Design for Future Living, Undergraduate - BA (Hons) - 2022/23 entry

How we live affects us all. Housing is a basic human right but what we produce doesnt always meet todays needs. Our homes should be smart, well designed and affordable; they should create a sense of community, respect the environment and support changing family structures. We urgently need new design thinking to revolutionise how we live.

The BA (Hons) Design for Future Living is a unique opportunity for you to lead the way in designing how and where we live. Through innovative ideas, new design methods, advanced technologies and entrepreneurial skills, you will critique, challenge and disrupt traditional thinking around the idea of ‘home and develop radical alternatives.

Design - the course embodies our ethos of “design through the scales”, from product design, furniture, interior spaces and architecture to urban design. In the final year, you will have the opportunity to pursue your own interests through a major project.

Make – we have a tradition and pre-occupation with “making”, inspired by Birminghams industrial and artisan heritage, making this an ideal setting for exploring new approaches to the production and manufacture of homes. Using our workshops and the city beyond, you will explore advanced materials, digital and analogue fabrication and technology transfer from product design, manufacturing and industry.

Live – we see houses not as ‘one size fits all units but as homes for specific users in specific places. Throughout the course, you will be challenged to consider the implications of your designs on how people live.

The course prepares a new model of creative, skilled and disruptive designers with knowledge of how new understandings of home, digital technologies and creative design can shape the places we live.

Certificate of General Secondary Education 60% PLUS Community College Diploma/Associate Degree with minimum grade 60% / 2.5 / C+

Note: Engineering courses require minimum C+ score in Mathematics.

Even though you may have met the stated requirements, if your first language is not English, we may ask you to take an additional English Language Test when you arrive.

Based on the results of the test, you may be required to attend regular English classes to improve your level of competence. English classes are provided free of charge and are available to all non-UK students who wish to attain greater fluency in English.

The BA (Hons) Design for Future Living programme is located within the Birmingham School of Architecture and Design.

The course builds upon the School’s employability driven reputation, by providing students with the knowledge and skills to work in industry, which could lead to a career in designing sustainable housing and architecture. 

The collaboration with MOBIE brings a wealth of knowledge and industry connections to the course.

As well as gaining course-specific skills, you could also gain broader tools through our Graduate+ programme, which will help enhance your employment options by helping with careers development, employability activities, volunteering and part-time work experience.

Allied with these course-specific experiences, you will also have access to a range of support staff and services from the University’s Careers Service, who can help with:

• Reviewing CVs, covering letters and application forms
• Career planning and decision making
• Preparing for interviews and assessment centres
• Developing portfolios
• Networking with employers
• Advice about self-employment and entrepreneurship