168 PERCHED IN A cantilevered corner of the Architecture Studios on the fifth floor, my office window looks out on to the Marylebone Road. Temporarily silenced by COVID, and for a while all but deser ted, it is once again a bustling city street. The queues for Madame Tussauds are back and the traffic has returned. Now entirely back on campus, this has been a year to reflect on the unique privilege of being based in our central London location, with access to all the facilities that the campus and surrounding area has to offer. With restrictions lifted, the MArch students have taken full advantage of our purpose-designed studios and extensive laboratory and workshop provision. But although much altered, our exceptional top-lit studios and even the state-ofthe-ar t Fabrication Lab owe their existence to the vision and ambition of those who designed and built our campus more than fifty years ago. Conceived initially as a College of Architecture and Advanced Building Technologies, the Marylebone campus opened in 1971 as par t of the newly formed Polytechnic of Central London. Founded on an already well-established school of architecture that had a strong reputation dating back to the 1890s, the faculty was designed to bring together students from a range of disciplines concerned with building and construction. As par t of this long history, the MArch (RIBA Par t2) course has always been a high-performing and forward-looking course. And, as in the past, our students today continue to capitalise on the highquality teaching, and excellent facilities that we offer, to win international awards and to find employment in some of the most prestigious architectural practices. Many have also established innovative and successful practices of their own and play an influential role in the architectural culture of London and beyond. We pride ourselves on offering a diverse and challenging range of strategies and approaches to design. This is made explicit in the choice offered to students both through the Design Studio system and many other aspects of the course. In this way we allow students to direct their studies towards their own interests, to find their identity as designers, and to position themselves for future employment. This year the course was reviewed and updated, placing even more emphasis on sustainability and on fostering a socially-aware approach to design. Also returning to campus, this year’s OPEN once again hosts an amazing collection of work representing the diversity and imagination of all the MArch studios. The success of this exhibition is testament to the dedication of the staff and the talent of the MArch students. Richard Difford Course Leader
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