Architecture and Environmental Design MSc

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Course Overview

Attendance

UK Fees £1,300 *
International Fees £1,700 *
Alumni Discount See details
Duration 2 years

* Price per 20-credit module

Course summary

The global environmental and energy challenge facing current and future generations of architects and building professionals calls for a deeper understanding of the principles of environmental design, and their effective application into architectural practice worldwide. Over the last decades environmental design as a subject area has developed, responding to new research and experimentation, both in academia and in practice. However, buildings claiming to be environmentally conscious do not perform to the expected standards, still heavily contributing to global CO2 emissions and often providing unsatisfactory comfort conditions to occupants. The same can be said for the existing built environment, which is largely outdated and underperforming, requiring urgent implementation of effective retrofit strategies to improve not only energy performance, but also comfort, health and wellbeing. This is due to a lack of comprehensive performance prediction and feedback protocols, which are still not common practice in architectural design.

Students on this course will take a fresh critical look at this subject. Here you'll gain the knowledge and tools to make informed design decisions based on post-occupancy feedback and performance analysis, towards a new paradigm of environmental architecture, which is environmentally and energy conscious, yet sensitive to the contextual and socio-cultural landscape we live in. You'll learn environmental design methods which relate to the various stages of architectural design for a healthier and less energy and carbon intensive built environment. You'll be able to evaluate existing buildings and design new ones following a combined bioclimatic and building occupant-focused approach. In the core design modules you'll follow an evidence-based design approach where the acquisition of specialised software and analytical tools will be directly applied to an evaluation or design project.

This interdisciplinary and international course will provide you with skills that can be applied to diverse building typologies and global climatic, environmental and contextual issues. On completion of this course, you'll have a thorough understanding of the principles and methodology of environmental design and will develop critical thinking skills to challenge established practices. You'll hold the knowledge and the practical tools to better understand existing buildings for retrofit and to design new ones – positively driving change in this field and moving towards a truly environmentally conscious architecture.

The course covers both the wider contextual and sustainable approach to environmental design, and the more technical aspects of environmentally and energy conscious building design and performance. As well as taught modules, you'll take design-based modules where you'll apply quantitative and qualitative analysis to the study of existing built environments and to new design projects. This includes methods for the quantification of aspects related to health and wellbeing such as the relationship between air quality and the built environment.

The Architecture and Environmental Design MSc benefits from having strong links with the Research Community for Sustainable Cities and Urban Environments. This vibrant research community focuses on the planning of cities towards a sustainable and low-energy future and the exploration of the environmental and social impact of concentrating people and economic activity in cities and urban areas.

The course is accredited by the Energy Institute. In recent years, the course has also developed a very successful collaborative thesis programme with industry, which has allowed some of our students to be mentored and partnered with some of the leading organisations in the sector of environmental design consultancy and sustainable architecture. As a higher education institution, we are members of the UK Green Building Council and a Learning Affiliate of the Energy Institute.

Top reasons to study with us

  • Industry links – You’ll engage with industry experts and have the option to be mentored by an environmental consultancy or architectural practice during your thesis period
  • Master the essential software – You’ll learn how to use modelling and simulation software like TAS, Envimet and Grasshopper plug-ins, for the performance prediction of outdoor and indoor environments and for energy and carbon calculations
  • Engage with hands-on practical experiments and fieldwork – You’ll use specialist equipment and instrumentation for conducting on-site environmental monitoring and laboratory experiments

Course structure

Full-time postgraduate students study 180 credits in one full year. Part-time students will normally complete 180 credits over two years. 

The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.

Core modules

This module will introduce the concept and practice of environmental architecture and methodologies for the evidence-based design of buildings and built environments. These will comprise of digital and analogue modelling and simulation tools necessary for the environmental design of new buildings as well as the spaces between and around buildings. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies will be introduced for the design and the performance prediction of new built environments.

Drawing on the fundamental principles and rule-of-thumbs introduced in Semester 1, this module explores an evidence-based approach to design by using a range of tools including specialist software to carry out performance analysis. This exploration provides the basis to test and refine the initial design intuitions developed in a design studio project. 

