The Unit System

The Unit System is an innovative approach to learning, first pioneered by Alvin Boyarsky at the Architectural Association in London, in the 1970s. It is a holistic learning environment, organised around year-long design studios or ‘units.’ See below for more details.

The Unit System

‘I don't think the problem of architectural education is to teach people to be almost proto-professional operators, because that's for them to work out as they go out into life. The problem is to actually produce witty people who've got lots of conversations echoing in their ears when they leave. They've heard a lot of conversations; they've seen a lot; they've met people who are on their way up into the world.’

Alvin Boyarsky, quoted in Irene Sunwoo's ‘Pedagogy’s Progress: Alvin Boyarsky’s International Institute of Design’, Grey Room, (34)(2009):53.

Many of the world’s top schools of architecture owe a collective debt to the innovations in teaching and learning first introduced by Alvin Boyarsky, Head of School at the Architectural Association in the 1970s. His most important contribution to architectural education was the ‘unit system’, an approach which is now global in its reach. Broadly speaking, instead of the traditional, year-based horizontal hierarchy in which students progress through a series of modules/years until graduation, Boyarsky envisioned a holistic ‘learning’ environment (as opposed to a ‘teaching’ environment), in which student life in both the undergraduate (2nd & 3rd year) and postgraduate (4th & 5th year) is organised around year-long design studios or ‘units’.

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  • This innovative approach emphasises the development of comprehensive design projects undertaken within the setting of a single unit selected by a student at the outset of the year.

    Students work in close contact with unit leaders and tutors who independently set the agenda, aims and objectives for that year’s design project.

    At the GSA, students in 2017 were able to choose from six Units; in 2018, this has continued with six postgraduate Units.

    Our now-famous Unit System Poster is available at the start of each year, allowing students to peruse the Units on offer before making their all-important choice.

Professional Practice

Course Convener: Prof Christo Vosloo

 

In a conventional architectural practice designing great architecture is one thing. Once your design has been finalised you need to get it built.

This requires firstly the support of a structured, focused and well-managed architectural firm and the knowledge that will allow you to appoint a competent contractor and then the ability to supervise the construction process. With this in mind, Architectural Professional Practice aims at giving you the know-how that will allow you to start a practice that has the potential to survive and support you during your professional career.

The subject will provide you with the basic knowledge required to administer building contracts proficiently in order to avoid claims and to ensure that your design ends up as intended. We also look at measures which the architect can employ to protect her-or himself in the event that such claims do materialise.

In short, how to survive and prosper while producing great work. Architects are increasingly moving into the informal sector where they deal with communities and assist them to create a positive and enabling urban environment. With this in mind, this subject will furthermore provide you with the basic knowledge needed to facilitate projects in this realm.

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