Category: Construction and building

Prayaag Pandya profile photo

Construction Site Manager part of award-winning team with a love for Brighton

Meet Prayaag Pandya, a Construction Management graduate whose professional journey is rooted in his education at the University of Brighton.

The Brighton Effect is all about the foundations that your time at the university provides you with and how you carry this into your professional career, putting your own individual stamp on the journey.

Prayaag epitomises both this sentiment and the graduate attribute of a resilient self-advocate with both his project management and leadership skills, and his desire to seek out career development opportunities such as obtaining chartered status with professional bodies.

We caught up with him to find out more about his time at Brighton, some of the award-winning teams he has been part of and how he applies things he learnt at university to provide a theoretical basis to tackle real-world work scenarios including in his role now at Galliford Try.

Continue reading “Construction Site Manager part of award-winning team with a love for Brighton” →

Laura RubyLeave a comment
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Come to an applicant event

Our applicant events are a great way to learn more about your course after you have applied, to get to know us better and make sure we are the right university for you.

To book you’ll need your University of Brighton student number which you’ll find on any emails you’ve received from us about your application.

Online subject Q+A sessions

Online applicant subject q+a sessions are for students who have applied to Brighton – you don’t need to hold an offer to attend. These sessions provide a chance to ask questions to academics and current students before attending one of our on campus applicant days.

If you have applied to study on one of our architecture, interior architecture, product design, engineering, civil engineering, computing or construction courses join us online on Wednesday 28 February.

Book your place

On-campus applicant days

Your chance to check out the campus and also attend talks and tasters from your subject academics, our current students, student support services and have a tour of our accommodation.

If you are holding an offer from one of our architecture, interior architecture, product design, engineering, civil engineering, computing or construction courses we have two upcoming campus events at the Moulsecoomb campus:

  • Saturday 23 March
  • Wednesday 24 April

Book your place

We look forward to seeing you!

Laura RubyLeave a comment
Puzzle hunt team discussing a clue

A puzzling challenge for architecture technology and engineering students

All students from our school were invited to take part in our first Puzzle Hunt this month. Three teams took on the challenge with the winning team picking up SU vouchers as prizes for solving the puzzles in the fastest time.

All teams did brilliantly. Our super sleuths solved a series of puzzles based on pattern matching and work/number associations which took them on a hunt all-round the Moulsecoomb campus. Each puzzle led the different teams to a different room on campus where they found the next clue.

Dr Almas Baimagambetov, principal lecturer and subject lead for computing and maths, organised the event and devised all the challenges said: “The main challenge comes from the fact that clues to solve puzzles are located in different rooms on campus, so before some puzzles can be solved teams will need to visit certain locations. While the puzzles were the same for all teams, the puzzle sequences and most of the clues are unique to each team, so they can’t simply follow each other.”

The Puzzle Hunt was open to the whole school so no specific subject knowledge was needed for this one. Keep your eyes peeled for other, computing-based events Dr Baimagambetov is organising. See below to find out more.

Puzzle hunt team looking at a board in the library
Puzzle hunt team walking outside
Puzzle hunt team discussed the first challenge
Puzzle hunt team working on the first challenge
Puzzle hunt team walking in to the library
Puzzle hunt team discussing a challenge in the library
Puzzle hunt group shot with prize winners
Puzzle hunt team discussing a clue

Codefest
Codefest is an example of a gamified work-based learning method that focuses on authentic assessment and is supported by industry experts. It is delivered as a software development event aimed at helping students to progress and use the latest technologies in the field, as well as promoting teamwork and peer learning through team-based challenges. The team that solves the most challenges wins the event and wins a prize. This is a great opportunity for students to experience the typical day-to-day activities that happen in the industry on a daily basis, as well as to create a strong network of developers.

Game Jam
Game Jam is a similar event focused on students on game development courses. Students form teams and assign themselves roles that mimic the ones used in industry, such as gameplay programmer, visual artist, audio engineer and others.

At the event, each team is given the same keywords that will form an idea for a game and each team develops their own visions of these games. As part of this process, students learn how to manage their own work, as well as how to manage the overall project, as teamwork is key to completing the development within the allocated time.

Find out more about Computing at Brighton

Stephanie ThomsonLeave a comment
TEF silver 2023 logo

Brighton secures national Silver Award for teaching excellence

The University of Brighton has been recognised for the quality of its teaching and student outcomes in a UK-wide evaluation of higher education institutions.

The university has today secured a Silver award in the national Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The award confirms that the student experience and student outcomes across all of the university’s undergraduate provision including apprenticeships are “typically very high quality”, delivering excellence above the rigorous standards set for the UK’s higher education providers. The rating lasts for four years, until September 2027.

The TEF is a national scheme run by the Office for Students (OfS). It aims to encourage universities to improve and deliver excellence in the areas that students care about the most: teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies.

Continue reading “Brighton secures national Silver Award for teaching excellence” →

Stephanie ThomsonLeave a comment
Belong title graphic with images of the campus

Starting at uni with us in 2023?

We know you’re going to have a brilliant time here and to get your student life off to the best possible start find out all the information you’ll need by visiting the dedicated Starting at Uni pages on the University of Brighton website.

