Topical coverage of career related issues brought to you by Victoria University Career Development and Employment.
Areas covered include how degrees and courses relate to employment opportunities, to life/work planning, graduate destination information and current issues or material relevant to the employment scene. Your comments and suggestions always welcomed.
ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDING SCIENCE
Architecture.
The word may conjure up images of extraordinary constructions, of cityscapes, landscapes and
interiors that capture the imagination and appeal to all our senses. At the most basic level architecture, interior
architecture, landscape architecture and building science are professions that have grown out of human needs
for shelter and space. As art forms the different architectures are means by which architects make individual and
cultural statements as they meet the needs of different client groups. To make their designs concrete architects
work in teams with many other professionals to bring buildings and landscapes off drawing boards and computer
screens and into the world. Even the most ordinary looking buildings and landscapes will have had input from
design, planning and building professionals whose work continues to push the boundaries of concept and
prac-tice. Building Science brings together centuries of knowledge and a growing body of research within an industry
that is increasingly complex and technical. Thanks to building science homes, workplaces, commercial and public
buildings can be made warmer, drier and healthier with reduced impact on the environment.
What is architecture?
The art and science of designing the built environment is a rigorous and multi-disciplinary profession. Architecture brings together the arts and humanities, sciences, technology and environmental awareness. It influences every way in which human environments are planned, designed, built, used and maintained. Through their work architects have the power to affect the ways people operate, how they feel and how safe they are inside and outside their buildings. Architecture also has an effect on the environment, on the light, wind, views, noise level and the ecology of a place.
Architects work on small buildings, groups of buildings and large or complex buildings, as well as the space in and around them. In doing this they must meet legal codes of compliance. The New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) identifies four typical phases of a project, in which the architect has a variety of roles. The phases range from initiation of a project during which the architect establishes a client’s needs and budget through stages of design development and analysis, documen-tation and building consent to construction and completion of a project. This process may take a few months to several years depending on the scale of a project. Along the way an architect will work with many other professionals including other ar-chitects, project managers, engineers, construction companies, quantity surveyors, building scientists and historians to name a few.
Architects may specialise once they are registered and have acquired a broad base of knowledge and experience. Speciali-sations include commercial and industrial, education, health-care, hospitality, marine, building restoration and conservation, multidisciplinary practices, residential, sports, accessibility, planning, sustainable building, seismic research and design. Many graduates will move into a career in mainstream archi-tecture, working in an architectural firm or for a government organisation. Because a degree in architecture equips students with a set of marketable transferable skills, graduates may also pursue careers in related fields. Additional qualifications may be required.
Career options include: architectural history, criticism and journalism; arbitration/mediation; building standards and inspection; design; international aid; museums and curating; policy; research and academic work; property management; property development; real estate broking; software design; related building trades such as joinery and furniture.
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Landscape architecture
Wherever people walk, gather, live, work and play they have a relationship with the natural and built environment. The land-scapes people inhabit are of great cultural, spiritual, aesthetic and economic value and the work of landscape architects is influential in creating this value. To do this they draw on many different disciplines to create environments that meet a wide range of human and ecological needs.
Landscape architecture is concerned with the design, planning and strategic maintenance of enclosed and open spaces for people’s use and enjoyment. While the practice of landscape architecture creates new urban, rural, residential and public environments, it is also concerned with the management and conservation of natural and heritage landscapes.
Wide-ranging in its scope, landscape architecture fulfils both aesthetic and practical purposes, whether in modifying an urban environment for a shopping mall, designing an industrial site, advising on rural or residential developments, or creating parks, reserves, waterfronts, zoos, and wildlife centres for envi-ronmental and recreational purposes. Landscape architects may decide to specialise in a particular area once they have qualified and have acquired a broad base of knowledge and experience over several years. Landscape architects tend to choose design, planning (environmental impact and project development ad-vice) or management (policies for and preservation of cultural or heritage landscapes).