The design studio project will be focusing on a site in London (or other suitable location), which, similarly to the Semester 1 design project is used as a live laboratory for design studies. This allows an in-situ exploration of the site and of the mutual relationship between buildings and their urban surroundings. Specifically, it will allow exploration of the synergic effect of an environmental design agenda on the quality of the built environment and on the lifestyles of inhabitants’ in both the present and projected future climatic and contextual scenarios.

The module will comprise of workshops where the students will be introduced to the latest modelling and simulation methods for the generation of new designs and their performance analysis. The software will include Dynamic Thermal Simulation, Daylighting Analysis and two-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics. The main objective of the module is not only to teach a series of simulation software but to include them in a wider design methodology, which includes their responsible and measured application in the context of the various phases of the architectural design. Hence a design studio will be run in parallel to the workshops where this methodology and its supporting analytic skills will be applied to the site specific project for which the students must define and respond to a well-developed brief. The new design agendas will be based on reflections and critical observations undertaken in the semester 1 design studio and on performance feedbacks related to relevant design trends, typological and programmatic requirements, climatic, microclimatic and siting conditions, operational and post-occupancy conditions, including current and projected users behaviour determining the final environmental and energy performance.

This module will introduce the fundamental principles of environmental design in relation to the integration of zero-carbon and passive design strategies in architectural design. The module will cover elements of: building physics and energy foundations, including fundamentals of heat exchange and energy balance of buildings; adaptive comfort theories; natural vs mechanical ventilation, passive vs mechanical heating and cooling, daylight, solar control and artificial light in architecture. An overview of the environmental and energy performance of building materials and their integration into building design will be offered, which will be discussed in the context of their discrete application prior to the minimisation of the building’s energy demand. The principles of environmental design will be explored from the building inhabitant’s requirements perspective and for a variety of building typologies and climatic contexts.

This module develops an historical overview of Environmental Design discipline and identifies the determinants of the so-called Post-Carbon Culture. The module will examine the main concepts, promoters, practitioners and theorist of the discipline. This will contribute to the formulation of a common and current definition of Environmental Design and clarification of its various synonyms in the current international landscape. It will also contribute to reflect upon and develop a vision for a post-carbon society in the current and future projected contexts.

This module examines the salient political, socio-economic, statutory, legislative, planning framework which, to varying degrees, has shaped, and will continue to shape, the formulation of environmental policies and strategies in the global context. The importance of raising awareness and ensuring sustained recognition of ethical and environmental issues, such as Climate Change and Sustainable Development, through enhanced public and professional debate will be examined, as will the value of productive collaboration between policy-makers, clients, multi-disciplinary design teams and end-users. The need to embrace a low-energy and sustainable approach to the conservation, restoration and remodelling of existing, as well as to the design of new built environments, will be underscored.

This module will introduce the concept of Climate Positive Environments and its appreciation through direct observation and analysis of existing built environments which either have a climate positive impact or can be modified to achieve it. In doing so the module will introduce the methodological and practical tools for the performance evaluation of buildings and the space between and around buildings. Fieldwork methods and post-occupancy evaluation protocols will be introduced for the appraisal of existing case-study built environments. 

Existing built environments, of a variety of typologies and ages, will be the subject of a semester long case study analysis including the assessment of their current environmental and energy performance, against best practice standards, as well as of the occupants’ satisfaction and behaviour in relation to energy use, comfort and spatial interaction. These assessments will allow the appreciation of performance feedbacks from design to operation of buildings and will form the reflective and critical background for the proposition of new design agendas in the Semester 2 Design studio. The module will comprise of lectures and workshops where the students will be appraised with the latest fieldwork methods, use of relevant instrumentation and analytical skills, including climate data analysis and simplified steady state computations for the assessment of the environmental and energy performance of buildings. These simplified computations will consolidate the understanding of the principles of Environmental Design applied to the evaluation of real buildings and their projected performance in future climate change scenarios. The module will specifically address issues of environmental retrofit towards a climate positive impact. Additionally, a design studio will be run in parallel to the workshops where the aforementioned skills and tools will be applied to a case study analysis project. 

