Canterbury
Epsom
Farnham
Rochester
Careers Guide
Build
Your Career
uca.ac.uk
WHY ARCHITECTURE
& INTERIORS?
Do you...
Get inspired by buildings, spaces and cities?
Care
about the wellbeing of people and
the environment?
Enjoy
drawing, making and working with
others who share your passion?
Want to be part of shaping a better future?
Get told you’re creative and imaginative?
Love the idea of seeing your ideas come
to life?
A DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE OR INTERIOR
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN COULD BE RIGHT
FOR YOU!
Studying architecture or interior architecture & design is a
lively and creative experience that will enable you to learn
how to design and shape buildings and the spaces within
buildings from other successful and dedicated architects,
interior designers and engineers.
Developing your own creativity and expertise will involve
experimenting with and refining your abilities in drawing,
modelling, specifying materials, collaborating with engineers,
fabricators and builders on full-size project making. You’ll be
able to apply these skills to building design and modification,
interior and exhibition design, and contribute to the
transformation of cities and public spaces.
Image: Christie Leong, BA (Hons) Interior Architecture & Design, UCA Canterbury, 2015
Cover image: Alexander Lieu, BA (Hons) Architecture, UCA Canterbury, 2015
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BUILD YOUR CAREER
So you like the idea of a career in architecture and
interiors, but what sort of jobs could you do? Here’s a
taster of just some of the roles that an architecture or
interiors degree could open doors to once you’ve
graduated…
Architect: You’d be responsible for planning,
designing and overseeing the construction of
buildings. You need a good eye for design, the ability
to work well within a team and excellent
communications skills to be able to hold effective
discussions with clients and builders.
Interior Architect or Designer: You’d be responsible
for planning and organising the design of commercial
and domestic interiors. Creativity is key to this role and
you need to be a good organiser, a strong
communicator and have an understanding of all design
processes, as well as understanding how materials,
objects and furniture, lighting and acoustics work
together to create great spaces for people.
Urban Designers and Planners: As an urban designer
you’d work to shape the places where we live, which
involves the design of buildings, groups of buildings,
spaces between them and landscapes. You’ll need to
have a broad interest in people and environments and
how they interact, a creative flair to be able to think
imaginatively about how we will live in the future, and
be adaptable to change.
Event and Interaction Designers: You’d be responsible
for the overall design and production of an event or
experience, ranging from anything such as exhibitions,
to conferences, festivals and public art installations.
You’d need excellent organisation and time
management skills, be a great communicator and have
the ability learn quickly about how technologies,
materials and spaces can be coordinated to create great
experiences for people.
Specialist Consultant: From your initial training in
architecture & interiors you may well go on to develop
a niche specialism, which can contribute to design
projects in a number of different ways. Specialisations
include: lighting design, sound design, fabrication,
environmental and sustainable design, heritage and
conservation, visualisation specialist, modelmaker,
project management, planning consultancy.
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KICKSTARTING YOUR CAREER
Eleanor Trenfield (née Atkinson), 2006 graduate from BA (Hons)
Architecture at UCA Canterbury, has built a career around designing
open spaces. Choosing to specialise in landscape architecture after
graduating, Eleanor now works for a town planning and design
consultancy in London. This is how she got to where she is today.
Eleanor Trenfield,
2006 graduate from
BA (Hons) Architecture,
UCA Canterbury
Eleanor Trenfield, Associate
Landscape Planner, Barton Willmore
WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE
ARCHITECTURE?
HOW HAS THE DEGREE GOT YOU TO
WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
At 18 I’m not sure I really knew what I wanted
to do. I loved art, and my father is an engineer
who has a few friends that are architects, so
he suggested I might like to think about
architecture. I did some research, the subject
looked really exciting, and so I applied...
Without my degree, I would not be doing the
work that I’m doing. And perhaps just as
importantly, without my degree, I would not
have met the friends that I have made or in
fact my husband...
WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT
THE COURSE?
Image:Eleanor Trenfield (nee Atkinson),
MA Landscape Architecture, University
of Greenwich, 2009.
