Property Development and Planning with a Foundation Year - BSc (Hons) *

This module, for all of the built environment professions, introduces a range of concepts relating to the technology of construction.  You will gain an understanding of modern and sustainable methods of construction, based on the example of low rise residential construction as this is relatively straightforward and gives you the opportunity to explore these issues appropriately.

You will be introduced to everyday materials, construction methods, building services and Building Regulation. You will gain an insight into the properties of materials and the basic scientific principles that apply to them.  You will focus on construction materials and how they can be used to create a construction element and/or component (e.g. a floor, an external wall, a roof). In order to gain an understanding of the design process, you will create and present a virtual building model. 

Digital construction is an integral component of the design, development and maintenance of modern residential development. Building information technology (BIM) is at the forefront of the movement towards total digitalisation of the built environment. This module aims to provide a foundation for you to successfully execute the BIM process by working across the different course disciplines on a project that simulates a residential project.

Students from each course (real estate, construction management, architectural technology, planning or building surveying) will execute multiple BIM data developments throughout the building’s lifecycle simultaneously. These individual developments will then be amalgamated to produce a federated BIM model that contains all coursework submitted for each group as a final bid report. The disciplines will broadly work on the following: real estate will focus on the marketability of the project based upon its BIM output; construction management and planners will consider planning and controlling the project; architectural technology students will focus on the redesign of the residential project according to appropriate building regulations; building surveying will produce an analysis of the building’s life cycle requirements for facilities management during occupancy.

Environmental and materials science is an important area of study for all disciplines involved with the design, planning, development and management of the built environment. This module encourages you to consider how the properties, structures and performance of materials influence why buildings function. You will be encouraged to consider how these properties have an impact on construction from a design and practical use perspective. This module will enable you to develop innovative solutions for more robust, resilient, safe and sustainable buildings and structures.

Using directed learning exercises, you will produce a professional portfolio exploring issues including design technology, building methods, energy use and thermal effect. Many of these issues relate closely to the changing landscape of the sustainability agenda, which affects all built environment disciplines from planning and design to property management. In groups you will produce a final professional poster which will be presented to an industry panel.

This module will provide you with the basic legal concepts and principles you will need throughout your career in the built environment.

You will be introduced to the structure and processes of the English legal system. This is the essential foundation of the legal skills necessary for the provision of sound advice to clients and colleagues in your career. In particular, you will focus on legal and regulatory frameworks which shape the design, development and management of buildings and places. You will explore the English legal system and how law is made and contract and tort law including nuisance, negligence and occupiers’ liability.

To put your skills into practice, you will be presented with scenarios and required to provide accurate, informed and professional advice to your client with reference to existing case law.

Valuation is a crucial skill across the built environment and is core to many professional pathways. This module introduces the theory of valuation as a set of principles, financial mathematics, methods and techniques employed for identifying and understanding economic concepts of value and worth in a property context.

You will build an understanding of the central role of valuation in the efficient functioning of the property markets and the wider economy and develop your knowledge of the tools and techniques required to provide prudent advice when dealing with property.

You gain the foundational valuation tools that you will further develop in subsequent modules as you improve your practical skills in valuing a wide range of assets for different purposes including sales, development appraisal and investment management.

In this module, you will gain an understanding of the procurement process and how it can deliver benefits to clients, contractors and others involved with the development process.

You will explore issues that affect the choice of a procurement strategy by evaluating various projects and the best management and procurement approaches to be adopted. You will also learn about how the choice of procurement strategy can affect time, cost, viability, quality and sustainability issues. You will also cover current issues influencing procurement, such as international markets, legislation and sustainable procurement.

You will be encouraged to reflect on what might be considered the best service to the client, understanding and evaluating which procurement approach will lead to the best outcome. You will gain understanding of procurement options in accordance with professional codes of practice and core competencies required by the RICS/CIOB.

In this module, you will explore what a ‘good’ – or smart – policy or plan looks like, paying attention to both process and outcome. You will explore the ‘vertical’ connections between different mechanisms / policies / plans and the ‘horizontal’ connections between spatial policy frameworks and other non-spatial strategies. In particular, you will consider the legal, regulatory and policy frameworks that guide development and investment, and the relationships between spatial planning and other strategies that inform public policy intervention, including politics, stakeholder behaviour, climate change policies / agreements, energy and transport infrastructure plans, housing strategies, and sustainable community strategies.

You will be encouraged to identify and describe current and relevant policy developments for the built and natural environment. You will also interpret relevant dimensions of plan making and policy application in a development and planning context.

In this module you will explore the potential of BIM in helping to understand the social, economic and environmental benefits associated with co-ordinated infrastructure and complex structure development.

Through the delivery of a complex BIM project, you will explore the potential of multiple BIM data developments throughout the lifecycle of a project.

You will work in a team with students from our planning, quantity surveying, construction management and civil engineering courses to develop your awareness of your impact on our environment and the communities we work within. You will develop the self-confidence to critically reflect upon your own leadership and problem solving skills via an integrated project delivery. You will plan your own work schedules, manage your own time and extend your presentational skills.

This module covers the requirement for property professionals engaged with the existing built environment to appreciate the varying needs of clients in relation to property, to identify methods of construction, appraise the condition of a building, and make recommendations to achieve a client’s aims. You will have an opportunity to apply your learning to a relevant case study to develop your practical skills.

This module will broaden your knowledge of the existing environment which, in terms of sustainability, needs to be altered and adapted to provide for economic re-use rather than wholesale regeneration and new build. Consequently, you will be better able to survey and appraise options for re-use including issues relating to resources and financial viability.