This module will introduce the principles of energy and carbon assessment in relation to current energy and carbon reduction policies in the national and international context. The module will cover elements of advanced energy and control systems,mechanical services strategies, building services, and renewable technologies.

An overview of buildings' environmental and energy performance and their carbon footprint will be offered, along with an overview of building-integrated renewable technologies, which will be discussed in the context of the building’s whole life cycle analysis. The module will explore the fundamental aspects of a building’s operational energy and embodied carbon with the specific objectives of identifying a methodology for energy and carbon assessments.

The module will also include an introduction to industry complaint software for estimating buildings’ overall carbon emissions and undertaking energy compliance modelling, which will be supported by guest lectures from industry experts and future collaboration with the Industry partners.

This module deals with the research, development, synthesis and resolution of the area(s) of study identified in the course via the previous and parallel modules. The module will establish the type of submission most relevant to the students’ respective academic and professional backgrounds, current and future interests and anticipated career development. Assistance from a range of teaching and research disciplines in the College may be enlisted if required. 

Potential themes, including specific areas of research and development, will be identified together with attendant design and performance targets, working methodologies and appropriate predictive/analytical modelling techniques. Suitable strategies, concepts, agendas and time management/programming requirements will also be discussed and agreed. The module will require a focused response to the principal Thesis Project agenda(s)/themes in the form of a Learning Contract (dissertation outline prepared to a standardised format for students taking the Thesis Topic option module), or of an individual thesis plan identified with tutors or Collaborative Thesis Programme with Industry partners. 

Significantly, the module is intended to act as a vehicle for demonstrating a student’s cumulative knowledge, understanding and skills gained during the Course and to ‘showcase’ attendant representational and other presentation abilities. Projects must encapsulate one, or more, of the major themes explored in the constituent modules. The precise nature of the submission will be subject to scrutiny by members of Course Team and external contributors, as will the chosen research and working methodologies. As far as practicable, proposals should be ‘future-proofed’ against climatic uncertainties, diminishing natural resources, escalating fuel prices, increasingly stringent environmental legislation and similar determinants.

Course climate action statement

This course responds to the global climate change challenges facing local built environments. You will examine the theory and practice of environmental design and quantification methods for the operational and embodied carbon reduction of built environments. 

Studying Architecture and Environmental Design

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Programme specification

For more details on course structure, modules, teaching and assessment Download the programme specification (PDF).

To request an accessible version please email [email protected]

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Get in touch

Contact us for general course enquiries:

+44 (0)20 7911 5000 EXT 65511
(Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm GMT)

[email protected]

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Open evenings

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Careers

This course will equip you with the skills that can be used both in architectural practice and environmental design consultancy. 

The research issues explored in your final thesis project could also lead to further research and an academic career through the path of a PhD degree in a number of related fields. 

So far graduates from this course have found employment in architectural practices where they lead sustainability groups, in consulting engineering companies where they cover the role of environmental consultants, or in academia where they have started PhDs in various UK universities or become research assistants in international research institutes.

Industry links

You’ll engage with industry experts and have the option to be mentored by an environmental consultancy or architectural practice during your thesis period.

Excellent career prospects

Graduates from this course have gone on to work in architectural practices, consulting engineering companies, academia, and international research institutes.

3,000

Employers around the world

The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

Industry links

Since 2016 the course has developed a Collaborative Thesis Programme with Industry, which has given our students the opportunity to be mentored and partnered with industry experts during their final thesis projects.

Industry partners have previously included:

  • Arcadis
  • Architype
  • Arup
  • chapmanbdsp
  • Hilson Moran
  • SOM
  • USD
  • WSP

You'll hear from guest speakers from academia and practice, with previous speakers including academics and researchers from the University of Cambridge, and representatives from:

  • Architype
  • BRE
  • chapmanbdsp
  • LCD
  • SOM

Job roles

This course will prepare you for roles such as:

  • Energy modeller
  • Environmental analyst
  • Environmental architect
  • Environmental consultant
  • Environmental design consultant
  • Environmental engineer
  • Microclimate consultant
  • Sustainability consultant
  • Sustainability coordinator
  • Sustainability modeller

Graduate employers

Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations including:

  • Atelier Ten
  • Bryden Wood
  • chapmanbdsp
  • Hilson Moran
  • Max Fordham
  • SOM
  • Studio 4215
  • USD
  • WSP

Our graduates

Vaishali Marlene Enos

Architecture and Environmental Design MSc - 2016

Architectural Assistant II | Article 25, London

The MSc course has equipped me with evidence-based tools and techniques in order to conceptualise and analyse various scales of built environments in various climatic zones. 

