Unit 12 proposes a methodology grounded in conceptual exploration, where architecture is approached as a speculative, imaginative, and critical practice. It invites students to temporarily suspend conventional pragmatism in order to engage with the deeper intellectual, emotional, and cultural dimensions of architectural production.
At the heart of the unit brief is the notion of the Speculative Sublime—an atmospheric and cognitive condition in which architecture transcends function to become a vehicle for narrative, meaning, and speculation. Students are encouraged to locate the origins of their architectural curiosity, to identify personal interests and cultural concerns, and to translate these into speculative propositions.
Architecture is framed not as isolated object-making, but as a mode of world-building. Projects are expected to emerge through rigorous research, interdisciplinary engagement (art, philosophy, literature, science), and sustained conceptual development.
Core Tenets of Unit 12 include:
1. Conceptual Primacy – design emerges from strong, critically informed ideas.
2. Research as Foundation – speculation is anchored in extensive contextual and theoretical inquiry.
3. Imagination as Method – creative thinking is central to design development.
4. Narrative and Expression – architecture as a medium for storytelling and myth-making.
The Unit 12 space is a space for intelligent risk taking, critical reflection, and speculative thinking.
Rahesh Ram and Philia Yi Sian Chua
Peter Barry
The MArch Architecture is a two-year full-time or three-year part-time programme offering exemption from ARB/RIBA Part 2. It combines rigorous professional training with creative and speculative design exploration. In the first year, students join a themed design unit to undertake a creative building design project combined with a technical and professional report. In the second year, students pursue a comprehensive speculative architectural design project, and an in-depth theoretical thesis tailored to their personal interest. The programme fosters independent thinking, innovation, theoretical and technical excellence, preparing graduates for advanced architectural practice and ongoing professional development in a dynamic global context.
See further details on our prospectus page.
