Architecture BA (Hons)
About This Programme
The first and only 4-year RIBA Part 1-accredited Architecture undergraduate programme in the UAE. Launched 2015, with 100+ enrolled students. 4-year studio-led BA (Hons) blending design, history, technology, and professional practice. Year 1: Architectural Design Studio 1/2, Construction Technology (Small Scale Buildings), History of the Built Environment, Shaping Tomorrow Together A/B. Year 2: Architectural Design Studio 3/4, Construction Technology (Structure and Fabric), Architectural Representation, History and Theories of Architecture (optional Environment and Behaviour, Building Services Technology). Year 3: Archaeology of Ideas, Architectural Design Studio 5/6, Integrated Technology 1, Energy and Buildings, Critical Building Analysis. Year 4 capstone: Dissertation (Architecture), Architectural Design Studio 7/8, Professional Practice, Innovation in Construction Practice, Integrated Technology 2. Year 1 entry: A-Level CCC (or AABB AS); IB 24 (3 HL + 3 SL); CBSE 65%; American HS 70% + SAT I 1000; Tawjihiyya 80% (Elite 75%); FBISE 70%; BTEC L3 Ext Diploma MMM; Scottish Highers BBBB; Lebanese/French Bac 80%/12/20 + IELTS 6.0; Russian/Kazakhstan Attestat grade 5 + IELTS 6.0. Year 2 and Year 3 advanced entry available from other architecture programmes (subject to portfolio evaluation). IELTS 6.0 (no band below 5.5). Accreditation: RIBA Part 1 (with commendation for programme leadership and engagement), pathway to RIBA Part 2 Masters in UK and internationally; consult ARB website for UK registration routes. School: Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS). Connected to the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC) and the ORA House Solar Decathlon project. September intake (some January modules available). Tuition AED 88,920/year (incl. VAT), total AED 355,680. Faculty: Dr. Harpreet Seth, Shameel Muhammed, Atousa Aslaminezhad, Rana El-Dabaa, Santiago Miret, Seda Zirek.
What You'll Study
Year 1
Detailed Course Guide Students studying for the BA (Hons) course are introduced to foundational knowledge and skills that influence the production of architecture. Initial short design projects in the first year introduce students to drawing and making projects. A suite of lectures and workshops introduces critical thinking in key subject areas such as Construction Technology, Shaping Tomorrow Together and History of the Built Environment. These enrich students' knowledge of architecture and help them conceptualize space and realize design proposals using drawings and models. Students undertake the conceptional design development using the medium of fine arts in their first semester. In the second semester, small-scale architectonic explorations in residential architecture are explored. In addition to the core design studio, students are introduced to courses in Histories and Theory, Construction and Environment.
- Construction Technology: Small Scale Buildings
- Shaping Tomorrow Together A
- Architectural Design Studio 1
- Shaping Tomorrow Together B
- Architectural Design Studio 2
- History of the Built Environment
Year 2
Detailed Course Guide Year two builds on the foundational knowledge of design and architectural vocabulary introduced in the first year. Critical thinking, reasoning, research-informed design, structures and materials are themes explored within the development process in the design studio. Students are introduced to digital packages as design and representation tools. Extensive digital prototyping is used for design exploration and to understand the relationship between digital and analogue processes. Taught courses expand knowledge in Construction and Histories and Theories, Environmental studies, and Building Services Technology.
- Construction Technology: Structure and Fabric
- Architectural Representation
- Architectural Design Studio 3
- Architectural Design Studio 4
- History and Theories of Architecture
Optional courses
- Environment and Behaviour
- Building Services Technology
Year 3
Detailed Course Guide Year Three advances knowledge, critical thinking and design skills working in various complex local-regional urban and social settings. Core design projects consist of medium-scale public buildings and design intervention within the public realm. The design projects undertaken have the urban and landscape context that ranges from the dense traditional neighbourhoods to the more contemporary fragmented parts of the city. Taught courses in Histories and Theories, Energy and Environment, and Professional Practice further bridge between theory and practice in the design studio. Students will participate in a Collaborative Design Project with Architectural Engineers and Civil Engineers where they work in multi-disciplinary teams.
- Archaeology of Ideas
- Architectural Design Studio 5
- Integrated Technology 1
- Energy and Buildings
- Architectural Design Studio 6
- Critical Building Analysis
Year 4
Detailed Course Guide Year 4 is designed to consolidate the previous three years of learning with complex and critical challenges in design, technology, and writing. The year also aids students' transitions into the industry. Students complete a capstone design project where they develop a detailed and rigorous design project linked over two semesters allowing the student to develop a comprehensive body of work that can meet RIBA Criteria and the RIBA Graduate Attributes for Part One. In developing these projects, students are required to conceive in parallel and integrate technology in their design, demonstrating their knowledge of environmental design, structural innovation, constructional and material choices, and legislative requirements. Students in Year 4 also develop a History and Theory-based dissertation, take a course in Innovation in Construction Practice.
- Architectural Research
- Architectural Design Studio 7
- Professional Practice
- Innovation in Construction Practice
- Architectural Design Studio 8
- Integrated Technology 2
Entry Requirements
Accreditation & Professional Recognition
This programme is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the UAE and the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) in the United Kingdom. The BA (Hons) Architecture programme at Heriot-Watt University Dubai is accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). RIBA is an international professional body for architects based in the United Kingdom. In addition to promoting and making architecture accessible to everyone, RIBA has undertaken the development of various international architectural programmes. The RIBA Part 1 accreditation gives Heriot-Watt University, Dubai students the opportunity to join RIBA Part 2 Masters programme at HWUD, UK and internationally. The programme accreditation reinforces our vision of contextually driven architecture that addresses global challenges. Students who wish to join the UK Register of architects (a pre-requisite of becoming a Chartered Architect in the UK with the RIBA) should consult the Architects Registration Board’s website for further information about its routes to registration. All applicants seeking admission must secure equivalency for high school through the UAE Ministry of Education – Higher Education Affairs. The process for obtaining attestation varies depending on whether your high school qualification was completed within the UAE or abroad. Ensuring that your degree is attested and recognised by the Ministry OF Education is a crucial step in the admissions process. To learn more about the process of how to obtain the equivalency for your high school qualifications, please visit the MOE equivalency page.
Programme Details
Award
BA (Hons)
Start Date
September
Duration
4 years
Qualification
BA (Hons)
Subject Area
Design
Study Pattern
Full time
Delivery Format
In person