ABSTRACT
The Sir John Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design at London Metropolitan University places socially engaged practice at the core of its teaching. In support of this approach, it registered a Projects Office with the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2004 to bridge academic discourse and architectural practice. Cass Projects increasingly assists students and graduates to obtain the practical experience necessary for architectural registration. As Director, Anne Markey supervises all of Cass Project's work and signs the documents students complete for licensure. By enabling students to develop self-initiated projects and commissions, Cass Projects' supportive professional practice sends an important and positive message from the faculty. Conceived first and foremost to enable, the Projects Office quickly developed an agenda that mirrored the faculty's mission statement. The quality of the buildings produced by Cass students and graduates has been recognized by such programmes as the Architects' Journal Small Projects Award.
