and research programmes.
Our programmes are taught in unique facilities on the Belfield campus including spacious design studios, a well-equipped workshop and building laboratory, the built environment laboratory, exhibition spaces and the best architectural library in the country.
The design studios are hubs of creativity, capable not only of producing award-winning designs but also of responding to some of today’s greatest issues and challenges, such as increasing urbanization, the need for sustainable development, and the possibilities for technological innovation. As such, the programme is constantly evolving, seeking to extend architecture’s role and potential in a complex world.
Studio programmes are largely taught by practicing architects and landscape architects, among them many of the leading figures in their profession, whose work is widely recognised in national and international competitions and awards.
From the outset, the emphasis is on students proposing creative solutions to set problems and solutions. Through learning by doing, students propose, test and develop ideas. There is a strong emphasis on group work and collaboration, mainly through design task and problem solving.
However, the educational experience is not confined to the studios, lecture theatres, labs and library – it spills over into the cafes and social spaces, and out into students’ daily encounters with the world around them. Studying architecture makes you see the world differently. At UCD School of Architecture, our aim is to deepen our students’ understanding, extend their capacities and broaden their horizons. We produce graduates capable of addressing both global issues and responding to local conditions. Their skills equip them for careers in architecture, but will also serve them in responding creatively and resourcefully to the many challenges of contemporary society. Our graduates are oriented towards action and prepared for the future.
