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Digital Craft in Architecture

MA or PGDip or PGCert

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Start dates: September 2026

Full time: 1 Year

Location: Headington

School(s): School of Architecture

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Overview

Develop your advanced digital design and making skills, focusing on the intersection of computational design, digital fabrication and traditional craftsmanship. Collaborating with industry partners, you’ll combine critical theory with practical applications, ready for specialised roles in architectural practice and research.

Within Oxford’s unique ecosystem of academic excellence and craft heritage, and building on Oxford School of Architecture’s renowned vernacular architecture research, blend timeless craft knowledge with cutting-edge digital technologies. Taught by experts from pioneering firms like Mamou-Mani, MAKE and Grimshaw, you'll gain experience with robotic manufacturing, mixed reality and traditional hand tooling.

You’ll experiment at the acclaimed Grymsdyke Farm digital fabrication labs, using its grounds for large-scale projects and collaborating with craftspeople and industry partners, building vital career connections.

Take a look at some of the incredible projects from our Digital Craft in Architecture students, and follow the course on Instagram.

Attend an open day or webinar Ask a question Order a prospectus

Why Oxford Brookes University?

  • Digital Design Workshops

    Master the tools shaping the future of architecture. Gain hands-on expertise in robotics, computational design, mixed reality, and digital fabrication.

  • Networking and Collaboration

    Work directly with leading practices and industry pioneers on live research projects, building your professional network before you graduate.

  • 'Hands on' experience

    Move from screen to reality. At our dedicated workshops, you will learn by making, testing your ideas and building ambitious, full-scale prototypes.

  • Teaching Expertise

    Learn from the leaders in the field. Our tutors are active practitioners, researchers and specialists who bring their real-world project experience into the studio.

  • Great partnerships

    Grymsdyke Farm is a destination and a reference point in the design sector: a place to develop ideas, explore design practices and investigate methodologies.

Course details

Course structure

This course operates at the intersection of academia and professional practice. It is a hands-on, research-driven environment where you will learn by doing, tackling real-world design problems through rigorous experimentation and making.

Our curriculum is designed to give you direct access to the latest innovations in architecture and construction. You will be taught by a dedicated team of tutors who are also leading practitioners in their fields. From computational design specialists to experts in robotic fabrication, our staff bring their current projects and industry experience directly into the studio, providing you with relevant, up-to-the-minute knowledge and mentorship. This unique approach ensures your learning is not just theoretical, but is directly applicable to the challenges and opportunities of the contemporary building industry.

Learning and teaching

Our teaching philosophy is built on a model of mentorship and collaboration that mirrors the most progressive design studios. You will learn through:
  • Practice-Led Studio Sessions: Your core learning will take place in a dynamic studio setting. Tutors are not just academics; they are active practitioners who will guide your projects with insights drawn from their current work on complex, real-world buildings and prototypes.
  • Specialist Workshops & Masterclasses: We move fluidly between the design studio and our expansive workshops. Here, you will be taught hands-on skills by experts in their fields—from robotic fabrication and advanced computation to sustainable material craft.
  • One-to-One Mentorship: You will receive dedicated tutorial time with our team of specialists, allowing you to develop your individual research and design agenda with expert, tailored guidance. This is your opportunity to discuss your project in depth with the people who are leading the industry.

Assessment

Your assessments will be diverse, and will support different learning styles - you’ll have a real opportunity to showcase your strengths. Your learning may be assessed by a combination of individual or group coursework, examinations, and presentations. The assessment methods chosen will be based on your learning needs, individual aims and the academic standards expected for the course.

Field Trips

There is no official field trip on the course.

We will encourage you to visit areas of interest that are relevant to your thesis, and to visit exhibitions and galleries. We recommend you should budget about £300 for trips such as these for your thesis.

Study modules

The modules listed below are for the master's award. For the MArchD award your module choices may be different. Please contact us for more details.

Taught modules

Compulsory modules

  • Advanced Digital Practice (30 credits)

    This module develops your command of the digital tools essential to contemporary design. The ambition is to move beyond standard software use, teaching you to approach design challenges through the lens of computation. You will learn to generate and rationalise complex geometry using scripting and data-driven methods, gaining a deeper understanding of the relationship between computational theory and professional practice.
     

