You can tell that the tutors really care about their students and are invested in our work
Daniel Glaser
Graduate
MArch Architecture
2026
Daniel completed his undergraduate degree in Architecture at Sheffield and loved his time here so much he never considered going anywhere else for his MArch. Daniel shares his experiences on the course and his work with the student climate action society BESCA.
Can you tell us about your career path and current role?
I completed a year working as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant with RM_A Architects after graduating from Sheffield BA course in 2023. I returned in 2024 to study the MArch course. I am currently looking to return to work as a Part 2 Architectural Assistant.
In what way did your experience at University of Sheffield prepare you for your current career?
The MArch course built on my undergraduate studies and industry experience to equip me with the skills required to enter the profession and the many challenges it currently faces. Central to this was the school's ethos of socially engaged, climate conscious architecture: all teaching builds on these foundational themes across the two year course.
Did you take advantage of any opportunities whilst at the University of Sheffield and how did these enhance your student experience?
While studying on the MArch course, I was involved with BESCA - the student society promoting climate action in architecture. I helped to coordinate the second in an annual series of hands-on construction workshops, run in collaboration with workshop staff and a Sheffield-based builder. These sessions allow architecture students across the school to engage with construction processes, and offer the opportunity to gain valuable skills and insights into the reality of working with the materials we design with. Through my thesis project, I was researching a material-led approach to low-impact construction, and the BESCA workshops were an amazing opportunity to develop this approach through experimentation at a 1:1 scale.
The MArch staff are supportive and approachable. You can tell that the tutors really care about their students and are invested in our work. The MArch studio culture also contributes to the constructive and supportive atmosphere - having a permanent space each year leads to students feeling empowered to take ownership of their spaces, and feeling comfortable to work with each in studio over the course of each year. I completed my undergraduate at Sheffield and loved my time on the course and in the city - I never really considered going elsewhere for my MArch! Sheffield is an incredibly welcoming city, and there are student societies for everything you could possibly want to try out. While intense, the course does leave plenty of breathing room for everything else that matters in life - I found I was always able to maintain a healthy balance between work, hobbies, and rest.
What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing a similar career to you?
The MArch course is your chance to pursue your interests and become a specialist. Engaging with the critical agenda of the course from the beginning will ensure your research and design responses are personal and rewarding.