This module allows you to develop and apply your research skills in a property development, planning and real estate context. You will gain an introduction to some of the data, techniques and approaches required to explore social, economic, environmental and technological change in a built environment context. The module comprises two parts: preparatory sessions to provide you with the necessary background information, qualitative and quantitative techniques and data to successfully undertake fieldwork and a field visit, run over several days and consisting of a series of staff-led sessions and individual / group project exercises.

You will reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to conducting research; the key principles of quantitative data analysis, and qualitative research; how to collect new data during fieldwork; how messages can be communicated for different audiences; the role of communication skills; and the importance of negotiation, mediation, advocacy and leadership skills.

Property fund management is a relatively new core competence for the real estate and development professional (Chartered Surveyor). Accordingly, a comprehensive grounding in the principles and practice of property investment and finance is essential.

The module introduces and develops the concept and practice of property fund management in relation to real world market activity and includes a consideration of property finance. This will increase your awareness of the role of property as an investment asset class, its use as an investment and the means of financing property investments and developments. In particular, it emphasises both theoretical and analytical aspects of property decision making in the context of property portfolios formation and management.

In this module, you will focus on extending and providing appropriate evidence of your professional skills and development. The aim of the module is to introduce you to key contemporary social thinking within the built environment, centred on community, built environment diversity and inclusivity issues.

You will gain an appreciation and understanding of the principles, tools, methods and processes of consultancy and professionalism and how these link to a wider citizenship agenda. You will explore practice-based learning through a ‘hands-on’ group-based consultancy assignment with a real client organisation. You will be required: to deconstruct and negotiate a consultancy project in a situation where initially there may be a lack of clarity, high ambiguity, intense uncertainty and unusual data; apply a range of frameworks to structure analytical thinking; apply techniques to complete the research; and demonstrate effective communication skills in delivering the final results to the client.

This module will introduce you to a range of contemporary debates on the interrelationship between society stakeholders, space, technology and energy, and the environment and quality of life of different places. Property developers and planners need an appreciation of contemporary drivers of social, economic and environmental change if they are to influence and make effective decisions.

You will critically examine how ‘green’ innovation, development, technology and design can contribute to the creation and maintenance of high quality places. Drawing on a range of international and UK-based case studies, you will explore and debate these issues from a range of different (and sometimes competing) perspectives.

This design-led module provides the opportunity for you to implement and practice advanced design skills in response to a small-scale design project that seeks to deliver a range of benefits for different user groups. This module is underpinned by a series of lectures relating to the history and theory of urban architectural design. You will also spend time on studio-based and lab work that will develop and enhance your design enquiry and creative drawing and model-making skills. You will also explore the wider role of design theory, governance, planning and how innovative design strategies might be used to resolve complex issues associated with contemporary urban challenges.

This is a chance to undertake a sustained, in-depth and research-informed project exploring an area of personal interest to you. In agreement with your supervisor, you will decide on your topic, which will take the form of a practical outcome (artefact) with accompanying contextual material.

The main consideration when choosing your topic is that it must be aligned to the programme you are studying, and you should consider its relevance to your future academic or professional development.

You will be expected to work independently, with additional one-to-one support from your supervisor, who will be familiar with your chosen topic area. As you progress, extra support will be available which may take the form of group seminars, workshops or online materials.

This module enables you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and research-informed project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. In agreement with your supervisor, you will decide on your topic which will take the form of a practical outcome (artefact) with accompanying contextual material.

Your topic must be aligned to the programme you are studying, and you should consider the relevance of this topic to your future academic or professional development.

You will be expected to work independently but you will receive additional one-to-one support from your supervisor, who will be familiar with your chosen topic area. As you progress on the module, extra support will be available which may take the form of group seminars, workshops and online materials.

This module will explore the process and philosophy of planning, creating and managing public spaces in different economic, environmental, historical, and social contexts. Placemaking is strongly related to urban design, but has a wider theoretical and less design-based focus. You will learn to consider the assets, inspiration, and potential of local communities, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness and wellbeing. This module will allow you to appreciate the ingredients, tools, and outcomes that contribute to high-quality and successful places, and the lessons learnt from placemaking experiments, by working on a real-life project in conjunction with a client.

This module will explore key concepts and methods related to development and sustainability, in particular looking at environmental management systems and industry-standard assessment systems. You will be introduced to management and decision-making tools, and the methodology behind them, as well as the legal and regulatory frameworks for promoting sustainability within a country or industry. Through lectures, seminars, workshops, and independent research, you will look at the practical application of the ideas discussed and reflect on their appropriateness. The module will also cover corporate social responsibility in practice, and how organisations can operate more sustainably through measures such as supply chain management and reporting structures.

This module is concerned with the creation of development and redevelopment strategies and providing reasoned advice for implementing projects at neighbourhood level, with a specific focus on environmentally sensitive design. You will explore the challenges and opportunities that are likely to be in evidence in different types of locality, and from this you will create ideas for addressing matters of design, management, and viability. The module will give you an overarching view of sustainability design and management issues, and the different ways in which the major challenges facing society are being approached. You will develop your understanding of the importance of sustainable design whilst considering and enhancing the ecosystem services, natural environment features, and landscape character.

This module will enable you to understand the importance of working within the boundaries of established professional best practice. You will develop the skills and competencies that are required in practice to meet professional standards and expectations, which will include ethics, stakeholder analysis, conflict management and negotiation, team working, and business presentation. The module will encourage active research and you will develop your capacity to address the changing needs of the built environment industry. The module will also prepare you for entry to the appropriate professional body by identifying and addressing the key requirements of professional membership in a supportive environment.