Did you know that the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London is more than just a place of learning? It is a hub of innovation. It is a place where future problem solvers are molded.
The Dyson School of Design Engineering was founded in 2014. This was thanks to a generous donation from the James Dyson Foundation. It marked the first new engineering division at Imperial in two decades. The school is located in the Dyson Building. This building sits at the corner of Exhibition and Imperial College roads.
Before becoming the Dyson Building in 2018, it had a fascinating past. From 1910 to 1919, it served as the London headquarters of the Met Office. Imagine weather forecasts being plotted within these very walls. The building later housed part of the Science Museum. It even functioned as a post office.
The renovation, costing £14 million, was undertaken by Pascall+Watson. They preserved some of the original interiors and signage from the Met Office era. Step inside. You might catch a glimpse of history mingling with modern design.
The Dyson School of Design Engineering offers a four-year integrated Master of Engineering course. This began in 2015. The school also provides postgraduate courses. These include a joint program with the Royal College of Art. This unique course awards master’s degrees in both art and science.
Other specialized postgraduate courses include Cleantech Innovation. It is a joint course with the Grantham Institute. There is also Design Engineering. Plus, Design with Behaviour Science and Design Engineering Research.
The Dyson School of Design Engineering is part of the Faculty of Engineering. Undergraduates receive the Associate of the City and Guilds of London Institute. Postgraduates are awarded the Diploma of Imperial College.
The school has a dedicated team. Professor Robert Shorten is the current Head of the Dyson School of Design Engineering. He took the role in 2023. Previously, Peter Childs and Peter Cheung led the school.
Design engineers tackle modern challenges. They improve passenger comfort on airlines. They design next-generation sports prostheses. This requires knowledge of manufacturing, product development and rapid prototyping.
The Dyson School of Design Engineering aims to create “better things”. It considers climate change, sustainability, and social justice. The school focuses on the interaction between humans and engineered products. It emphasizes the co-design of technologies and behaviors. This goes beyond human-centered design.
The school’s programs emphasize group work and collaboration. They integrate engineering disciplines with business, economics, psychology, ethics, and design thinking. The human element is at the core of Design Engineering.
The Dyson School of Design Engineering empowers innovators. It aims to construct better social and technical systems. It uses new technologies as building blocks. The goal is a just, sustainable world. A world teeming with possibilities.