Faculty of Architecture and Design

Overview

Victoria's Faculty of Architecture and Design Te Wāhanga Waihanga-Hoahoa is a unique, and leading, centre of Design and Architecture in New Zealand. The Faculty's facilities are widely acknowledged as some of the best in Australasia - all in a radically remodelled former cargo building, which is an award-winning landmark in central Wellington city.

Architecture has been taught at Victoria University since 1975 and Design since 1992. The Faculty is located in the heart of a city that takes building and design seriously - Wellington has long been at the forefront of architectural and design thought in New Zealand. New, exciting projects are being undertaken in the city constantly; and leaders in the architecture and design professions frequently lend their expertise to the Schools.

Degrees

The Faculty administers the following undergraduate degrees:

Bachelor of Architecture [BArch]

Bachelor of Building Science [BBSc]

Bachelor of Design [BDes]

The Bachelor of Architecture

Architects create the world we live in. From the sails of the Sydney Opera House to the seats of a stylish bus shelter, architects turn ideas into realities. They create forms and spaces that inspire, challenge, and nurture the human spirit.

Architects use creative and technical skills to improve our lives. A Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) degree combines technology, creativity, environmental and social awareness, and common sense.

Victoria's Architecture School has an international reputation for producing strong, thinking architects. Its central city home is a radical, award-winning building in Wellington's creative Cuba Street neighbourhood. The School offers the latest technology in building aerodynamics, virtual modelling, and graphic animation. It has depth in history, theory, and the humanities and has strong links with the architecture industry.

The five-year BArch degree can lead to further study in Victoria's Masters and PhD programmes. As well as working as architects, graduates are suited to a range of careers, from project manager to theatre designer or construction consultant.

Victoria's School of Architecture and Design offers a first-rate research environment. Research areas include building performance and evaluation; architectural and urban design processes; energy and environmental design of buildings; management and regulations; interior architecture and design; building structures and construction; and culture, history, and theory in architecture.

Much of the School's sponsored research is carried out through its Centre for Building Performance Research. The Centre is a member of the Architectural Research Centres Consortium, a private international organisation dedicated to the expansion of architecture research.

A BArch degree from Victoria is recognised around the world. It fulfils the academic requirements to register as an architect and join the New Zealand Institute of Architects. Another architecture option for students at Victoria is a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Architectural Studies.

The Bachelor of Building Science

Buildings are a big part of our lives. Their quality is vital to our economy, our lifestyle, and our environment. With knowledge of how buildings and people interact, building science graduates can literally make the world a better place in which to live.

Victoria's Bachelor of Building Science (BBSc) graduates have expertise in the science, technology, and economics of building, and an understanding of architecture. Their combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience is meeting an urgent need for building science professionals. Building Science has been taught at Victoria's School of Architecture since 1975 and the University is an international leader in the field. The School's high-tech Centre for Building Performance Research, established in 1985, was New Zealand's first. Students can plan a first-year programme that gives them the option to apply for a second year in Architecture, Building Science, or the Design disciplines. Entry into second-year Building Science is competitive, based on academic performance in your first year.

A BBSc can lead to postgraduate study in environmental science, construction, or structures, and it combines well with other degrees, particularly in Law and Commerce. Building Science graduates find careers in building research and development, project management, lighting design, and acoustics. Some specialise further in areas such as planning, surveying or computer simulation.

Bachelor of Design

Design the future: a new generation of products, systems, and environments. The study of design reveals the complex and subtle relationships between people and technologies, between the natural environment and the human world. Victoria's design graduates draw on a range of core disciplines, fusing creativity and technical know-how.

The Bachelor of Design at Victoria combines core design studies and electives with experimental design studios and research. Design students explore the cultural significance of design, and see how it relates to economic and social changes. They reflect these understandings with innovative design solutions.

The BDes degree is taught in Victoria's landmark Te Aro Campus in downtown Wellington, and benefits from a close association with the University's Architecture and Building Science programmes. It takes advantage of the latest technology to offer its students a state-of-the-art learning environment. Students can plan a first-year programme that gives them the option to apply for a second year in Architecture, Building Science or Design.

Those students who excel in their second-year BDes studies may be invited to transfer to the research-focused Bachelor of Design with Honours or BDes (Hons) degree. Both degrees can lead to further study for a Masters degree or PhD, either within the Faculty, or incorporating other subjects taught at Victoria. BDes graduates work in a wide range of design fields including products and furniture, gallery and exhibition spaces, commercial and retail interiors, urban landscapes, and parks.