Equipment list for K100 BArch Architecture and K230 MEng Architecture and Environmental Design
The following items are necessary to carry out key design exercises during the first year of the BArch and K230 MEng courses. The department has a materials and model making shop which provides a lot of equipment needed for the course such as free card, tracing paper and other items. However, you will need to buy the equipment listed below, which have been listed in the order you will need to buy them. You should consider buying a Tippex or Sharpie type pen to label your equipment with your name; you will have identical equipment to other students so being able to quickly identify your equipment will prove useful.
The first month of the course will be concentrating on sketching, drawing and model making. If you already have art equipment at home, please bring this with you as you will find it very useful. This includes paints, markers, charcoal, paintbrushes, pencils, sharpeners, and other equipment you may have including any sketchbooks that you are currently using.
Equipment needed for Week 1 (Induction Week) – 25 September 2023
- A4 sketchbook for studio – a black hard back bound sketchbook with good quality plain pages, not lined pages, (not spiral bound) with your full name and contact details written inside the front cover
- Sketching pencils – 0.5 mm (2H, HB leads) and 0.7 mm (2B, 4B leads) and a pencil sharpener. You may also use mechanical pencils, 0.5mm (2H + HB leads) and 0.7mm (2B + 4B leads) but are not essential
- Plastic eraser
- Black fine liners (different thicknesses)
- 5m steel measuring tape
- Any paints, markers, charcoal, paintbrushes, pencils, sharpeners, equipment you may have and any sketchbooks that you are currently using.
Equipment needed for Week 2 - 2 October 2023
- A2 drawing pencil and parallel rule – Blundell Harling are a recommended brand. Ideally choose one with the ability to position the board at 60 degrees rather than one with a maximum angle of 15 degrees. The 15-degree drawing board is a cheaper option, but it can hurt your back after a while leaning over your drawing board when you use it. It is preferable that boards have their own stands for placing on desks in studio. Please note you will have to bring these to and from studio.
- Draughting/ masking tape
- A3 or A4 graph paper (5mm grid) – we will provide you with a sheet of this, but tracing over graph paper is useful, so you may consider purchasing a pad of graph paper
- 2mm Clutch Pencil – (Staedtler, Faber-Castell, Caran d’Ache or Rotring)
- 2mm pencil leads 4H, 2H and HB – (Staedtler, Rotring, Faber Castell)
- Rotary Sharpener for 2mm clutch pencil by Staedtler
- 0.18mm and 0.5mm Rotring Rapidograph or Isograph drawing pen – You only need to buy two Rotring drawing pens for Year 1 Studio. Rotring pens can be bought in packs of three (0.25mm, 0.35mm and 0.5mm pens) but you only need two pens – 0.18mm (or 0.25mm) and 0.5mm. Rapidograph pens are easier in that they use prefilled cartridges to replace ink, however, Rotring appear to be discontinuing this product. Rotring pens, or alternatively Staedtler Mars matic technical pens, are more expensive than other pens but their quality is far better. Please do not buy an alternative brand of pen as they are not a good enough quality for the course requirements and you will be asked to buy the correct pens.
- Faber Castell 10’’ Adjustable Set Square
- Circle templates – (Staedtler, Rotring or Faber Castell)
- 5m steel measuring tape
- Faber Castell Compass Ultra-P with Extension Bar, or equivalent
- Jakar safety steel ruler (or Maun safety rule or similar)
- Jakar A3 (or A2) size cutting mat (students recommend A3 as it is easier to transport to and from Studio)
- Faber Metric 3N scale rule (Scales 1:20+1:200, 1:5+1:50, 1+1+1:100, 1:1250+1:2500)
- We will provide you with a cutting tool for model making