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About the Architecture Programs

Bachelor of Architectural Studies DBAE

Master of Architecture DMAE

(These 2 programs replaced the Bachelor of Architecture (DBRC) in 2008)

Philosophy and architectureDigital thinkingProfessional practiceUrban designEcological and sustainable Development (ESD)In community on-site

Click on an image above to find out more about our teaching, research and consultancy.

The architecture program at the Louis Laybourne Smith School is an intensive and rewarding course of study towards the attainment of the Bachelor of Architecture degree over five full time years. Recognised by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) as an accredited degree for professional registration, the program has developed a tradition of creativity and innovation in both the design and making of works of architecture. We are also committed to ensuring the professional and technical needs of the discipline are well integrated into the student experience. Students are immersed in a variety of areas relevant to the nature of architecture in a changing cultural and environmental landscape. We encourage students to understand the connections between seemingly diverse areas of study in architectural education, through an evolving program of Design Studio projects, most often based upon real life projects, community needs or contemporary theoretical and cultural issues.

Design, research and technical skills taught through the Construction, History and Theory and Communication core areas are developed within companion Design Studio projects, conducted in every semester of the program.
An emphasis upon the 'craft of making' encourages our students to acquire 'hands on' experience in all facets of the architectural process, from the skills involved in manufacturing designs in our workshop, to the fabrication of buildings on site. Recent collaborations with remote and rural communities in South and Western Australia, are producing student designed, fabricated and installed architectures, a unique opportunity for students from both local and international backgrounds.

Similarly we encourage an exploration of regional and international design culture by conducting tours in South Australia, interstate and overseas. Recent study tours have included travel to other regional centres such as Melbourne and Sydney to engage with contemporary Australian architecture, a cross-disciplinary museum and exhibition program in New York and Los Angeles, to Rome and Florence, and to Kuala Lumpur, where our international students were pleased show their colleagues around their home places. And the result of these intensive travels is always a studio project or a special project where participants can develop specific interests or experiment with new ideas and practices.
Students in the later years of the program may develop a specialisation through our program structure which provides for self-directed projects and electives and an Honours program by thesis or studio, in collaboration with personal supervisors.

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