Bachelor of Architecture Honours

Purpose

The Bachelor of Architecture Honours, Level 8 will provide Graduates with

1. A foundation for further intellectual development and provides learners with the research competence to continue with Masters Studies in Architecture and on graduating register as a Candidate Architect with SACAP.
2. The opportunity to the graduate to study in the related fields of construction management, urban design or Planning.
3. The opportunities for gainful employment and rewarding contributions to the expansion of the building profession and the South African economy and society.
4. Postgraduate-level skill to responsibly and creatively address national and international challenges related to the delivery of sensitive, sustainable and appropriate architectural designs within the built environment.
5. Postgraduate-level historical, theoretical and practical (contractual, legal, administrative, construction technology, building structure and services) knowledge pertaining to the field of architecture in South Africa, in order to ensure an empathetic and responsible understanding of and attitude towards the social, cultural, natural, urban and historical environments.
6. The ability to evaluate resourcefulness and social, environmental, historical and urban responsibility in an academic, professional or career context.
7. Postgraduate-level independent research skills, principles and methods appropriate to practical architectural and related professions.

This Degree contains a component of work-integrated learning through work place simulation sessions, community service learning and experiential learning in studio in the modules Design and Construction.

Rationale

The Bachelor of Architecture Honours, Level 8 supports relevant education and meets requirements as determined and nationally validated by the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP) and internationally by the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA). This Honour's Degree is designed in accordance to the outcomes required by SACAP. The qualification is recognised by the minister concerned in terms of the provisions of the Architectural Profession Act (Act 44 of 2000).

The Bachelor of Architecture Honours, Level 8 advances Graduate training, education and independent research in professional and discipline-specific knowledge, skills and competencies related to the field of architecture and applied to practical architectural professions, specifically on an urban and sustainable level. The Degree focuses on structured and independent research relating to sensitive, sustainable and appropriate designs within the built environment and within the fields of Design, Construction, Theory and History of Architecture.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Where applicants do not meet the minimum admission requirements, RPL may be used to grant access to the qualification. RPL will be applied according to the Recognition of Prior Learning, Credit Accumulation and Transfer, and Assessment policy. This will relate to both access to the qualification as well as for credit recognition or exemption towards achieving the qualification.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Architecture, Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Level 7.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at Level 8 totalling 160 Credits.

• Research in Theory of Architecture, 32 Credits.
• Research Methodology, 8 Credits.
• Design, 48 Credits.
• Construction, 32 Credits.
• Design Methodology, 8 Credits.
• History of Urban Settlement, 16 Credits.
• Property Economics, 16 Credits.

1. Employ design method and qualitative and quantitative research methods and independent research to formulate and evaluate sustainable architectural construction and design theories relating to responsible conservation, housing, sustainable and urban architectural development;
2. Employ and formulate appropriate problem solving methods, skills and tools, including historical and theoretical research, computer aided design, technical drawings, analysis, two and three dimensional modelling, simulation, and information handling, to organise inter-related theoretical, design and construction problems related to urbanity, conservation, sustainability and housing;
3. Design and appraise an appropriate design concept and rational and execute a competent design of a simple multi story building, based on parameters and constraints developed through independent research, which are sensitive to issues of environment and sustainability, as well as cultural issues in a responsible, appropriate and economical manner in an urban, a sub-urban or rural context;
4. Synthesise various and diverse research relating to architectural theory, history, and basic spatial aspects of contemporary urban, sustainability, housing and conservation approaches within urban environments in an analytical and constructive, critical manner;
5. Illustrate and communicate effectively independent research relating to investigations into the history and theory of architecture, and construction and design problem solving through academic and professional oral, visual and/or written conversion and presentation techniques in a verity of mediums and in two and three dimensions;
6. Differentiate and integrate knowledge of contemporary urban settlement and theoretical thought in architecture, relating to sustainable and responsible architectural place-making;
7. Analyse and organise contemporary urban, sustainably, conservation and housing theories, design methods and construction techniques; apply these theories, design methods and construction techniques to highly complex urban environments;

8.Identify and analyse the complexities involved when choosing and utilising normative architectural design approach and construction practice in complex, culturally and historically diverse urban and human environments with sensitivity to urban aspects;

1. Describe and question the appropriateness of a theoretical application or design and construction interventions by critically assessing the historical, cultural and urban relationships;
2. Analyse and integrate information from historical and theoretical resources, as well as architectural precedent and case studies in order to produce design and construction solutions relating to urban, sustainability, housing or conservation issues;
3. Integrate architectural design and construction with the elements of the human ecological landscape (landscape specific to man, place, time and culture) and manage design and construction within the human ecological system through an understanding of the delicate, diverse and unique nature of each human ecological landscape;
4. Employ and responsible evaluate the human ecological landscape as systems that impact on architecture, and to diagnose diversity of and within unique human ecological landscapes;
5. Investigate and structure the relationship between the natural and the built environment taking into account landscapes and environmental structures in basic terms in an analytical, constructive and critical manner;
6. Manage the basic spatial, functional and aesthetical aspects appropriate to urban architecture concentrating specifically on responsible solutions for conservation, housing, urbanity and sustainability;
7. Compare and structure construction methods and uses for materials related to simple multi story building while managing the demands of context, local resources and appropriate technologies that harmonise with the environment, which influence the construction of a building;
8. Devise durable, cost-effective, climate responsive construction details, basic structural concepts pertaining to buildings and research relevant to construction methods and materials;

17.Prepare a set of working drawings (including component and material specifications) as part of a set of contract documents of a complex building to acceptable practice standards which illustrates durable, cost-effective, climate-responsive construction systems and details sensitive to the contextual language of the design concept;

1. Employ national building regulations and local authority approval requirements;
2. Identify and interpret the contents of the various building contracts, the terminology and basic concepts and principles of architectural business practice, and the administrative and logistical support systems in a practice.

Integrated Assessment

A continuous assessment system with a minimum of five official assessment occasions whether in the form of projects, presentations, assignments, reports, essays, tests or seminars is used.

The assessment strategy provides for formative and continuous assessment opportunities.

This combination of assessment opportunities affords students the opportunity to monitor their progress on a regular basis and address problems as they occur and will include:

1. Presentation, projects, seminar and assignments on an approved architectural (history, theory, construction and design) topic is required which will test and help to give the learner insight into the complexity of architecture.
2. Integrated continuous and formative assessment allowing demonstration of achieved competences (knowledge, skill and a professional attitude) as required by the outcomes of the Qualification by means of:

i. Tests.

ii. Assignments.

iii. Seminars.

iv. External Orals and Presentations.

v. Internal Presentations.

vi. Research projects and assignments.

vii. Practical reports and projects.

viii. Independent research projects.