Three Architecture courses at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have achieved unconditional revalidation for a further five years from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
The visiting board praised the Leicester School of Architecture’s new facilities in DMU’s landmark Vijay Patel building, which brings all of the university’s art and design courses together under one roof.
Derek Cottrell, Interim Head of DMU’s Leicester School of Architecture, said: “We are delighted with the outcome.
“Having unconditional validation for our Architecture BA (Hons), MArch and Postgraduate Diploma in Architectural Practice programmes is very important for us as RIBA accreditation is the gold standard worldwide.
“For our students, a qualification validated by the RIBA means that after seven years of study they can register as architects with the Architects Registration Board without taking any further exams.”
The school was commended for its vibrant studio culture, flexible workspaces, hubs that encourage collaboration across disciplines and extensive reference and resource library.
Second year student and Chair of the Leicester School of Architecture Society, Seehab Ahmed, is a RIBA East Midlands Regional Student Representative, who represents DMU on the RIBA East Midlands Education Board.
He said: “Students hoping to study Architecture always look for a RIBA accreditation as a sign of course quality and performance.
“DMU being revalidated for five more years gives me absolute confidence in my course and the fact that it’s an unconditional revalidation speaks volumes.”
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Architecture students at DMU are located in large dedicated studios supported by CAD facilities with a wide range of designer software networked to different output devices such as HD screens, large format printers and 3D-printers.
They also have access to a range of workshops offering metal, wood, plastics, timber, fabric and glass craft and fabrication capabilities, as well as the latest rapid prototyping machines and 2D/3D-printing, including laser, water-jet cutting and CNC multi-axis milling.
Lauren Clancy has just started her final year of study and is excited to be in the new Vijay Patel building. She said: “Architecture draws on so many art and design principles, so to be working in such an amazing building with all of those courses in one place is brilliant.
“The building’s transparent spaces are really inspiring as you get to see what other students are working on and we’re also actively encouraged to talk about our work and learn from each other.
“The RIBA accreditation played a big part in why I chose DMU in the first place. As did the fact that the content is geared towards the arts and the creative, which really appealed to me.”
The quality of the Leicester School of Architecture’s research is also ranked in the top 10 (eighth) in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017.
Posted on Monday 12 December 2016