Architecture
The study of Architecture at Cambridge is concerned not only with practical design but also with architectural history and theory. It therefore has a particular appeal to those who have an interest in the cultural aspects of Architecture as well as the technical skills and creative imagination that the subject demands.
One of the reasons why Trinity is an appropriate environment in which to study Architecture is, of course, the intrinsic quality of its fabric. Great Court, the largest in either Oxford or Cambridge, is also one of the most splendid, while the library is regarded by many as Christopher Wren’s finest building. More recently, Sir Richard MacCormac, a Trinity graduate and Past President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, designed the Blue Boar and Burrell’s Field developments for the College. To live and work in buildings such as these cannot fail to inspire the student.
Course Details
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Numbers reading Architecture at Cambridge are small and limited by the availability of studio space at the Department of Architecture. At Trinity we are looking to admit between two and four students each year. The College’s Director of Studies is James W. P. Campbell. Professor Campbell is a Fellow of Queens’ College. He is a qualified architect and an architectural historian and he is currently the Head of the Architecture Department. He has written a number of books on architecture and has broad research interests covering areas as diverse as libraries, staircases and St Paul’s Cathedral. He supervises all Trinity students in the first year.
Candidates need to be able to think creatively in three dimensions. Evidence of this is characteristically furnished at interview by a portfolio of work which might include drawings or paintings for an A-level Art course, photographs, records of projects undertaken in spare time, or sketch books. Mechanical or technical drawings are not required.
Applicants can expect to have one interview with Professor Campbell and a second member of the University’s teaching staff, at which the portfolio will be discussed. No specific A-level subjects are required but a mixture of arts and sciences is desirable. A first-hand acquaintance of some of the major European buildings of the past is helpful. Conditional offers are typically A*AA; comparable conditions are set for those taking the IB and other school-leaving examinations.
Further information about the course is available from the Faculty Office, Department of Architecture, 1 Scroope Terrace, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PX or on the website.
Admissions Assessment
All applicants for Architecture are required to take written and practical assessments at interview, if interviewed.
ASSESSMENT FORMAT
- Writing skills (30 minutes)
- Graphic and spatial ability (30 minutes)
Architecture Admissions Assessment Specification
You do not need to register or be registered in advance for the assessments at interview – the College will provide details of arrangements in the emails inviting applicants to interview.
Further details about the format of the assessment and preparatory materials can be found on the written assessments page.
Please note that your performance in the assessment at interview will not be considered in isolation, but will be taken into account alongside the other elements of your application.
Teaching Staff
- Professor James Campbell
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