Jean Gabriel Marin, a student in Master's Degree management Building design management (MDGAE), shares in this entrance experience visit city’s most notable architectural landmarks.
“From the very beginning, London presented itself as a highly complex urban environment. During the week, we had the opportunity to visit the development Building development in Cambridge, a project retrofit project , where one of the professionals involved in its design gave design a firsthand account of the main technical and management challenges management with this subject project.”
One of our first stops was the Architectural Association School of Architecture, visit the studios with Paula Cadima, director of the SDE Master’s program in sustainability. They explained their model , which is based on “Units,” each with a approach that students apply according to their interests. This initial introduction helped us understand the diversity of approaches within contemporary training .
The trip combined learning with urban exploration, allowing us to view London from a more critical perspective. One of the highlights was a visit to the London 2012 Olympic Velodrome, which included a tour led by an architect involved in its design, who explained the challenges of designing infrastructure subject to strict regulations regarding its use.
In the case of the velodrome, Olympic regulations required maintaining a specific indoor temperature to ensure optimal performance by the cyclists, which posed a considerable challenge . This requirement not only affected the building’s climate control but also directly influenced decisions regarding design, materials, and construction methods. Understanding how these requirements architecture allowed us to broaden our perspective on the relationship between rules and regulations, performance, and project.
Living in, observing, and understanding the environment
For staff, the experience took on special meaning since it was my first visit the city. Traveling, in this sense, involves not only moving from one place to another, but also exposing oneself to new ways of living, observing, and understanding one’s surroundings—which inevitably broadens one’s perspective. We visited various iconic landmarks such as Leadenhall Market, the financial district, and the building known as 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin). London struck me as a city in constant transformation, where layers of history coexist with a strong commitment to innovation. Experiencing this contrast firsthand allowed me to develop a broader and more informed understanding of architecture and its context.
The academic program included a workshop focused on assessment tools, as well as seminars and presentations of final Degree projects Degree students from around the world. These activities highlighted the importance of passive strategies and operational energy management in design and fostered dialogue among diverse approaches to sustainability. The exchange participants from contexts such as India, Thailand, and Turkey allowed us to broaden our perspectives and subject our ideas to new critical analyses. Overall, the experience left a significant mark, strengthening both the development and the professional vision of those of us who participated.
