Architecture

When you study Architecture at Oxford Brookes you will find yourself part of a vibrant community of staff and students located in the historical and culturally diverse city of Oxford. There is no house style at Oxford Brookes School of Architecture. Instead you are encouraged to experiment and discover your own.

Our staff are leading world-class research both here in the UK and across the globe in a variety of areas including sustainability, low carbon buildings, humanitarian action, and development and emergency practice.

Our courses are accredited by RIBA and ARB, the part 1 and 2 courses are also accredited by LAM (Malaysian board of Architects). The School also has associated affiliation with ACSA (Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture).

Accreditation

RIBA
ARB
LAM
Energy Institute

Community and career

Our Architecture graduates go onto work for leading practices across the globe such as Norman Foster and Hawkins Brown Architects. The strength of the our Interior course means our graduates work in a variety of different practices working on community based projects, lighting and even set design for TV.

“Brookes Architecture emphasises a lot on individuality and creativity, on top of technicality, which I thought was very encouraging. Being in Oxford, a smaller student-filled city was certainly a plus point for me. The best aspects of studying at Brookes were field trips. I love that every year, we get a major field trip, and several local trips. There’s a wide range of design units to choose from, each focusing on different aspects and having unique briefs.”

Nadhira Abdul Halim, BA Architecture

“We were really challenged by our tutor to think for ourselves in totally new ways. I also like the fact that it's a very practical course. We have been involved in hands on project work every semester. For instance, we have just worked on an extension to a nursery school near Oxford, which included a sensory room and a clubhouse. The course has given us a really good basis in technology, too, and we have used all the main computer programmes.”

Robert Dunbar, BA Interior Architecture

Facilities and resources

Our Architecture courses are hosted in the Abercrombie building. The building was designed by Design Engine Architects and won awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for both its design and sustainability. Glass bridges connect the two sides of the building and there are design studios for you to use on both the third and fourth floors.The building is an example of best practice in terms of sustainability, construction, design and facilities, and will inspire you whilst you create your own visions.

We also have a dedicated Workshop. The Workshop houses a range of equipment for model making and fabrication. As well as traditional equipment, a range of digital equipment - three laser cutters, two CNC routers, five different types of 3D printing and 3D scanners, is available to students with no additional charge. All relevant training is provided by workshop staff.

Interior Architecture studio
Two floors of studio spaces, designated 1st studio (undergraduate) and Interior Architecture studio. Computers that have the latest software such as CAD, Rhino and 3D Studio Max for modelling.
Students working with print project
A fully equipped print room with industry standard printers and 3D printers.
Student working in workshop
A dedicated workshop for machining/joining materials.

Research

The School of Architecture has a lively research environment that produces world-leading research that addresses social, environmental and architectural challenges locally, nationally and internationally.

The five research groups in the School cover a broad spectrum of fields; from architectural engineering, low carbon building to development and emergency practice, vernacular architecture, conservation and design. The research is multidisciplinary and of international relevance. We work in partnership with industry and communities which results in practice-relevant research. Our strong partnerships mean that our projects affect policies surrounding architecture, sustainability and humanitarian practice. All of our research is fed back into teaching, enhancing student experience and understanding.