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GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF YOUR
CURRENT ROLE
The variety of work, the fact that the course
was project based so I had time to explore
ideas with the support of tutors and develop a
thoughtful response to a brief (which is so
different to the timed exam system that we all
endure through GCSE and A Level!) I had
never lived away from home before, and it was
all an adventure for me. Making great friends
and living in such a lovely city really helped me
settle into the course and enjoy myself.
I changed career path somewhat after my
architecture degree to study landscape
architecture. I did a masters degree in
landscape architecture and went on to
become a chartered member of the
Landscape Institute (comparative to the
process of becoming an architect). Put
simply, landscape architects do not design
buildings, we design context and open space
(for example, the square in front of the Tate
Modern, the Olympic Park, a garden at the
Chelsea Flower Show).
WHAT SKILLS DID YOU LEARN?
I am now an associate at Barton Willmore,
which is a town planning and design
consultancy in the UK.
A huge amount! I came straight from A Level
(I didn’t do a Foundation course) so it was a
steep learning curve for me. How to present
my work and ideas to an audience, computer
programmes, graphic presentation, a more
in-depth way of thinking, how to take
criticism, how to challenge myself, how to
research, to be more critical, and to be
confident in my ideas and my work.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO IN THE
FUTURE?
In the future I hope to set up my own
landscape architecture practice.
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INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
Thousands of architects, interior architects and designers qualify in the UK
each year. There are an estimated 136,000 architecture-related jobs in the UK’s
creative economy, with 69.3% of these occupied by people with degrees or
equivalent level qualifications. (Source: Creative Industries Economic Estimates - January 2014)
Architecture and interior architecture &
design blend science & technology with art
& design, and every architectural project
has its own story, from sketchbook or model
to computer modelling, to prototyping and
testing, to becoming a physical reality in
the city or landscape. The architecture and
design professions are increasingly concerned
with making buildings, cities and spaces
within buildings which perform exceptionally
and resiliently for people and the planet,
responding to climate change and changing
technologies which are shaping the way we
work and play.
Inflatable structures workshop, UCA Canterbury
As we look towards the future we are
increasingly keen to reuse and adapt existing
buildings, making them fit for purpose and
reinventing them for future generations. Interior
architects and designers will play a central
role in this, working independently and in
collaboration with architects and others.
“We’ve successfully employed Architecture and
Interior Architecture & Design graduates year on
year from UCA, where we have found students to be
creative, talented and ready to continue learning.”
“UCA provided me with a critical take on design praxis, and an independence of
thought that is valued by any respected design studio. I work for Stirling Prizenominated practice DSDHA in London, designing things at lots of different
scales. I have previously worked at studios in Paris, and have had exhibitions at the
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Victoria and Albert Museum.”
Henry Beech Mole, BA (Hons) Architecture graduate, Canterbury, 2011
CAREERS
SKILLS AND QUALITIES
The world of architecture and interior design
offers you an abundance of employment
possibilities and career choices across a
variety of specialist areas, including:
As a student on a practical course, you’ll develop
as a highly-skilled practitioner. You’ll also learn a
wide range of transferable personal skills, such
as:
-C
ommunication – graphic, written and spoken
- Leadership
- Numeracy
- Critical thinking and evaluation
-P
lanning, time management and working to
deadlines
- Design
- Presentation
- Research
- Problem solving
- Visual awareness
- Observation
- Spatial awareness
- Attention to detail
- Architecture
- Interior architecture
- Retail leisure
- Exhibitions and events
- Office and conference design
- Hotel and venue design
- Residential developments
- Film and computer animation sets.
WHAT YOU CAN EARN
Architectural assistants (immediately after
completing their first bachelors degree) in the
London region can expect to earn £18,000£22,000 per year, with fully qualified
architects looking to earn £31,000-£43,000
per year. Architects who become directors
and/or run their own business can go on to
earn considerably more. Salaries are similar in
the interior architecture & design field. For
more information, check out the latest salary
guide from RIBA (the Royal Institute of British
Architects) at www.ribaappointments.com/
Salary-Guide.aspx
GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT
Our graduates have gone on to work for a variety
of leading architecture and design practices
including the offices of Hawkins Brown, AHMM,
Zaha Hadid, RSHP, All Design, Squire & Partners,
Universal Studio, Imagination, Brinkworth, and
MET Studio.
