University of Sheffield

COURSE DESCRIPTION

As part of its Graduate School, the University of Sheffield, School of Architecture (SSoA) offers a range of Postgraduate Taught Masters Programmes, including the MA in Urban Design (MAUD).

The programme builds on the SSoA’s ethos around the relationship between architecture and society. As such MAUD is grounded in an integrated approach that links spatial design and urban processes as a means to understand the spatial morphology of contemporary urbanisation, and the social forces underpinning urban form. Our interest lies in the processes of uneven urban development and in the many agents and actors who, in their capacity of engaged citizens, are transforming the meaning and forms of the places they inhabit. With this in mind, the course seeks to establish innovative modes of practice involving agency and community participation, and to investigate which approaches and methodologies might allow for rethinking the role of both designers and citizens in the processes of city-making.

The overall approach of MAUD is underpinned by a desire to critically examine the key urban development challenges that cities are facing today. Who is addressing them? In which ways? To whose inclusion, and exclusion? Local urban areas in Sheffield are taken as a reference for comparison with other UK and international contexts in Europe as well as in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The main core of the programme consists of a design studio, supported by core modules exploring urban design theory, participatory methodologies and reflections on urban design practice. These are complemented by a range of optional modules, study-trips, thematic workshops, and lecture series.

RELATED RESEARCH WITHIN THE SCHOOL

All MAUD projects, design studios and thesis projects have a strong research aspect and relate to ongoing research by staff members and research centres. Research areas include: governance, democracy and public space; self-made cities; the social production of architecture; alternative modes of architecture practice; radical urbanism. The MAUD teaching programme is supported through a number of SSoA and cross-departmental research centres including: AGENCY – Transformative research into Architectural Praxis and Education; GaSP – Globalisation and Spatial Practice; bdr – bureau design+research, and the School’s interdisciplinary platform Building Local Resilience. 

STAFF

Programme Leader

• Beatrice De Carli

Core MAUD Staff

• Irena Bauman
• Leo Care
• Cristina Cerulli
• Florian Kossak

Studio Tutors 2014/2015

• Simon Baker
• Howard Evans
• Teresa Hoskyns
• John Sampson
• Helen Stratford
• Rob Thompson