AA Design & Make is a new full-time 16-month graduate design programme, located at the AA’s Hooke Park woodland site in Dorset, southwest England. Starting in Autumn 2010, AA D&M is open to graduate students of architecture who wish to pursue studio- and workshop-based design and realisation of alternative rural architectures. On a yearly cycle, the programme will design and construct experimental buildings at Hooke Park, in the process creating new rural AA school facilities as a demonstrator of ecologically sustainable design. The course is based on the philosophy that architects today learn best by imagining, developing and realising full-scale prototype structures through which ideas can be tested, documented and communicated. Through actual engagement in all the stages of making and building, students have a unique opportunity to develop a rich phenomenal understanding of architecture.

Similarly, through realising real-life sustainable solutions within the environmental context provided by Hooke Park, a deep individual appreciation of ecological issues can be gained. The course is uniquely placed to benefit from exposure to the AA’s design culture, the workshops and working forestry of Hooke Park, Dorset’s rich craft tradition, and the expertise of a body of consultants and advisors engaged at the leading edge of design thinking. The AA is seeking applicants for the autumn 2010 D&M intake.

The downloadable course brochure explains the context and structure of the course, the developments being made in establishing the infrastructure of D&M, and the application process.