Students from the University of Wolverhampton have shown they have designs on careers in architecture by putting their degree work on display at their annual show.
Over 100 Undergraduate degree students studying Architecture and Architectural Design Technology in the School of Architecture and Built Environment, exhibited their work at the Architecture and Design End of Year Show held at the University’s £120M Springfield Campus.
Lecturers and graduates joined their families and friends as well as representatives from Wolverhampton and District Society of Architects (WDSA), RIBA West Midlands, Birmingham Architectural Association, and local architectural practices and employers, to view the work.
Andy Leader, 32, a third year Architecture student from Bilston, was showcasing his ‘Library of Things’ design. Having left his career as a vehicle technician in the motor trade to pursue his love of architecture and return to study, Andy is now on course to take the skills he has learned on his degree course into industry before pursuing a Master’s degree.
Andy is the first in his family to go to University, and as a ‘late bloomer’ intends on qualifying to be an architect, something he thought ‘was out of his reach.’
He said: “During the pandemic I realised that I wanted to do something different and I chose this University because of this beautiful building. I always had a keen interest in buildings, and I now know that this is the career I want to pursue. The staff here are excellent and the design briefs are really engaging.
“The Library of Things is inspired by the circular economy approach and I have designed it so that it can be reassembled somewhere else – based on the idea that we can reduce waste in the building industry. Instead of checking out books, people can check out tools for their trade and the idea is that people can then pass on their skills and really create a community pay-back which is what a circular economy is all about.”
Olive White, Programme Leader for Architecture at the University, said: “Graduate employability is one of the key ethos and area of focus for all the courses in the School of Architecture and Built Environment and this year we were delighted to host our first Speed Recruitment event before the show. This event was supported with Equality, Diversity and Inclusion funding received from our faculty with the aim of "Levelling the Employability Playing Field for the Global Majority Students".
“Our students have the opportunity to work on real world projects, gaining first-hand experience and often engaging with an actual client, helping to create ‘work ready’ graduates.
“These projects allow students to develop their own design responses within a context but also allow engagement in teamwork, an important part of the curriculum. Many of our ’real’ projects are located within the Black Country and associated with brownfield research, ensuring students understand the environmental imperative that we build on more suitable brownfield sites in the future.
“Whilst these provide a local and regional focus, architecture excursions both within the UK and abroad, augment student exposure and assist in improving their abilities to analyse architectural and urban situations simultaneously.”
Nadiya Paul, 20, who studied Art, 3D Architecture, Physics and Construction at the Thomas Telford University Technical College on the Springfield Campus and is now in her second year of studying Architecture in the School of Architecture and Built Environment, said: “I’ve always wanted to be an architect. I’ve always had a real passion for it, ever since I was a young girl, playing with Lego and watching Grand Designs.
“I used to sit in class and watch this building being built and I knew I didn’t want to study anywhere else. My design is based around an exercise theme, providing space in residential areas for people to work out or simply walk or run.”