The New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects (NZILA) is the professional accrediting body for landscape architects in New Zealand. NZILA says: “Landscape architects have a pas-sion for the landscape, for its care, and for its enhancement by design.” A landscape architect will be involved in the designs for specific sites, in drawing up contract documentation, doing landscape planning, management and assessment, and making landscape policy. While landscape architects usually don’t implement their designs, they help their clients in the tender-ing process, invittender-ing and reviewtender-ing tenders from landscape contractors, awarding contracts and acting as the client’s agent. Career options include: landscape architecture - public, residential; landscape planning; project management; resource management; social and environmental policy; community liaison; consultation; government (local, regional, national and international); academic education and research; urban design, planning or management.
interior architecture
Interior architecture makes indoor spaces attractive, functional and safe. Interior architects arrange the spaces inside any and
every kind of building - shops, homes, cafes, offices, theatres, hospitals, schools, libraries and even the interiors of corridors, utilising the principles of interior design and architecture. Interior spaces vary considerably in their purpose, function and aesthetic; in the mood and message they seek to convey and the image they create. The design for a dentist’s waiting room will create an environment that looks and functions very differ-ently from that of a courtroom, a bookshop or restaurant. Good design sense is a key requirement for interior architects. This enables them to create stimulating and exciting physical, cultural, and emotional environments for people. To meet di-verse client needs they must understand how different societies and cultures perceive and use interior places and how technol-ogy can impact on an environment. Interior architects also understand how the elements of space, proportion, colours and furnishings work together in contemporary and older build-ings. As their work may involve structural elements, interior ar-chitects need to be knowledgeable about construction materials and methods, to be able to read building plans and know about building codes and permits, about electrical wiring and plumb-ing, heating and cooling systems and seismic strengthening. Interior architects work closely with a wide range of clients and other professionals. Communication, project management and budget management are also essential skills.
Interior architects design social, commercial, residential and institutional space through to performance, installation and exhibition designs.
Career options include: Interior architecture - commercial fit-outs for offices, factories; residential, interiors of homes and apartments; exhibition/display/installation designer e.g. muse-ums, art galleries; furniture design; interior design or decora-tion; graphics; retail design; set design (film, theatre, televi-sion); yacht interior design; kitchens and bathrooms; virtual (digital) interiors and software development.
buiLding science
If you live in a house that is cold and leaks, a building scientist will be able to tell you why it got like that and how to fix it so that your home is warm, weather tight and energy efficient. Building science is concerned with the technical aspects of construction - the cause and effect of how the different ele-ments of buildings affect each other. The findings of building science provide information about the materials, processes and techniques appropriate for individual constructions, and the range is huge – from the super tall Dubai Tower to blocks of apartments; the construction of a milking shed or the conserva-tion of a tiny historic cottage.
The study of building science covers a wide range of build-ing theory, research and development, as well as practice, from construction processes to project management, building technology to energy efficiency, lighting, acoustics and digital craft. A building science qualification combines well with other courses in architecture, interior architecture and design, and with degrees such as law, commerce and secondary teaching. Career options include: (some of these may need prior work experience in the building industry) building construction analysis; building materials consultancy; building research; building supervision; building/construction management; general management; local government e.g. building consents, planning; project management; property management; sustain-able building construction; quantity estimating/surveying (ad-ditional papers required and 6-12 years experience); materials and products companies - lighting design, acoustics, insulation, cladding, concrete; building quality management for territorial authorities; engineering firms specialising in structures and en-vironmental design; technical consultancy, computer visualisa-tion and digital simulavisualisa-tion of building and heating, cooling, lighting and acoustic performance.
What skills do architecture and
building science graduates develop?
During their degree work students develop a highly marketable set of skills. When writing a CV and preparing for an interview it is useful for graduates to analyse the course work they did. Specific examples from study projects, paid and voluntary work can be used as evidence of the skills and knowledge they are offering an employer.
Knowledge
Architecture and building science degree studies provide wide ranging and up-to-date knowledge in the built environ-ment field. Students also develop awareness of their personal strengths and limitations in respect to professional knowledge. As architecture and building science are multi-disciplinary, stu-dents gain an understanding of other knowledge systems and a desire to continue and expand their learning.
Creative and critical thinking
Graduates will have learned to think rigorously and creatively, to analyse complex data, conditions and circumstances and to synthesise knowledge and solve problems in an imaginative and creative way.
Communication
Architecture and building science graduates are skilled in many aspects of communication. These include writing, graphic/vi-sual means and verbal communication. They can also listen,
in-teract and negotiate in a range of interpersonal, communal and professional situations and work effectively in a team setting.
Teamwork
Architecture and building involve a great deal of collaborative work between the different professions and trades required to achieve safe constructions and landscaping. Structures must meet the requirements of building codes, resource management and the client’s brief. During degree studies students work on projects in groups and learn about the work of other construc-tion professionals.
Leadership
Degree studies develop intellectual leadership skills and the ability to operate in a responsible, fair and ethical manner us-ing sound professional judgement.
