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A studio space containing an exhibition of student work with people walking around it Andrew Perry

Postgraduate

Architecture - MArch

MArch

Features

2 years
Full-time

Outline

This programme is for highly motivated students who wish to:

  • Further their skills in the research-led spatial, programmatic, material, structural and environmental articulation of architectural design.
  • Engage with the contemporary city and the associated flows of information, energy and resources.
  • Critically position their practice in relation to contemporary theoretical discourses, modes of inquiry and representation.
  • Develop situated and careful forms of architectural knowledge and production that are speculative, creative, low-carbon, regenerative, and inclusive.

The two-year Master of Architecture (MArch) programme offers a unique studio-based and research-led learning experience. You will have the opportunity to develop designs that engage with complex urban settings, innovative material systems, and critical forms of inquiry and representation, elaborating nuanced responses to the pressing environmental, socioeconomic, and political questions facing architectural practice in the 21st century.

Based in one of the most beautiful and architecturally significant cities in the world, the ARB and RIBA Part 2 validated MArch programme at ESALA combines creative inquiry and academic rigour with a deep sense of professional responsibility. We empower our students to imagine and prototype forms of spatial practice that are low-carbon, situated, inclusive and regenerative.

The MArch is delivered through a diverse set of elective design studios, each focusing on a specific urban setting or geographical area, and on a set of thematic concerns.

Complementary courses in theory, technology, and professional practice are offered to engage with different facets of contemporary architectural discourse, and to develop core professional competencies. Uniquely, the programme offers two curricular pathways, allowing students to complete either a one or two-year design-studio thesis, prioritising either breadth or depth of enquiry.

Programme structure

The design studio is the heart of the MArch curriculum, and accounts for 160 credits of the programme. You will have the opportunity to explore different design approaches and develop your own specialism by choosing from a range of design studio options.

Each studio is led by a dedicated academic staff member whose expertise and research agenda frame the themes of investigation, and typically involves:

  • a field trip to sites of national or international interest, or
  • an in-depth and hands-on multi-day workshop with invited experts.

Many studios engage in elements of collaborative work, fostering creative and social exchanges among peers.

The MArch design studios operate through one of two curricular pathways, which you will choose when you arrive in Edinburgh.

Modular Pathway

Students on the Modular Pathway will develop two independent year-long design studio projects, completing a highly resolved thesis while also developing a portfolio typified by breadth of enquiry.

Modular studios are open to both 1st and 2nd year students, and offer opportunities for peer learning between cohorts.

Integrated Pathway

Students on the Integrated Pathway will develop one design thesis project over the two years of the MArch programme, engaging with a wide range of architectural scales from the urban strategy to the construction detail, in a comprehensive project.

You can view examples of work completed in previous MArch studios through the collection of degree show catalogues available here:

MArch Degree Show Catalogues

The remaining 80 credits comprise four compulsory non-studio courses.

Architectural Technology Research

Architectural Technology Research (ATR) supports you in innovative and creative research projects linking material and environmental approaches to the climate emergency.

It encourages practical and exploratory studies in technical themes relevant to your selected studio and design project, working towards their seamless integration.

ATR is a 20-credit course that runs throughout Semester 1. It includes a series of lectures on contemporary architectural technology and environmental issues.

Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory

Structured through a series of thematic theory seminars, of which students follow one of particular interest or concern to them, Studies in Contemporary Architectural Theory (SCAT) develops an in-depth knowledge of contemporary architectural discourses, drawing on historical and interdisciplinary texts as necessary.

You will work in thematically organised groups, led by staff with specific expertise in the material. This allows for more active student participation, fosters the nuanced interpretation and debate of issues, and promotes a multi-perspectival approach.

SCAT is a 20-credit course, and it runs throughout Semester 2.

Architectural Management, Practice and Law

In the second year of the MArch programme, the 20-credit course Architectural Management, Practice and Law (AMPL) explores the urgencies affecting architectural practice and introduces students to the political, ethical and social context within which architects work.

Through a series of lectures, workshops and drawing-based studies, it invites you to research and critically reflect upon three priorities for contemporary practice identified by the RIBA:

  • Health and Life Safety
  • Ethics and Social Purpose
  • Climate
Design Report and Academic Portfolio

The Programme concludes with two plenary 10-credit courses which document and represent different aspects of your work.

The Design Report (DR) is a comprehensive document that describes in detail one of the projects completed during the programme and offers an opportunity for you to reflect on the research and design development you have done, position your work beyond the institution, and take responsibility for your design decisions in relation to the associated social and environmental effects.

A companion piece, Academic Portfolio (AP2), is a curated representation and comprehensive record of the body of work developed during the programme. It demonstrates its relation to professional requirements and critically reflects upon, and celebrates, the breadth of enquiry undertaken.