  • Design for Digital Manufacture and Assembly (30 credits)

    This module connects digital design to the realities of physical production. You will gain hands-on experience in our workshops, learning to prepare digital files for fabrication and to design with materials, assembly, and manufacturing processes in mind. The experience is centered on prototyping, allowing you to test your ideas and develop a crucial, hands-on understanding of how design decisions translate into built outcomes.
     

  • Contextual Theory (30 credits)

    This module provides the critical foundation for your studio work. The ambition is to develop your postgraduate-level research and analytical skills using state-of-the-art AI research tools and techniques. You will investigate key historical and theoretical precedents in architecture and technology, learning to situate your own practical work within a broader intellectual context and build a robust body of knowledge to support the development of the design project.
     

  • Collaborative Project (30 credits)

    Here, you will apply your skills to a live brief in a professional context. Working in a group, you will collaborate with an industry or academic partner to address a specific design challenge. The experience involves defining a research proposal, developing a clear methodology, and producing a 'proof-of-concept' prototype. This module is designed to mirror a real-world research and development process.
     

Final project

Compulsory modules

  • Final project (60 credits)

    The final module is the culmination of your studies, where you will synthesise your skills in research, design, and fabrication. The ambition is to create and document a single, comprehensive project. You will develop a highly resolved and ambitious design proposition, demonstrating your innovative approach through a significant final work. This will be a thesis that critically positions your project, demonstrating a mature and deep understanding of your chosen topic.
     

     

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Research

Research on the course is an active, hands-on investigation into the future of building. Our ethos is 'research through making,' where you will test, prototype, and innovate at scale to develop a robust proof of concept for your ideas.

You will join dynamic, collaborative research groups exploring cutting-edge areas such as:

  • Advanced Material Systems: Developing and testing novel sustainable materials for real-world applications.
  • Augmented Craft and Fabrication: Creating new workflows where robotics and mixed-reality tools work alongside builders to enhance their skills and precision.
  • Computational Design and Tectonics: Using digital tools to generate new architectural forms and expressions that are directly informed by material properties and fabrication methods.

This industry-led research tackles real-world challenges, building a powerful portfolio of work. This approach prepares you for leadership roles in innovative practice and provides a strong foundation for doctoral research.
 

Careers

Graduates are equipped with a rare and highly sought-after combination of skills, ready to lead in a new and expanding architectural field. You will enter the profession capable of bridging the critical gap between digital design and physical making, prepared for specialist roles in the industry.  

You will graduate with expertise in:

  • Translating complex geometry into fabrication-ready information 
  • Advanced manufacturing for timber, stone, and earth using robotics and CNC tools
  • Designing and fabricating with mixed and augmented reality environments
  • Systematic material research and the development of 1:1 prototypes
  • Collaborative research and development with leading industry partners.  

Our alumni are prepared for roles in advanced research groups, innovative fabrication studios, and world-leading architectural practices, joining a global network of professionals who are actively shaping a more materially intelligent and sustainable future.

Watch our School of Architecture Employability video.

Related courses

Related course
Applied Design in Architecture (ARB and RIBA part 2)
Related course
Advanced Architectural Design
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Entry requirements

International qualifications and equivalences

How to apply

Application process


Apply now

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
Home (UK) full time
£10,200
International full time
£17,950
Home (UK) full time
£10,450
International full time
£18,500

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2025 / 26
Home (UK) full time
£10,200
International full time
£17,950
2026 / 27
Home (UK) full time
£10,450
International full time
£18,500

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Financial support and scholarships

For general sources of financial support, see our Fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Materials

Performing physical experimentation means that you may incur costs for materials. Access to our workshops is free, but you will need to source your own materials to use. It is possible to gain free materials. Or to use natural occurring materials. We recommend  a budget of £300 to £400 for your model making materials. The amount is a guide as your actual cost can vary depending on your area of interest.

Printing and binding

We provide access to show your work in a digital format. Your hardcopy portfolio elements of the course will need a high quality print finish. Therefore, we recommend a budget of £100 for your printing costs over the year.

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.