What do architecture and building
science graduates need to work as
professionals?
Architects, interior architects and landscape architects need professionally recognised qualifications awarded by an ac-credited institution. Architects must be registered by the New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB). Landscape architects can register with the New Zealand Institute of Land-scape Architects (NZILA). There is no specific registration re-quired for interior architects however professional associations such as the Designers Institute of New Zealand (DINZ) have entry criteria and ongoing professional development require-ments. The New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB) has a wide membership within the building industry.
Following completion of their degree graduates in all four dis-ciplines will usually need to work for at least three years before advancing further in their career, becoming registered or choos-ing an area of specialisation. As the architecture and buildchoos-ing industries are multi-disciplinary, graduates need to be able to understand the language of the other professionals they work with such as engineers, sub-contractors and construction com-panies. Graduates also benefit from being all-rounders, having varied interests and work experiences. Being able to see the big picture as well as the detail is essential. Following degree stud-ies graduates will step out from university onto another new learning curve as they test their academic experience and learn new skills in the work place.
Some professional bodies have a membership category that allows students and new graduates to belong. Joining an as-sociation as an undergraduate or new graduate is a good way to form networks, to begin professional development and hear about companies that are recruiting in areas of interest.
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Where do architecture and building
science graduates work?
Architecture and construction are global industries across private and public sectors. While local government bodies employ architecture and building science professionals to permanent positions they also contract private companies for specific projects. Work opportunities do ebb and flow with the economic climate, however graduates are equipped with skills and attitudes that are sought by many employers. Being proac-tive by approaching firms while still an undergraduate or even while at secondary school demonstrates motivation. Volunteer work can also prove useful.
public sector
National, regional and local government
employ people with building science and architecture degrees in relevant areas. Urban and rural planning, design and management are relevant to graduates with degrees in architecture and land-scape architecture. Previous industry experience is likely to be a requirement for some roles.The Department of Building and Housing (DBH)
has opportunities for graduates in some operational policy areas, typically 2 - 4 vacancies per year. The Department takes on graduates from a range of disciplines including law, architecture or construction science in the customer services centre, initially for holiday work. Many have worked for DBH post graduation and are often successful at moving from the centre to advisory roles. The centre advises on legislation relating to building and housing. DBH looks for evidence of work experience, consis-tency in grades, evidence of the ability to fit within a team, e.g. sporting or volunteer activities, leadership on course work, and for interest in the role on offer through holiday work or similar. In some instances they look for evidence of organisational skills - i.e. someone who has held a part time job as well as achieve good grades. Occasionally DBH looks for particular techni-cal skills, e.g. financial/econometric modeling, architecture or building construction for roles in Weathertight or the Licensed Building Practitioner areas.Housing New Zealand Corporation
has a wide range of positions suited to qualified individuals, particularly in their Asset Programme Unit. These positions include architects, urban designers, environmental specialists and asset analysts. Community Renewal and Healthy Housing may also be areas of interest.Regional councils and territorial authorities
employ architects, landscape architects, urban designers and planners; building inspectors, building officers, project assistants and managers. Work within local authorities is often varied.Entry-level positions may be found in parks and reserves or within building consent, housing or property sections. Some councils have graduate programmes and scholarships.
private sector
Large and medium-sized companies and
consultan-cies ie construction, engineering, property operators
and developers
employ graduates to entry-level positions, depending on the availability of work. Smaller firms tend to prefer experienced practitioners.Private practice – self employment
Some architects, landscape architects, interior architects and building scientists set up their own practice after gaining several years experience. Building science graduates may run their own consultancies in computer simulation of lighting and energy performance, or produce animated visualisations of new designs for architecture and development teams.
Teaching
Universities employ architecture and building science gradu-ates as tutors and faculty staff. Gradugradu-ates considering an aca-demic career usually require a PhD and a record of publication to be competitive for junior positions. Teaching in public and private schools and training establishments is a viable career option for graduates. Technology teaching is a subject area relevant to building science graduates. Where there are teacher shortages scholarships may be offered and TeachNZ can advise on this. Teacher training is required, either through a conjoint degree or as a one-year diploma following graduation.
Journalism, writing and editing for journals,
maga-zines and newspapers
is a work option that may require further training. Writers with a specialist background who can communicate knowledge in a clear and interesting way to a broad cross section of readers may find a niche market for their skills. Technical writing is another option where specialist knowledge is useful in writing manuals, reports or documents to do with standards and regulations.typical entry-level, trainee roles
graduate architects
Roles titled graduate architect are entry-level positions that give architecture, interior and landscape graduates experience working collaboratively on different projects. Large architecture and engineering companies often have a graduate programme as well as summer internships.