Daniel Owen

Architecture and Environmental Design MSc - 2017

Chartered Architectural Technologist (MCIAT) | LSI Architects LLP (AJ 100 Practice)

The Architecture and Environmental Design MSc has provided me with an in-depth understanding of building physics and the theoretical principles of environmental design. 

Kristel Abril Zarate Leon

Architecture and Environmental Design MSc - 2017

Microclimate Consultant | WSP

The Architecture and Environmental Design MSc is excellent both academically speaking and in terms of the work opportunities that it provides.

Westminster Employability Award

Employers value graduates who have invested in their personal and professional development – and our Westminster Employability Award gives you the chance to formally document and demonstrate these activities and achievements.

The award is flexible and can be completed in your own time, allowing you to choose from a set of extracurricular activities. 

Activities might include gaining experience through a part-time job or placement, signing up to a University-run scheme – such as mentoring or teaching in a school – or completing online exercises.

Read more about our Westminster Employability Award.

Westminster Employability Award

Course Leader

Course Team

You will be taught by a team of academics with an international track record and expertise in the field of environmental design. External contributors from industry and practice will enrich the lecture-based courses and the design studio activities.

Internal contributors to the course and module leaders will include:

Why study this course?

Master the essential software

You’ll learn how to use modelling and simulation software like TAS, Envimet and Grasshopper plug-ins.

Outstanding facilities

We have vibrant design studios and a cutting-edge fabrication laboratory. 

Hands-on practical experiments and fieldwork

You’ll use specialist equipment and instrumentation for conducting on-site environmental monitoring and laboratory experiments.

Architecture Tour and Facilities

Watch the video below to find out more about our facilities at the University's Marylebone Campus.

Entry Requirements

A minimum of an upper second class honours degree (2:1) in architecture or a related subject within the context of the construction industry and built environment disciplines. Applicants with qualifications in other subject areas which may be relevant to the award are encouraged to apply, each case being considered on merit. You will need a portfolio of work, or a comprehensive written account of relevant experience, and a personal statement which clearly articulates why you wish to study for the award.

If your first language is not English, you should have an IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.5 in writing and no element below 6.0.

Applicants are required to submit one academic reference.

Recognition of prior learning and experience

If you have previously studied at university level, or have equivalent work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your course at Westminster. For more information, visit our Recognition of Prior Learning page.

Application process

Visit our How to apply page for more information on:

  • the application process
  • what you need to apply
  • deadlines for applications

 

A minimum of an upper second class honours degree (2:1) in architecture or a related subject within the context of the construction industry and built environment disciplines. Applicants with qualifications in other subject areas which may be relevant to the award are encouraged to apply, each case being considered on merit. You will need a portfolio of work, or a comprehensive written account of relevant experience, and a personal statement which clearly articulates why you wish to study for the award.

If your first language is not English, you should have an IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.5 in writing and no element below 6.0.

Applicants are required to submit one academic reference.

Recognition of prior learning and experience

If you have previously studied at university level, or have equivalent work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your course at Westminster. For more information, visit our Recognition of Prior Learning page.

Application process

Visit our How to apply page for more information on:

  • the application process
  • what you need to apply
  • deadlines for applications

More information

Meet our students

What our students say

Architecture student, Talia Quesada

Talia Quesada Campana

Architecture and Environmental Design MSc

The course offers a logical combination of theoretical knowledge, digital tools and fieldwork. Therefore, applying what is learned to real cases is effortless.

Architecture student, Mosaab Alaboud

Mosaab Alaboud

Architecture and Environmental Design MSc

We're very much an international group on this course this year and Dr Rosa Schiano-Phan and the other lecturers are helping us to get better and better.

