Architecture is about conceptualizing, designing, and realizing built environments of all scales. The purpose of the Bachelor of Architecture is to produce architects who are knowledgeable about the global and regional issues, have deep understanding of the context, and believe in the relevance of architecture towards a better future for all.
From intensive training in verbal and graphic communication to logical thinking and the ability to theorize, the program ensures the ability to conceive a project as a whole in a context of the street, city, and culture, and as a functional entity to fulfill the needs for which it is to be built. Fostering a concern for the conservation of the Earth's resources through the development of appropriate formal and technical responses, the program enables the students to think independently, to better understand contextual issues, to determine for themselves the future directions of their development as architects considering that architecture is in service of improving the quality of life; and a responsibility for manifesting and catalyzing the process of refinement.
The five year course of B-Arch is spread over ten semesters and seeks to help every student attain as high a level of personal development as he/she can achieve, allowing students to develop their own positions on what represents a high standard of architecture and to decide where they stand in relation to the wide-ranging debate on the subject. The course encourages the development of formal responses to problems of the built environment that aim to contribute to the enhancement of humanEXPERIENCE .
Scholarships and Financial Assistances
- COMSATS has a policy to offer merit scholarships to outstanding students
- Qarz-e-Hasana is provided to students on need/merit basis
Admission Criteria
Intermediate (Pre-Engineering), A-Levels or equivalent with Mathematics with a minimum of 60% marks, from an accredited institute. Candidate(s) with equivalent qualification(s) of HSSC (A-Levels) must submit an equivalence certificate issued by IBCC. The following procedures are followed for admission:
- All applicants appear in the entrance test (NTS)
- All applicants appear in the Creative Aptitude Test conducted by the department
- A list of selected applicants is prepared observing the following criteria:
- 25% of General Merit (Matric/O-Levels 05% + Intermediate/A-Levels 10% + NTS 10%)
- 75% Departmental Creative Aptitude Test (Drawing/Making 25% + Critical Thinking 15% =40%) Interview 35%
Important Note: Freehand drawing is a very important component of the Architecture, Communication Design and Interior Design and will be a core component of the degree. It is strongly advised that the candidates applying for the above mentioned programs should partake in freehand drawing classes prior to the admissions test so as to allow them to develop and portfolio/ body of work which can be presented at the time of their interview as well as develop their skills which will be applied during their studies as well.
Mission Statement
The five-year program in architectural design, aims to impart creative skills, develop critical thinking and groom an individual in a multi-disciplinary/holistic educational environment to achieve excellence in architectural design and explore new avenues for design application.
Academic evolution, inter-disciplinary innovation and process-oriented learning forms the core teaching pedagogy and practice.
The five-year undergraduate degree in architectural design, serves as an introduction to the diverse aspects of architectural domain, prepares an individual to pursue a future in both practice and academia and excel through innovative and critical thinking both locally and globally.
Program Objectives
The program aims to:
- Develop traditional and contemporary skills associated with architectural design
- Encourage critical thinking and a habit of constructive questioning
- Impart multi-disciplinary and holistic knowledge of related fields
- Develop process-based approach towards architectural design, Encourage lifelong learning, continuous evolution and innovative development
- Develop a bridge between practice-academia and mediate between local-global for holistic learning
Program Outcomes
At the end of the five-year undergraduate degree in Architectural design, the students are expected to be competent at:
- Understand spatial design along with required national and international codes and practices
- Understand architectural design as an integrated system, of related fields, along with real-world applications and constraints
- Understanding design ideation, process and communication with emphasis on creativity and innovation
- Understand theory and practices of concern, both nationally and internationally
Strength of program
- Multi-disciplinary approach toward architectural education. Curriculum aligns with both national and international concerns, grooming students for opportunities in practice and academia locally and globally
- Program allows for experimentation within a regulated course framework, creating space for faculty to evolve coursework based upon feedback and academic interest.
- Program allows for a student centric approach towards education, through incorporating electives and interactive teaching pedagogy, increasing educational quality and learning
- The coursework emphasizes process of design, innovation and evolution thus inculcating lifelong learning and personal development
- The program mandate is to produce socially adept architects able to think critically and build responsibly
Future development plans for the program
- Creating a body of experts for regular course content and curriculum review. The department would like to establish a group of experts for course work development and review, consisting of national and international experts
- Inter-institutional coursework and lecture sharing. The department is planning an open-source platform for lecture and coursework sharing with the help of HEC, PCATP and BAE, thus allowing for constructive external feedback for future development
- Running summer school in architectural design for young architecture enthusiasts and future students. As part of community outreach activities, the department is planning orientation sessions and short workshops to expose/ educate prospective students to architectural design so as to make an informed decision about future career in architecture
- Industrial liaison and collaborative projects. The department is planning a maker’s lab (3d printing, CNC cutting etc.) to explore computer assisted production of design
Studios / Workshops
- Creative Awakening
- Observing Imagining Drawing
- Creative Thinking
- Design and Presentation
Professional Practice and Communication Tools
- Learning Through Experience
- Invited Talks, Directed Visits, Recording (Photography & Writing)
- Form Scale Material
- Architectural Drawing
- Model Making
- Digital Graphics
- Advanced Architectural Graphics
- Advanced Digital Graphics
History, Theory and Critical Analysis
- Art Appreciation
- History of Architecture
- Theory of Architecture
- Landscape
- Urban Design
- Urban Development & Planning
Allied Sciences and Technologies
- Energy Environment Design
- Structures
- Plumbing
- Services
- Technology Studio
Career prospects
Architects, Interior Architects, Interior Designers, Interior Decorators, Furniture Designers, Conservation Architects, Landscape Designers, Urban Designers, Building Integration Experts, Building Economics Experts, Building Materials Experts, Community Architects, Architectural Historians, Urban Historians, Architectural Renderers, Virtual Environment Designers, Architectural Journalists, Architectural Critics, Educators.
Click to view the Scheme of Studies