23 - 05 - 2023
BPTW is excited to join the London School of Architecture Practice Network!
Collaborating as a close partner of the school, BPTW will join a network of students, practitioners and the wider built environment that supports the school’s ethos of design driven practice led education through teaching, design reviews and professional support for the students’ benefit.
Established in 2014, the London School of Architecture (LSA) is driven by a commitment to widening access to the profession and promoting continual learning; the LSA primarily offers an affordable, progressive and practical route into the architectural profession through an ARB-accredited MArch Part 2 course. The course’s design-focused curriculum combines studio-based study with practice-based learning, including student placements in LSA’s Practice Network.
The school also offers a unique Part 0 course for 13- to 19-year-olds that introduces those from disadvantaged backgrounds, underserved communities and underrepresented demographics in architecture to careers in the built environment. In response to ARBs beefed up powers to monitor ongoing professional competencies and RIBA’s Mandatory Core Competencies, the school has also launched a ground-breaking Part 4 course which delivers a catalogue of modular learning experiences for built environment practices and practitioners.
Our collaboration with the LSA continues our commitment to supporting positive change in architectural education to improve equality, diversity and inclusion in the industry. Our role as a supporter of the LSA complements our existing provision of architectural apprenticeships and our Careers in the Built Environment programme for secondary schools.
As a member of BPTW’s EDI Group and lead for BPTW’s recruitment of Part 2 students, Senior Associate Peter Sofoluke is spearheading our partnership with the LSA. In response to our collaboration with LSA, Peter said,
“Joining the LSA’s Practice Network marks an exciting development in BPTW’s relationship with architectural education. From our first meeting, it was evident that BPTW and the LSA share a common goal to broaden opportunities to access the architecture profession and diversify those who shape our built environment. Our core values – collaborative, creative, passionate, respectful, nurturing and sociable – make BPTW an ideal studio for students looking to develop their skills in architecture. With our professional expertise and the LSA’s progressive education curriculum, we will come together to create a rich, informative, and exciting environment for learning alongside the support of the whole Practice Network.”
John Nahar, Engagement Manager at the LSA leads the school’s external engagement activities to ensure that its students have opportunities to collaborate with industry through their studies. John said,
“The initiatives BPTW have set up that seek to widen access to architecture and diversify talent have really impressed us here at the LSA. Their interventions with local schools and colleges as part of their Careers in the Built Environment Programme is fantastic and strongly aligns with the aims of our Part 0 programme to inspire young people and provide wonderful opportunities and a window into a career in design”. The enthusiasm and sincerity that the BPTW team have shown towards creating new initiatives in collaboration with the LSA across London is extremely encouraging.
I’m looking forward to working with the BPTW team to create opportunities that support inter-practice collaboration – sharing knowledge and resource with industry, in particular younger practices, student engagement on our Part 2 programme through student placements and across our academic programme, and supporting young people in exploring careers in design through our Part 0 programme.”
At BPTW, LSA students will gain experience in architecture design and construction, urban design, masterplanning and BIM in a forward-looking, collaborative and nurturing studio. Our social ethos stems from our early work designing social and affordable housing. Today, we lead ambitious masterplanning and regeneration projects in partnership with communities using co-design and community engagement processes. We are actively committed to sustainable design with Passivhaus, Net Zero Carbon and Future Homes Standard-ready homes and contribute to ambitious Design for Manufacture and Assembly projects.
We look forward to seeing this ambitious partnership develop and welcoming engaged and enthusiastic LSA students to our studio.