Hear from our staff and students

Careers

Students in the Master of Architecture (MArch) gain excellent skills in the development and articulation of spatial, programmatic, material, structural and environmental architectural designs capable of nuanced responses to the complex challenges facing the built environment in the 21st century.

Our MArch degree forms the second stage in a process that will enable you to register and practice as a professional architect in the UK.

Why you should choose this programme

1

Our Part 2 accredited programme situated in one of the most beautiful and architecturally inspiring cities in the world.

2

You will have critical and research-based engagement with the historical, cultural, and material specificity of the contemporary city, and with the social and environmental challenges facing architectural practice in the 21st century.

3

We have an international reputation for investigative and creative pedagogies aligned with staff expertise and research practices.

4

Join a culture of enquiry through making and drawing, supported by world-class workshops and technical facilities.

5

We offer exceptional tuition and guidance supplemented by input from eminent international architects, educators and scholars, and from local community groups, practitioners, and stakeholders.

6

Our programme offers a unique curricular pathway, offering a choice of thematic design studios completed across 1 or 2 years of study.

Opportunities

Guest experts

Each year, we welcome several distinguished guests to the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA). These international experts each deliver a free public lecture and engage closely with staff and students through masterclasses, tutorials, discussions, and crits.

Recent Geddes Visiting Fellows have included Gloria Cabral (Studio 4.4), Arne Vande Capelle and Gaspard Geerts (Rotor), Samia Henni, Flores & Prats, Katja Grillner, Hélène Binet, Anuradha Mathur & Dilip da Cunh, and Luis Callejas.

Recent George Simpson Visiting Professors have included Carme Pinós, Jan De Vylder & Inge Vinck, O’Donnell + Tuomey, Peter Salter, Wang Shu & Lu Wenyu (Amateur Architecture Studio), Stan Allen, and Michael Webb.

Recent David Skinner Memorial Lectures have been delivered by Brett Milligan, Teresa Moller, Jo Gibbons, Jaqueline Osty, Marti Franch, and Henri Bava.

In addition to programme-specific seminars in Architectural History & Theory, Conservation, and Landscape Architecture, ESALA also curates Frictions, the ESALA Public Lecture Series.

Frictions has had, in recent years, a specific focus on the climate emergency, interconnecting environmental pollution to the issues of colonisation, segregation, racism, forced migration, and to systems of injustice.

Recent guests have included Shahed Saleem, Hannah Le Roux, Daniel Barber, Ursula Biemann, Joseph Grima, Anupama Kundoo, Bellastock, Alison Killing, Hélène Frichot, Jane Hutton, Giorgos Kallis, Cooking Sections and Rania Ghosn.

How to apply and entry requirements

If you'd like to study on a postgraduate programme at Edinburgh College of Art, you must apply through EUCLID, our online application system. You can find out how to do this on the University of Edinburgh website, where you'll also be able to: 

  • See detailed entrance requirements for each programme on the Degree Finder 
  • Get information on what to expect after you apply 
  • Find out about study modes, start dates and fees 
  • Find out if, and how, you need to submit a portfolio, showreel or research proposal 
  • Find out where to go for further advice and guidance.

Get in touch

Edinburgh College of Art Postgraduate Admissions

futurestudents@ed.ac.uk
+44 (0)131 650 4086

Field trips

Each Architectural Design studio typically involves a field trip to sites of national or international interest, or an in-depth and hands-on multi-day workshop with invited experts.

In both cases, the studios promote forms of situated research that ground design proposals into specific material, spatial, environmental, and social contexts.

Campus facilities

In the MArch studios, you will each have a dedicated desk, and enough space to develop, iterate and test work over time, and to elaborate situated ways of communicating and exhibiting their architectural design theses. We support a strong studio culture that promotes collaboration and peer-to-peer exchanges.

You will have access to a broad range of technical facilities, both at ESALA and within the Edinburgh College of Art, including computer and printing facilities; digital fabrication labs (CAD/CAM); casting rooms and printmaking suites; wood, metal, and glass workshops—all supported by specialised technical staff. You will have also access to the Architecture Library in Minto House, the Edinburgh College of Art Library, and the Main University of Edinburgh Library.

Lauriston campus redevelopment

ECA are excited to be undertaking a capital redevelopment of ECA’s Lauriston campus over the next 3 years, from April 2024 to April 2027.

The project aims to maximise the use of existing space, improve accessibility, and create a vibrant campus that fosters collaboration and innovation.

The project involves refurbishing and repurposing various spaces across the Lauriston campus, including technical facilities, student and teaching spaces, and the relocation of the Reid School of Music from Alison House to the Lauriston campus. New social spaces, seminar rooms, and studios are being created to accommodate our growing community.

You can find more about the project at the below link:

Building work starts at ECA’s Lauriston campus | Edinburgh College of Art

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