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Architecture without Maths, Art or Physics = no no?

Hey there :smile:
Well recently I've been thinking of architecture but I do not do Maths, Physics, Art or DT. My subjects are all academic ones, I have art gcse at grade B and I am a creative person. So I'm just wondering if it's possible for me to enter architecture. Right now I'm thinking of sheffield as other unis such as ucl and nottingham want art a level but will consider those without it if they have outstanding portfolios but I don't know if this would be possible for me. :frown: I must admit I'm worried though about the gender inequality, the 7+ years in education, the amount of work both in uni and after graduation and the job prospects afterwards.
I would be grateful if anyone could give me insight on their architecture course, good and bad and any architecture info they found useful.
Specially useful would be info on Sheffield uni, their Architecture course, the Architecture and Landscape course and the Landscape architecture course.

Danke schon :smile:

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I don't know, sounds like a mistake to me. Architecture is basically maths and art...It's also quite competitive and you don't get paid that much especially right after you graduate.
Have you thought about a Foundation course in art. and then transferring to Architecture ?
Reply 3
^But I thought you needed Art a level to do an Art foundation course?
Toxic Tears
^But I thought you needed Art a level to do an Art foundation course?


My friend didnt at CSM, but she had some art work and had taken part in a couple of their classes.
Reply 5
Sounds quite hard. Foundation?
Reply 6
Toxic Tears
^But I thought you needed Art a level to do an Art foundation course?

I think the idea of foundation courses is that you can take them without having studied the subject at A level- for example if you took mainly arts based subjects and then decided you wanted to go into Medicine.
Reply 7
You can probably cope without maths and physics but as a huge part of the course is studio work some art base would be helpful. Uni's will ask for a portfolio to show you can draw and be creative if you don't have an A level to tell them.
We do quite a lot of sketching and model making so try and include this in your portfolio.
You can still get on the course with any subject if you get the grades they want. With architecture being so multi-disipline you can do whatever mixture you want.
I don't think there is that much gender inequality numbers in my year are m/f 50/50 to 40/60, yes the industry is not at this level but I don't think there is a big issue.
The 7 years is a long time but the BA course (part 1) is 3 years and then you can choose if you want to continue. With architecture giving you a broad range of knowledge there are a lot of other job opportunities if you change your mind.
The course at Sheffield is 1 day lectures and 4 days studio, with workshops in cad, drawing and model making during the week. Studio work you get one project at a time and each project is designed to teach you a different aspect of architecture and its a mixture of group and individual work. You are expected to make a sketch journal through the year which is a mixture of project work and non-project work. Studio work is always different, you make lots of models to help brainstorm and design which is really fun. Lectures are on History, Theory of Arch. and Science and Technology they're normally pretty good but it depends what subjects you like.
I don't know much about the landscape course but dual students do both sets of projects (obviously shrunken down a little) so it's probably more work and you'd need to be quite organised to do it all!
If theres anything else you want to know just ask!
Reply 8
You can do art and architecture courses. Though (unhelpfully) I've been told they're useless.
Yeppo
You can do art and architecture courses. Though (unhelpfully) I've been told they're useless.


My friend did short courses like that and received offer for uni in arch, it matters on what you do and where you apply.
Reply 10
^ But I thought Art Foundation was different in that respect as its something you do before uni rather than at uni. The only people who apply for art foundations in my sixth form are people who did art a level :confused:
Reply 11
Toxic Tears
^ But I thought Art Foundation was different in that respect as its something you do before uni rather than at uni. The only people who apply for art foundations in my sixth form are people who did art a level :confused:


I'm on an art foundation atm at a uni, people come from all sorts of backgrounds. You don't need any academic qualifications (though my conditional required an a level C or above) and most people have come from a levels. But I have heard of people doing foundations without having done art a level. You just need to show ability and potential to do an art foundation.

You can do art foundations at both colleges or universities, but not many unis do them.
Reply 12
Toxic Tears
^ But I thought Art Foundation was different in that respect as its something you do before uni rather than at uni. The only people who apply for art foundations in my sixth form are people who did art a level :confused:


I look at art foundation as a prepration for university and it could be equivilant as A level art. there are some short courses so there will be 'extra' time for work or travelling.
Reply 13
Art foundation is above A level art, it's used as preparation for choosing a degree to specialising in. As at art A level you can do such a wide range of media and degrees at uni are very specialist art foundation is used to help you decide.
It's probably harder to get onto foundation art than architecture if you don't have A level art as you are required to have a very broad and very strong portfolio. At least for architecture you can be a bit more specific.
Reply 14
I have never studied art and have only chosen pretty academic subjects, how hard would it be for me to get on to an art foundation course? i love the idea of archicture, but only began thinking of it now.
Reply 15
I applied for Art foundation and got an interview at the AA. I dont do art but I do alot of life drawings in my free time and I think they like that sort of things. Have you thought about doing some of the summer courses for architecture some universities do. I heard they are very good at helping people decide if architecture is the thing for them.
Reply 16
Art foundation tends to be pretty competitive because they're oversubscribed. To me it seems if it is Architecture you want to do, and you are sure thats the direction, you have a better chance applying direct, instead of spending a year doing art. Both courses will ask for a portfolio (architecture will probably ask for a smaller one :biggrin:!) so I see very little benefit in applying for art foundation first, it won't be very architecture related and you'll be spending a year building a portfolio you won't really need as you will have already made a portfolio to get into art.
HOWEVER!!!!
If you want a career in art but are unsure of the direction then I highly recommend Art foundation to help you decide, you get to spend 2/3rds of a year trying out different fields and spend the last 1/3rd specialising to help you build a portfolio and apply for your degree.
Like samsonlcy said a short course in Architecture would be more helpful as it will be a sample of the course, foundation art would be close but definately not the same.
Reply 17
Hey :smile: what if i dint take physics in high school and the school i went to fint have art but im good in art .. And i dint do A levels ..Would it be possible for architecture?? Or? ... And whats chooses do i have ?? Please help im really into architect 😥
Reply 18
Im doing physics and dt but not maths would i be able to go into a wngineering or architectural career course
Loads of Architecture or architecture type of uni courses around that arnt bothered about what you're A'level subjects are, you just have to look around. Think UEL never used to be too fussed but there are plenty of others. In any case CAD is now the undeniable dominant force in architecture these days, not art. In the last few years in particular have shown computer software becoming particularly strong and will continue to get stronger. So to be honest RIBA Architecture courses really need to get a grip and get with the times, its those skilled with computers they should be looking for not art that's now long in the past, it was always unfairly and unnecessarily exclusionary anyway. Tend to find though that often the better someone is in art the less conversant they are with computers, different left/right side of the brain activity I think there.
(edited 9 years ago)

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