Guy Hollaway, Principal, Guy Hollaway Architects Limited
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Will Alsop OBE RA
UCA Professor of
Architecture
MAKING IT IN THE INDUSTRY
British architect Will Alsop OBE RA, Professor of Architecture at
the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), started out studying art &
sculpture in his hometown of Northampton, then moved to London to
study architecture at the Architectural Association, before building his
internationally recognised practice, ALL Design. We asked him about his
experiences and his top tips for creating success in the architecture industry.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
After completing my studies in London, I
worked for the late great British architect
Cedric Price three days a week. He’s probably
most well-known for his work on the design of
the Aviary at London Zoo, and he was one of
my heroes. Working for someone you admire is
definitely something I’d recommend, as you’ll
be enthusiastic to learn and will be inspired to
work hard. On the other two days, I taught
sculpture.
HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED
TO WORK IN THE ARCHITECTURE
INDUSTRY?
I think I knew I wanted to be an architect
before I even knew what it was! It’s not
something that runs in my family. Once I had
the idea of becoming an architect, I read a few
books about architecture – particularly modern
architecture – which instantly inspired me, and
then things progressed from there.
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HOW DID YOU SET YOURSELF APART
FROM OTHER CANDIDATES?
I like to think that I’m a good architect! But in
all honesty, I think you need to have a real
passion for the subject and be true to yourself
and what you believe in. These are qualities
that I look for when employing candidates
myself.
WHAT ARE YOUR KEY TOP TIPS FOR
GETTING INTO THE ARCHITECTURE
INDUSTRY?
The ability to draw is really important – not only
with a computer, but with a pencil and a piece
of paper. Drawing trains you to look and
understand both scale and proportion. When it
comes to personality, remember that first
impressions count for a lot. A cheerful
demeanour is incredibly important within the
industry as you could be working on projects
with people for a number of years, and no one
wants to work with someone miserable! Don’t
forget to always be truthful – you’ll always be
found out if you claim to do something you
Photo: aLL Design
haven’t. Finally, if you have the opportunity to
travel and experience other architecture in
other cultures then do so, as this is invaluable
experience that will help you grow as an
architect.
WHAT CAN GRADUATES EXPECT
FROM THEIR FIRST JOB?
I think your first job is a continuation of your
studies, so you must be prepared for this and
be patient with it. It is very important to
continue to listen and observe others, and to
develop a sense of curiosity about projects
being undertaken within the workplace and
the industry.
FINALLY, WHAT’S THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING ASPIRING
ARCHITECTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
THE INDUSTRY?
The architecture industry is always
developing, so you need to be alert and
aware. The demands of the industry can take
you anywhere, so I also feel it is important to
be globally aware and be prepared to travel
wherever the need takes you. Although it not
essential, it can be really useful if you speak
other languages, due to the global nature of
the industry.
WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU LOOK FOR
WHEN EMPLOYING GRADUATES?
I would look for someone who is confident,
passionate, cheerful, self-motivated and
someone who is prepared to get stuck in and
work well within a team. I would be keen to
employ someone that has the ability to draw
and is adaptable, as you need to adjust to the
ever-changing demands of the industry.
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WHAT’S NEXT?
SO, YOU’VE DECIDED A CAREER IN
ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS IS FOR
YOU – WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP?
Speak to your careers advisor
Ask your friends/parents/teachers for advice
F
ind your closest UCAS event and attend
THERE ARE COURSES AVAILABLE AT
UCA, INCLUDING:
Architecture (Canterbury)
Interior Architecture & Design (Canterbury)
Interior Architecture & Design (Farnham)
Pick your three favourite universities
Go along to the Open Days of those top
three places
Get some work experience if you can
Think about building your portfolio
Enjoy planning your future!
Visit uca.ac.uk to find out more.
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)1252 892883
Image: Hannah Sargeant, BA (Hons) Architecture, UCA Canterbury, 2015
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