Come along to one of our online events, details of the next one below 👇

Get ready for your course: School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering

Friday 14 July 2023 – 11am -12pm online
Hear about how you can prepare for your subject, and ask any questions, to get your studies off to the best start. For students studying: architecture, interior architecture, civil engineering, computing, construction and building, engineering, and product design.

Click here to join the event on Microsoft Teams at 11am on 14 July

Online enrolment

You can enrol from August 21 and we’ll send you an email to remind you.  Once you’ve enrolled, you’ll be able to access My Studies where you’ll find all the information you need to prepare for your course.

Still have questions? Chat to a current student online.

Laura RubyLeave a comment
Belong title graphic with images of the campus

Get ready for uni – live event 28 April

Our 2023 online get ready events will help you prepare for university and to meet other students that’ll also be joining this year.

Join us for our get ready for your course event to hear about how you can prepare for your subject, and ask any questions, to get your studies off to the best start. For students studying: architecture, construction and building, civil engineering, computing, engineering, interior architecture and product design.

Friday 28 April 2023 from 11am – 12pm

Click here for details on how to join the session

In this live one-hour MS Teams session one of our senior lecturers will start by delivering a presentation, followed by time for you to answer any questions you might have. The session will highlight what you can expect from studying here, how we will support you to build your skills, what kinds of learning you can expect to benefit from, what a typical week looks like, and how we will support you.

Find out more about all of our upcoming events here

Laura RubyLeave a comment
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Learn more about your chosen courses

We have a number of events for offer holders and applicants giving you the chance to chat to staff and students to help you in your decision making. They’re a great way to learn more about the course you have applied for and get to know us better.

When you book we’ll show you relevant dates for your course and which campus to come to. You can also check the campus where your course is based using our course finder.

Visit us!

  • 22 March – Moulescoomb campus applicant event for architecture, technology and engineering; business and law; applied sciences; humanities and social science; media
  • 22 April- Moulescoomb campus applicant event for architecture, technology and engineering; business and law; applied sciences; humanities and social science; media

About your applicant event

Our applicant days vary but typically include a subject session, an interactive session, facilities tour, student experience talk, campus tour and accommodation tour.

You can also find out more about student life through our advice desks which are available on the day.

Find out more about the event and book your place

Stephanie ThomsonLeave a comment
Hannah Wood

Meet Dr Hannah Wood

Hannah Wood is a Principal Lecturer in the built environment subject area, focusing specifically on construction and project management. Hannah’s experience in the construction industry began in topographical surveying, moving into construction engineering and management.

My career path and journey to teaching

My interest in engineering and construction goes back to my childhood, my father was a topographical surveyor and I used to spend a lot of my school holidays accompanying him to work which I always enjoyed.  Initially I was planning on studying to be a civil engineer, but after attending some university open days and finding out more about the industry I decided that Construction Management would be the best fit for me.

Continue reading “Meet Dr Hannah Wood” →

Laura RubyLeave a comment

Brighton CCA explores AI visions of a sustainable future

Visitors to Brighton CCA from 27 January to 27 February will have the chance to explore the (quite literally) limitless potential of Artificial Intelligence-rendered art to inspire solutions for a world impacted by climate change and environmental degradation. 

The art will be displayed as part of a free exhibition of AI-generated images which integrate the built environment and the natural world.

Titled SOS: Let’s share our dreams for more sustainable futures and healthier communities, the exhibition is the brainchild of Dr Poorang Piroozfar, a Reader in Architectural Technology and Digital Construction at University of Brighton, and Dr Eric Farr, an Honorary Professor of Architecture and Design at University of Liverpool.

The AI algorithm behind the show has delved into myriad concepts and imagery around ‘green architecture’ to create visions of a startling world where nature is integrated totally into the structure of urban buildings, from houses to skyscrapers.

Continue reading “Brighton CCA explores AI visions of a sustainable future“ →

Stephanie ThomsonLeave a comment
Dr Rotimi Joseph head shot

Meet Dr Rotimi Joseph

Dr Rotimi Joseph is course leader for our Quantity Surveying BSc(Hons) degree. He teaches estimating and quantification of construction works, quantity surveying professional practice, construction risk and financial analysis and advanced quantity surveying professional practice.

The way I like to teach

I am passionate about quantity surveying activities within the wider construction industry framework. My main approach to teaching is using real-life projects in my lectures. This helps students to understand and contextualise what they are being taught and what they read in textbooks. In addition to this, it prepares students’ minds in readiness for various challenges they may encounter in industry. In making it easy for students to understand 2D drawings, when taking-off quantities, I use SketchUp to translate 2D drawing to 3D and enhance learning and understanding. Measurement is one of the core modules on our course, students are taught both manual and automated estimating and quantification of works using industry lead software.

What I love about teaching

What I enjoy most in teaching at undergraduate level is seeing those that have passed through our subject area doing well in the industry. I also enjoy using real life projects in most of my teaching, this gives students the assurance that what they are being taught is very relevant, as they are able to relate with it well, compared to when it is hypothetical scenario.

Our students are also exposed to industry practitioners, providing them guidance on what they can expected as they leave university and integrate into the construction industry.

Continue reading “Meet Dr Rotimi Joseph” →

Stephanie ThomsonLeave a comment