RIBA Studio - Review

Hi,

If you are here is because you are considering getting into the RIBA programme to qualify as an architect in the UK.

Well, I am thrilled to give my honest opinion with regard to the RIBA Studio.

For those who do not know about this route to qualify, RIBA Studio Diploma is an office-based part-time Part 2. It is delivered by Oxford Brookes University and takes around three years to complete the program. They offer Part 1 also and which is called RIBA Studio Certificate. The course is divided into submissions, these could be high-quality research, design projects, or exams.

I must admit I have mixed feelings about this route, as it is the most convenient way to qualify in the United Kingdom without going back to school.

The good

This route allows people to complete their studies whilst working, it means that you do not have to sacrifice your working life in order to pursue your goals.

Since day 0 the studio has been extremely supportive, I noticed that they were interested in their student’s development, and following my experience while looking for a tutor I am positive that they were always looking for the best solution for every student's problem, this helps when you do not have anyone around to ask questions.

The level of research is good, the course encourages us to find people and find places. I loved every single stage of the development process of my submissions. I enjoyed every interview, every research, and every site I visited.

During the time I joined the studio, I grew excellent problem-solving skills and this can be reflected in both my personal and professional life.

I became autonomous, I learned to deal with all sorts of situations with little help from others.

I often use the knowledge I acquired during the time I joined the studio.

I learned a lot of Neuroscience applied to architecture and fell in love with it, I am currently working to get certified as Neuroarchitect.

THE NOT SO GOOD

This part will divide into three points: Mental Health, Suspended Studies Time, and BREXIT.

MENTAL HEALTH

From my experience, mental health could be extremely impacted by this course due to isolation and lack of time.

The manner this programme works swallows students into a severe routine in order to develop each submission in time. This could impact differently depending on how demanding is the student’s personal life. I am a mom and for me, the only spare time to work on my documents was when my kids were sleeping or during working hours.

I was surprised to meet a good number of students who have been stuck in the studio for years because the examiners decided that their projects were not finished. A woman in my group drop off the course because it was her 3rd attempt to pass her design project and she was so frustrated that decided to go. Her advice before leaving our Whatsapp chat was to take care of our mental health. Other students left the studio for apprenticeships (If I am not wrong this route is pretty new).

I was working for the RIBA studio for at least two hours after work every day and Saturday mornings, it was easy to forget to eat. I lost lots of weight and also I had a newborn next to me crying for food. I got sick at least six times during the first year of the studio including two rounds to A&E. I was struggling with a cultural difference between my French tutor and the British School. I thrived in all the submissions except the design project, this one I could not finish it on time.

The Studio offers mental health support, I regret I never asked for support, I was so busy that I just never had time.

I frequently experienced a sense of being taken advantage of by my tutors, some of them were extremely expensive and one of them walked away. If you are considering taking the RIBA studio programme I highly recommend talking to other students to find a good tutor.

SUSPENDED STUDIES

I decided to take suspended studies to wait for the Brexit outcome, to look for another job, and also to sit my part 3.

Brexit started to knock at my door in 2021, but I was positive that mutual recognition (I live and work in France) would be easily restored between the UK and the EU, nevertheless, it was 2022 and I was still stuck with no possibility of studying the part 3 due to the PEDR sheets regulations and working for my design project as a requirement to be allowed to take suspended time. Yes, this means that suspended time is not time off, it is additional time to work on whatever submission they consider important to keep developing while taking care of any personal situation that prevents you from keeping studying.

I do not recommend taking suspended time unless there are no alternatives because it can hurt your motivation. For me suspended time was the start of not enjoying the studio. During this time the studio suffered from internal adjustments and communication vanished. Sometimes It felt like I was not longer a student, I sent my new office mentor form twice and they never managed to make him join the school Moodle. I also found a good tutor who supported my neuroscience research and literally took them ages to change my files in their system to recognise her as my new tutor.

BREXIT

My suspended time finished in March 2023, so I rejoined the studio to finish my design project until I was told by the ARB that the mutual agreement between the EU and the UK is still in process and nobody knows when and how they would work. This meant that there was not possibility to sit the Part 3 and my British Part 2 is equal to my Mexican Bachelor's Honours Degree in France.

I knew beforehand that France would not accept British diplomas until Brexit is sorted, the Ordre des architectes was clear enough when I asked.

The ARB sent me a link to the other international agreements that look great but architects who sat the ARB-prescribed examination are not allowed to use them (why why why ?????) . This and my desire to study Neuroscience made me drop the studio and therefore the British system.

I have to add that RIBA was extremely supportive and they even contacted me to offer possible solutions.

But what is next for me? During the last years, I followed another route to be an architect in Europe and I recently became eligible to apply for recognition and registration in France this year (I will talk about this in another post).

CONCLUSION

If you live in the UK, I strongly recommend the course if you have no possibility to go back to school, find a good tutor, and do not take suspended studies time unless it is required.

If you live in the EU, please, do not take this route unless Brexit is sorted.

As always, thanks for reading.