Architecture graduates typically work for 3 - 4 years in the graduate category until they pass registration. Graduate architects work within a project team, under the guidance of a project architect and cover a range of roles including
pre-liminary concept and developed design, documentation and site and contract administration. Occasionally graduates will specialise in the design or documentation phases but generally they get exposure and are expected to work across stages and sectors. They may also do drafting and other tasks. Some companies prefer graduates to have some working knowledge of construction and this may be gained through work experience on building sites.
Large landscape architect firms may hire graduate architects in landscape design, landscape planning and management. Interior architects/designers may find work with interior design companies, specialist design firms and product companies. Some furniture companies also use designers.
building science graduates
Large construction companies may take on building science graduates as trainees or cadets for about three years. From there they may specialise in quantity surveying, engineering, project management or become construction supervisors. As trainees they will acquire experience in all areas of construc-tion including estimating, tendering, plant operaconstruc-tions, setting up projects and supervising, gaining an understanding of how sub-contractors work and the contractual relationships with them. Construction work can involve long hours and work outside, requiring stamina and enthusiasm. It is useful to gain practical experience on a site while studying.
Building science graduates may also work in the technical aspects of construction such as concrete manufacturing, work-ing on the plant, or dowork-ing quality control or testwork-ing. Companies that specialise in building materials and products may also hire building science graduates, particularly with some experience behind them.
Job titLes
A sample of job titles includes: graduate architect; landscape architect; interior architect; urban designer or planner; draft-sperson; CAD technician; architectural technician; interior architect: exhibition/display/installation designer e.g. museums, art galleries; furniture designer; interior architect, residential; interior designer; graphics designer; project manager; project assistant; retail designer; set designer (film, theatre, television); yacht interior designer; designer, kitchens and bathrooms; de-signer, virtual (digital) interiors; building researcher; building inspector; landscape architect; urban planner; urban designer; building construction analyst; building officer; building materi-als consultant; building supervisor; property manager; techni-cal advisor.
GRADUATE PROFILES
Joshua McLean
Architectural Graduate
McKenzie Higham Architecture
It’s not an easy decision for everyone but a degree in architec-ture was something I had always wanted to pursue. I entered the programme straight from second-ary school as a first year student expecting to design houses right
out of the blocks. Instead we were immersed in academic theo-ry, exploring and expressing materiality and space through nar-rative – something I was later to discover as the most important part of my education and integral to the whole design process. As my knowledge base grew so did my passion. No longer was Le Corbusier a name dropped into a Resene TV ad, but a mas-ter of the ‘Inmas-ternational Style’, a revolutionary Architect. The programme at Victoria University is both demanding and competitive which creates a community environment unique to the school. It is the studio atmosphere that sets the Architec-ture School apart from the main campus, fostering invaluable relationships with both teachers and students from all year levels.
The skill-set Victoria University provides students with is realistically diverse, in order for them to integrate into the workplace. These skills are not always specific to architecture and can be applied to a vast number of design disciplines. Architecture is not just a learned science of how materials and built elements work together but a way of thinking, an expres-sion of thought and most importantly a solution.
The position of Architectural Graduate I currently hold continually tests my skills in a real world environment while refining my ideals and methods of design. There is not a day in my position where I do not call upon the abundance of skills learned in the programme.
The most important piece of advice I can gift to future students of architecture is to be passionate. Architecture is simply a building without it.
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Kim Salt
Interior Architect
Athfield Architects
As a child I had a large collec-tion of lego and would spend countless hours planning and building with it, often incor-porating ideas I’d gathered from Mum’s house and garden magazines. In secondary school, I enjoyed art, maths and
techni-cal drawing, so studying design at tertiary level was a natural progression.
Victoria’s School of Architecture and Design gave me the opportunity to study in a world-class facility under some of the best in the industry. I gained from my studies a thorough understanding of the design process, the ability to clearly municate and present my ideas, experience in a range of com-puter software and a strong work ethic. The course also offers a broad range of electives that helped complement my skill-set; photography and furniture design were two highlights. After graduation, I was itching to travel and moved to the UK. I settled in Liverpool, which was in the midst of transformation to become the European Capital of Culture for 2008. Liverpool has an amazing collection of historic buildings, many of which were undergoing renovation. I applied at multi-disciplinary practices, as I am interested in all facets of architecture. I found employment at Austin-Smith:Lord (A-S:L), where I was one of two interior designers on a team that also included architects, landscape architects and city planners. During my time at A-S: L, I worked on a number of projects, including the relocation of A-S:L’s own offices into a listed heritage building, and an up-market salon, also in a listed building.