Architecture student, Yutaka Sato

Yutaka Sato

Architecture and Environmental Design MSc

I chose this course because it covers not just conventional design approaches but also the quantitative approaches with which indoor and outdoor environments are considered.

MORE 2022 Degree Show

MORE is an annual exhibition of our postgraduate students' thesis projects. It showcases students’ talent, creativity, and strategic work. You can see the latest online collection at MORE 2022.

Image: student work by Shada Elmagri

More 2022 exhibition, student work by Shada Elmagri

Student work

Our annual exhibition of work from students on our postgraduate architecture and interiors courses features thesis project work and provides a fascinating insight into the nature of research in architecture and the built environment. To find out more about this exhibition, have a look through the MORE 2021 catalogue on ISSUU.com.

The end-of year exhibition, OPEN, showcases the work of all students from the School of Architecture and Cities. You can find out more in the OPEN 2021 catalogue on ISSUU.com.

Learn new skills

Volunteer and gain new skills

We offer a number of different volunteering opportunities for you to learn new skills, create connections, and make a difference in the community.

Develop your entrepreneurial skills

Our award-winning Westminster Enterprise Network offers industry networking events, workshops, one-to-one business advice and support for your start-up projects.

Get extra qualifications

We provide access to free online courses in Adobe and Microsoft Office applications, as well as thousands of specialist courses on LinkedIn Learning.

Fees and Funding

UK tuition fee: £1,300 (Price per 20-credit module)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

Paying your fees

If you don't wish to pay the whole amount of your fees at once, you may be able to pay by instalments. This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company.

Find out more about paying your fees.

Alumni discount

This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.

Funding

There is a range of funding available that may help you fund your studies, including Student Finance England (SFE).

Find out more about postgraduate student funding options.

Scholarships

The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students.

Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.

Additional costs

See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.

International tuition fee: £1,700 (Price per 20-credit module)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

Paying your fees

If you don't wish to pay the whole amount of your fees at once, you may be able to pay by instalments. This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company.

Find out more about paying your fees.

Alumni discount

This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.

Funding

There are a number of funding schemes available to help you fund your studies with us.

Find out more about funding for international students.

Scholarships

The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students.

Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.

Additional costs

See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.

Teaching and Assessment

Below you will find how learning time and assessment types are distributed on this course. The graphs below give an indication of what you can expect through approximate percentages, taken either from the experience of previous cohorts, or based on the standard module diet where historic course data is unavailable.  Changes to the division of learning time and assessment may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions.

How you’ll be taught

Teaching methods across all our postgraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application. Learning typically falls into two broad categories:

  • Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
  • Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, dissertation/final project research, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision
Year
1
21%79%
2
24%76%
Scheduled hoursIndependent study

How you’ll be assessed

Our postgraduate courses include a variety of assessments, which typically fall into two broad categories:

  • Practical: examples include presentations, podcasts, blogs
  • Coursework: examples include essays, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation
Year
1
100%
2
100%
Coursework

Data from the academic year 2023/24

Research groups

Our research achieves real-world impact and we are proud to claim a rich and diverse profile of high-quality research and knowledge exchange in a wide range of disciplines.

Find out more about our research groups related to this course:

exterior of University of Westminster building

Supporting you

Our Student Hub is where you’ll find out about the services and support we offer, helping you get the best out of your time with us.

  • Study support — workshops, 1-2-1 support and online resources to help improve your academic and research skills
  • Personal tutors — support you in fulfilling your academic and personal potential
  • Student advice team — provide specialist advice on a range of issues including funding, benefits and visas
  • Extra-curricular activities — volunteering opportunities, sports and fitness activities, student events and more

Visit our student hub

Course location

In the heart of London, our Marylebone Campus is home to the Westminster Business School and our Architecture, Planning and Tourism courses. Specialist workshops, dedicated digital and architecture studios, and our extensive Marylebone Library offer students everything they need for academic success.

Marylebone Campus is opposite Baker Street tube station and within easy walking distance of Regent's Park and Marylebone High Street.

For more details, visit our Marylebone Campus page.

Contact us

Call our dedicated team on:

+44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext 65511

Opening hours (GMT): 10am–3pm Monday to Friday

[email protected]

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Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday

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