Architecture at Norwich

Congratulations on your successful selection to the Architecture and Interior Design Programme at Norwich University of the Arts.

We are looking forward to welcoming you in September.

This welcome page gives you key information about how to prepare, what to bring, and what to expect when you arrive.

Welcome Week begins on  Monday 15 September – this is when we will meet you on campus, introduce the course team, and show you around the studios and facilities. You will also take part in sessions that introduce university life, support services, and our wider creative community. It is a great chance to begin connecting with fellow students and to explore both the city of Norwich and the surrounding landscape.

Your first full day of teaching is Monday 22 September, when we will present to you the outline of the year structure, our activities, and the overall ambition of your course.

Your timetable will be available online when you enroll. We have ensured there is no teaching timetabled for Monday and Wednesday afternoons; this will give you time during the week for independent study, as well as for clubs, societies, and other commitments.

It would be great if you could think about the following questions before you get here:

• Identify your favourite space that you have experienced. This may be anything: your grandparents’ front room, a museum or garden you explored, a public space visited in another city/country.
• Are there things about this space that inspired you to study Architecture or Interior Design?
• How would you describe this space to someone else?

We look forward to starting this transformational journey with you in September!

Things to read and do before you start

Here are some suggestions for you to look at before you commence your studies.

• Your sketchbook. We recommend keeping a sketchbook and/or a note journal. Starting a habit of drawing each day without pressure is a great practice to keep building up.
• Visit the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Art in Norwich. You can visit the Sainsbury Centre, its permanent collection and current exhibition, and the sculpture garden.
  • Designed by Sir Norman Foster, the Centre’s grand hangar is an example of extraordinary museum design, and is home to a world class collection featuring art from all around the globe and from all time periods, and transcending traditional barriers between art, architecture, archaeology, and anthropology.
    Learn about its architects, its design, development and construction on the Fosters and Partners website:
    Information about the Architects Take a 360-degree tour of the building

• Curious about life at Norwich University of the Arts? Our students are here to help! Just Choose a student to chat with, ask your question and they’ll get back to you within 24 hours!  
• If you are in London, visit 2025 Serpentine Pavilion.
  • If you happen to be in London this summer, make sure to visit this year’s Serpentine pavilion by Marina Tabassum, with an additional smaller Play Pavilion by Peter Cook.
• Keep strong drawings, designs, and reflections in your feed:
  • If you are on social media, we recommend following these pages:
    • @thearchitecturalreview (IG);
    • @aseriesofrooms (IG);
    • @the_donnies (IG);
    • @koozarch (IG);
    • @dezeen (TikTok, IG)
    • @archdaily_ (TikTok; IG)

… and our pages  @norwichuni_architecture (IG) @norwichuni_interiordesign (IG) 

Suggested equipment and materials

This list is a suggestion of equipment that you will need during your course.

Some of it you probably already have, but all of it you will use at some point, so read through the list to check what you will need. 

When in Norwich, you may find second hand items, or use the University Shop for your equipment. 

Drafting and drawing tools

• Standard writing pens

• Ball Pentel-type roller ball pen (extra fine, fine and/or medium)

• Fine liner pens (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5)

• Traditional pencils (2B, HB, 2H)

• Propelling/mechanical pencil (0.5mm with 2H leads)

• Soft eraser

• Scale ruler (metric: 1:10, 1:5/1:50, 1:10/1:100, 1:20/1:200)

• 30cm steel ruler (preferably stainless steel or aluminium)

Cutting and fixing tools

• Swann-Morton scalpel (Size 3 handle and 10A blades) 

• Stanley knife (retractable, preferably with a metal handle) 

• Scissors (small and large, suitable for paper cutting) 

• Masking tape, sellotape, blue tack, glue stick 

 Paper 

• A3 layout pad (80 sheets, 45–80gsm) 

• A3 tracing paper pad (50 sheets, 90gsm) or A3 width tracing paper roll 

• A5 or A4 notebook / sketchbook / journal 

 Digital & Storage

• USB memory stick or external hard drive 

Many of these items can be bought at discounted rates from  the University Shop or the 3D-Workshop, so consider picking them up during Welcome Week if you don’t already have them. 

In town, Thorns DIY offers 10% off for Norwich students on purchases over £15. 

Laptops

While studio and lab computers are available, many students find it more convenient to use their own laptop. You do not need a laptop at the start of the course.

If you are looking to purchase your laptop, you should ideally wait until starting the course, as many suppliers offer student discounts.

Your laptop should be able to run Adobe Creative Cloud apps (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator), as well as architectural software like AutoCAD, Rhino, and Revit Architecture.

You do not need to purchase this software: Norwich University provides access to the required software for installation on your device, refer to the guide for details of laptop specifications.