In the Limelight: MSc Innovation by University of Brighton

The nature of, and the needs, requirements and expectations in, the construction and building industry and what is expected of its immediate products – buildings – are changing at an unprecedented pace and scale. The need for buildings which are smarter, more user-oriented, more long-lasting yet have significantly lower environmental impact has driven the industry to become more responsive, more timely and more conscious and receptive towards new and advanced technologies in different areas ranging from materials to methods, equipment and technologies. This means there is a clear need for a shift in the conventional and classical trends in the higher education content and context towards emerging technologies and their application in the AEC industry. The need for fundamental changes in the industry has also been recognised in many recent government calls and reports including Farmer Report and the most recent House of Lords Science and Technology Committee’s enquiry into Off-Site Manufacture for Construction.   

Although there are several MScs in architectural technology, architectural engineering, and BIM on offer in several UK universities, there are very few MSc degrees offering a broader scope to cover more comprehensively what such emerging technologies may have to offer in the AEC industry, not only in the UK but worldwide. Such an MSc is much sought after in the UK and internationally not only for immediate graduates of UG courses in architecture, the built environment and construction courses but also for many new and established professionals who feel they need to upskill at different stages of their career. Furthermore, this seems to be very attractive to many international young graduates and young professionals who are keen to gain more competitive knowledge and skills to guarantee their impeccable employability.

This programme has been developed in consultation with the building and construction Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies and in close collaboration with professional employers to ensure its timeliness and relevance to the needs and requirements of the modern construction industry in an industry 4.0 context. The Built Environment and Civil Engineering Industry Advisory Board, in School of Architecture, Engineering and Technology, University of Brighton have been consulted and their feedback has been taken on board to add to the value, suitability and competence of the offerings of this course. The Built Environment team will be assisted by guest and visiting lecturers from leading construction companies, and technology providers in delivery of the course, whose direct input will assure the graduates are prepared for the latest challenges the industry may possibly be expecting to face with.

The MSc Digital Construction at School of Architecture, Engineering and Technology, University of Brighton, is one of a kind in the UK, with a collaborative mission to widen the scope of professional career development of its graduates in areas pertaining to design, construction, manufacturing, assembly and management, prepping them up for new challenges in an Industry 4.0 era in the UK and for international construction markets. Sustainability has always been at the heart of our curricula in University of Brighton and at School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering, forming a significant pillar of our “Practical Wisdom” and a substantial indicator in all “Brighton Futures”. The MSc Digital Construction is a unique master’s degree with innate potential not only to contribute to the University of Brighton’s collective institutional commitment to sustainability but also to showcase our wider and deeper dedication to offer a course. Therefore, educating a new, alternative and progressive generation of construction professionals who are prepared to comply with and deliver to the demanding future of the built environment in the UK and internationally. Our graduates will be able to professionally respond to the ambitious requirements of digital transformation in the building and construction industry (e.g. Digital Twins, Digital Built Britain, etc.), to facilitate and speed up the decarbonisation global movement and to help their corresponding professional practices, employers and communities of practice in particular and the construction industry as a whole to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in creative, alternative, radical and non-conventional manners instigated, nurtured and invigorated by their insight, visions and skillsets gained and developed through studying MSc Digital Construction with us, which might otherwise be very difficult, if possible at all, to conceptualise and operationalise. Such a journey towards digitality, Industry 4.0 and automation in the construction industry will be made possible through new strategic university-wide investment in new and alternative technologies using a major OfS (Office for Student) Technology Investment grant to introduce new technologies for Building and Construction cognate areas, including new alternative AR/VR technologies, new VR treadmills, an ”Igloo” immersive lab environment, a haptic suite, an exoskeleton, a state-of-the-art drone with thermal camera and photogrammetry applications, two industry-class high-precision robotic arms and a Boston Dynamics Spot robot to name but a few.