Bhavik from South Africa

What is your background? 

"I have a background in Construction Management and I am from South Africa."

Why did you choose Lund University? 

"I chose Lund because it is highly ranked, well located in Sweden and offers great exposure."

How would you describe the programme content and your classmates?

"The course has a primary focus on preparing students to design suitable buildings for the Nordic — or similar — climate. It doesn't mean that the teaching cannot be adapted to other parts of the world, but that's what it's primarily focused on.

My class is roughly 50% engineers, 50% architects — with me landing in the middle-ground with a construction management background. For those with an architectural background, I would say the design part is not the conventional architectural design you are typically used to. There is no large focus on aesthetics, but rather on functional design aspects that involve parametric design and calculation-based inputs for design decision-making. Hence, you don't really get the chance to show off your Revit, Sketchup and Photoshop skills (though of course, they come in handy for some assignments).

All in all, the programme is really well-balanced and it ends with Life Cycle Costing and Life Cycle Assessment — a facet of the building process that will globally become more and more important in the years to come. It's certainly a good way to wrap it all up!"

Would you recommend the programme to prospective students?

"Yes, I'd certainly recommend the course for anyone looking to build a world that is more energy conscious and designed with sustainability in mind but still focused on the suitability of use and user comfort."