Master of Architecture

Our two-year Master of Architecture will enhance your appreciation of architecture as a design-led discipline, provide enlightenment on the latest technological advances and application of innovative solutions to global challenges in the built environment

Our Master of Architecture (MArch) Part 2 is a two-year programme centred on the concept and applications of sustainable design. It addresses the current and future challenges of the built environment, particularly within the urban fabric, and will enhance your appreciation of architecture as a design-led discipline. Taught within state-of-the-art facilities for designing at our beautiful Edinburgh campus, you’ll benefit from collaboration with other design-led disciplines at Heriot-Watt, be enlightened on the latest technological advances, and develop appropriate innovative solutions to a range of architectural global challenges. The programme attracts individuals possessing the Architect Registration Board (ARB) part 1 and/or Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Part 1 but it is not necessary to have this to apply. As a graduate, you’ll be suitably prepared to work professionally in the dynamic built environment industry.

During your studies you’ll:

• conceive, resolve and execute sustainable architectural designs of varying scale and complexity, underpinned by creativity,
• evaluate the physical, cultural and societal context within the process of place-making,
• integrate aesthetic, compositional, spatial and functional principles to produce technically sound and environmentally sustainable projects,
• critically analyse and research cultural, environmental and social values to produce effective and user-centred architectural outputs,
• demonstrate climate literacy and ethical approaches to increase wellbeing through the design of innovative and energy-efficient buildings,
• identify, evaluate and integrate appropriate materials, technologies, systems and construction processes for design proposals,
• demonstrate knowledge of the legal frameworks necessary to protect current and future communities,
• write, communicate and evaluate business plans and project outputs,
• appraise architectural propositions individually and as part of a team.

Our expertise

Your learning will be informed by the expertise of our research-active architects, architectural engineers, civil and structural engineers, construction professionals, industry-leaders, and academics.

96% of Heriot-Watt University’s engineering research was classed as world-leading in the REF 2021 review, which ranked us 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for engineering research through a joint submission with the University of Edinburgh.

Our Master of Architecture programme is directly informed by the world class research carried out by Heriot-Watt’s Institute for Sustainable Built Environment (ISBE) which sits within the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS). EGIS is one of the United Kingdom’s leading institutions for multidisciplinary research and teaching in areas critical to economic development and societal equity. The institute’s academic team conduct high-value and high-impact research on fields covering sustainability, digital innovation, design, and management of the built environment.

This School is also part of the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Design, a leading body recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering. The Centre is one of only four such centres established at United Kingdom universities that jointly form a national network to demonstrate and exchange best practice in teaching and research for the sustainable built environment.

Your learning environment

You’ll have access to our specialist equipment, computing software, design and project facilities, and benefit from a vibrant, diverse and innovation-led setting in order to succeed in becoming a global changemaker.

Outside of the classroom, you can get involved with the Heriot-Watt Student Union and there are lots of ways to do so including participating in student groups, becoming a student representative or a school officer, and joining societies. There are even some engineering societies you may wish to join in order to meet likeminded people, network, and gain insights into career prospects:

• Architectural Engineering Society
• Civil Engineering Society

Customise your learning

During this two-year programme, you’ll take 240 credits.

You’ll take two architectural projects in the first year. Design Project 1 is a 30-credit studio-based course which will expose you to a complex and mid-sized architectural enquiry. You’ll build on learned skills in Design Project 2, another 30-credit course. These design projects will support your learning through assessing the developing praxis of architectural design, underpinned by research and theory, as an authentic response to a multifaceted urban enquiry.

During the first year, you’ll also take four 15-credit courses in Sustainable and Intelligent Buildings, Research Methods, Urban Design Theory, and Urban Design for Health and Wellbeing. The latter two programmes are part of a joint academic collaboration between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh.

During the second year, you’ll refine your architectural knowledge, critical thinking, and ability to deliver highly sophisticated and professionally communicated design solutions through taking Design Thesis 1 (30 credits) and Design Thesis 2 (60 credits). To complete the second year, you’ll demonstrate and apply your scholarship and inquiry skills to a self-identified area of interest in the wider architectural cultural context through the 30-credit Research Investigation course.

All courses are mandatory.

Industry

We work closely with industry to ensure our course content is up-to-date and reflects the current and emerging needs of industry and employers. Guest speakers from industry are regularly invited offering networking opportunities. You’ll gain the right blend of knowledge, practical skills, and soft skills to set you up for life after graduation.