What does this qualification cover?

This course is one in which you learn by doing; you will develop your creativity and independent thought, expressing yourself visually and letting your imagination flourish.  

What’s included?

• Students will complete a range of skill-building projects from September to January of Year 12 where they will develop key areas required for the sustained project.  
• Students will have a Component One sustained project in which they can choose their own starting point from a topic that piques their interest. Component One counts for 60% of the A-Level grade and is solely focused on Architecture.  
• Students will have a Component Two project worth 40% of their A-Level Grade and the brief for this project is set by the examination board.  

• Students will develop a deep understanding of their chosen starting point, ensuring that their sustained project is clear, coherent and focussed whilst being enriched by personal areas of study.  
• For submission, students produce a portfolio, a plethora of architectural models and prototypes, a final outcome(s) and a presentation board for each project.   
• Students work in A3 portfolios and the course contains a mixture of both hand produced work and computer aided design; presentation and layout is key.  

Key Features

• • • Researching & analysing existing architects  
    • Understanding the inspirations of existing architects 
    • Personal investigations  
    • Primary research photography  
    • Observation 
    • Creative thinking  
    • Appreciation; critical analysis of the work of others  
    • Problem solving and communication  
    • Drawing and rendering skills  
    • Computer Aided Design 
    • Computer Aided Manufacture  
    • 3D Modelling  
    • Competent use of ICT  
    • Organisation and Time Management  
    • Experimentation with a wide range of media and materials  
    • Develop, refine and present ideas  
    • Evaluation  
    • Commitment to the subject  
    • Independent study outside of lesson time  

Employers, apprenticeships and universities regard all of these skills highly. 

Links to workplace

This subject will give you all sorts of exciting career and future opportunities, including:  

• Architect; designing and constructing buildings  
• Civil Engineering; supporting your understanding of creative buildings  
• Exhibition Designer; creating advertising and branding displays for exhibitions  
• Furniture Designer; design, creating and testing furniture for a range of purposes  
• Interior Designer; working with clients to design interiors of homes and hotels  

• Landscape Architect; designing client gardens on both a large and small scale  
• Model Maker; manufacturing models such as props for TV shows  
• Product Designer; inventing new and developing existing products for client use 
• Teacher; teaching others about designing and inspiring creativity  
• Toy Designer; designing and creating toys for a range of different audiences  

• TV/Film/Set Designer; imagining and bringing to life sets used in TV, film and theatre  
• Game Designer; combining your Art & Design skills with computing  
• Graphic Design; magazine and website design, motion graphics and advertising 

This is just a small selection that shows you the pathways that a creative subject can lead. Other possible routes include; fashion design, animator, museum curator, illustrator to name but a few! New technologies are creating a whole new range of courses where art is being used in innovative ways.