Eventually, I returned to New Zealand and am currently employed at Athfield Architects in Wellington. Working on interiors for historic buildings has become somewhat of a trend for me, and I’m currently involved in the refurbishment of Government House.
A career in design and architecture is no cakewalk. The degree is intense and requires focus and dedication. But if you have a passion for it, it’s more than worth the effort. Experience with lego doesn’t hurt, either.
Nathan Young
Landscape Architect
Wraight + Associates Ltd
At school I did well at graphics and art and I enjoyed geography and maths. I understood that architecture is a mixture of the sciences and art so studying ar-chitecture was a natural choice, as it was the most interesting. I chose landscape architecture
because I liked the idea of being able to work across multiple scales, from designing street furniture right up to working on large regional scale infrastructure projects. I enjoyed the variety of courses at university. Design studios allowed me to challenge ideas, theories and work with many creative media, drawing, film, photography and digital design. One of the skills I learnt during my degree was how to think critically about design. Communication of concepts and ideas through conventions such as drawing and modeling is both taught and challenged at design school, and I honed the tools I now use in my job. I also learnt that the design process is not a static process; it can vary for each designer, design profession and project.
Many of the lecturers at the university also work as profession-als, so if you get to know them job opportunities can open up. I’m now working with one of my tutors and even some of the students I have tutored. After graduating I was keen to see my design work built, and wanted to work for a design practice that had a similar goal. It is a great feeling to see designs you have contributed to get built. For several of the projects I have worked on we looked into the history and ecological processes of the site to help inform our design decisions. I find this work very rewarding as I’m continually learning. I’ve been working for Wraight + Associates (W+A) for three years. W+A works on a lot of high profile public space projects around the country, such as Waitangi Park and Taranaki Wharf on Wellington’s Waterfront. In my job I get to input into the early stages of a project, concept design through design development and assist while the projects are in construction.
My advice to students interested in architecture and design would be to keep drawing, reading and just get stuck in. It is a creative industry and is only limited by our imagination. Lots of the friends I studied with used their degrees to travel, and are now working as Landscape Architects all around the world - Melbourne, London, Oslo and Dubai.
Quentin Jackson
Associate Director
eCubed Building Workshop
I have a Master’s degree in Building Science from Victoria University. I initially studied architecture, but when my grades dropped in the second year I had a ‘‘head-to-head’’ with my tutors. They said, ‘Put your grades aside. Perhaps this is not for
you? It sounds like you are more of a building scientist’. I had no idea what that was.
I picked up a building science paper and immediately started getting “A” grades. I found I was talking about it and smil-ing and realised architecture was not quite the right career for me. During the first couple of years of studying architecture I realised my interests lay in the comfort, functional and services aspects of buildings.
I passed the architecture paper that initially caused my prob-lems to prove that I could do it and moved to building science. My thesis looked at the effect of daylight on primary school-aged students in New Zealand and how natural light affects wellbeing, health and productivity. After seven years of study and research I was awarded a Master’s degree with distinction. While I was studying I worked part-time for Building Work-shop, which specialised in building science. There I saw my research put to good use. I was worried my work at university might be a waste of time but architects began coming to us. I worked for Building Workshop for three years as a director. In October 2005 the company merged with Auckland engineer-ing firm eCubed, createngineer-ing the new company eCubed Buildengineer-ing Workshop.
I would advise students to have an inquisitive mind, to do more than three years’ study and complete the Honours programme. It’s also important to be good with people and cooperative in a team environment, as often as a Building Scientist you have to work with a wide range of professionals and skill levels.
Ashley Cornor
Senior Associate
DLA Phillips Fox
When I was deciding which courses of study to take at university I was faced with the dilemma of having two strong areas of interest – law and architecture. Victoria University gave me the opportunity to follow both and I enrolled in
courses leading to degrees in law and building science. One of the things I enjoyed most about this combined course of study was the contrast of disciplines.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, studying law involves a lot of read-ing. It offers the opportunity to consider and explore the relationship between the law and society, the constitutional underpinnings of New Zealand and other countries; the rights, powers and obligations of individuals, companies and organs of the state, and what happens when things go wrong i.e. court claims and the criminal law. As a law student, you develop skills in interpreting information and presenting written or oral arguments in relation to it. In contrast, building science offers opportunities to expand in different disciplines, such as maths, physics, construction technology and techniques, computer applications that relate to the built environment, and, of course, design. Notwithstanding the apparent differences, both disciplines involve a high degree of analysis of information in a number of different formats.
