The new London School of Architecture (LSA), which challenges traditional architecture education models, is the first new private architecture school in the UK since London’s prestigious Architectural Association School of Architecture (the AA) opened in 1890.

The LSA has just opened its doors to students, and it has no fixed campus –  a move designed to make the course more flexible and to save money. Each cohort of students will be based in a different borough of London, and venues for classes will be adapted accordingly. The LSA’s website says that “engaging with the locality allows greater opportunities for shared urban analysis, deeper engagement with the architectural and urban issues, and the opportunity to test design experiments against real constraints and user groups.”

The majority of lectures, seminars and workshops for the first group of students will take place at the Design Museum in Shad Thames, and workspaces at Blackhorse Workshop in Higham Hill will also be used.

The school is touting its low fees as an integral element of its new model, which it says will make the course more accessible. Through the savings achieved by foregoing a permanent campus, the school will set fees at around £6,000 (NZD$14,510) per year, significantly less than the average for conventional architecture courses, which sits at around £9,000 (NZD$21,750) per year. Paid placements that make up a substantial part of the course will also help to offset the fees.

The two year course offered by the LSA allows students to complete a Diploma of Architecture, which fulfills Part 2 of the registration process for architects in the UK. Practical experience will form a key element of the curriculum and students will undertake placements with a network of 30 London-based architecture practices.

The founder and director of the organization is a former executive editor at The Architectural Review, Will Hunter, and among its programme directors are DSDHA co-founder Dr Deborah Saunt, FAT co-founder Clive Sall and Project Orange co-founder James Soane.

Over 140 applications were put forward for the school’s inaugural 2015/2016 year, but only 30 students were accepted.