I was lucky to be able to take an extra year to do an Honours course of study for my building science degree. This allowed me to focus on selected areas of interest and to build up exter-nal contacts in the building and construction industry through projects I was involved in.
Nowadays, I work as a lawyer for a firm with offices in Wellington, dealing primarily with local government clients (i.e. councils), who have a range of different legal issues and queries. A good part of my work relates to buildings and associated environmental issues. My background in building science is useful on a daily basis in dealing with the plans, specifications and other documents that turn up on my desk, and in communicating with the building industry professionals who generated them.
©VUW Career Development and Employment
The School of Architecture in particular Diane Brand, Associate Professor and Head of School; Professor George Baird; Senior Lecturer Michael Donn; graduates Ashley Cornor, Quentin Jackson, Joshua McLean, Kim Salt and Nathan Young; and all those people who contributed to this publication.
Career View is published by Career Development and Employment
Victoria University of Wellington, Te Whare Wananga o te Upoko o te Ika a Maui PO Box 600, Wellington, Tel: 64-4-463-5390 or 64-4-463-5393, Fax 64-4-463 5252 www.victoria.ac.nz/careers
July 2009 ISSN 1172-4315
Special thanks to:
architecture and buiLding science
at Victoria
bachelor of architectural studies
In 2010 the School of Architecture is introducing a new three-year Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) degree. Students studying for a BAS can specialise in one of four areas—Ar-chitecture, Interior Arareas—Ar-chitecture, Landscape Architecture or Architecture History and Theory—and the unique programme encourages cross-disciplinary study from all four areas. Archi-tecture History and Theory is a new theory-based specialisation encompassing concepts wider than the professionally-orien-tated practical Architecture specialisation within the degree. It focuses on the historical, social, political, and critical contexts of how we design buildings and spaces. This specialisation is designed for those who are interested in the historical and theoretical concepts that frame the built environment. The fluidity of the BAS degree structure means that students share some of the same courses and can gain exposure to a variety of subjects including theory and applications, con-struction, structures, Pacific architecture, urban design and an introduction to practice and management.
The degree will provide students with the skills, practical knowledge and theoretical approaches required in the designed environment professions. Depending on their specialisation, successful graduates will have a thorough grounding in a range of subjects across design, technologies, management, history, environmental science, theory and urban design, making them well-equipped for a professional career or for continued study and research at postgraduate level.
bachelor of building science
In 2010 the School of Architecture is also introducing a restructured three-year Bachelor of Building Science (BBSc) degree with two new specialisations—Project Management and Sustainable Engineering Systems—that have been developed in response to the evolving needs of the building industry. These specialisations share a common set of core courses. Elective
opportunities structured into the programme allow you the opportunity to further develop your chosen area, undertake cross-disciplinary study with courses from the School’s other disciplines, or complete both BBSc specialisations.
New BBSc graduates will have the expertise in the science, technology and economics of building, and an understanding of architecture. Their combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience will meet an urgent need for building science professionals.
Project Management* involves the study of the logistics sur-rounding the built economic environment, processes involved in building construction, financial and project management methods and construction laws. Sustainable Engineering Sys-tems* is the study and performance simulation of environmen-tal engineering systems and sustainability at both the building and urban level. Students develop appropriate design systems to address the quality of built environments from heating and lighting to air quality and acoustics while incorporating the ef-ficient use of sustainable materials and building resources.
postgraduate study
Both the BAS and the BBSc are three-year degrees which lead into separate two-year Master’s level qualifications for students wanting an accredited professional degree in Architecture or Landscape Architecture, or a professionally recognised degree in Interior Architecture or Building Science. This move to a two-tier qualification brings the School of Architecture in line with international institutions. Students specialising in Archi-tecture History and Theory may continue their studies with a Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture History and Theory, which leads into the one-year Master of Architecture thesis programme.
Both degrees are open-entry into the first year for students with university entrance and share a common first-year programme. No portfolio is required. There is a competitive selection into the second year of the degree, however, based on students’ grades in the first year.
*Subject to approval. Please check www.victoria.ac.nz/architecture for further details.