Academic Catalog 2024–2025

jump to navigation

Bachelor of Architecture

Overview

A professional bachelor’s degree in architecture enables graduates to practice architecture in a wide range of environments, or to pursue graduate studies in a range of fields including architecture, urban design, urban planning, landscape design, construction management, or related fields.

The program begins with a common foundation year in which students are introduced to design as a general field, from which they proceed into their specialization. It also offers wide exposure to the current issues of both a theoretical and a practical nature, complemented by a number of activities such as international studios, workshops, visiting critics, and exchanges with architecture and design institutes worldwide.

The program may be completed over a minimum of five academic years after the freshman year, including summer terms.

Mission

The mission of the program is to offer students a comprehensive education encouraging experimentation, critical thinking, and innovative practices, while taking into consideration the particular conditions and challenges posed by the context in which our students are operating. This implies a training that covers in addition to the requisite technical skills, the apprehension of any architectural problem from its multi-faceted perspectives taking into consideration the social, urban and environmental dimensions, with particular attention to the specificities of the region and local culture. The program thus aims at giving our graduates the ability to operate as effective team players and ethical designers working for the improvement of the community and its built environment - issues important in twenty-first century architectural education.

Program Objectives

The purpose of the Bachelor of Architecture is to:

  1. equip students with a broad theoretical knowledge, and develop their critical and creative abilities.
  2. give students the technical and professional skills that would enable them to practice architecture in Lebanon and the region.
  3. provide graduating students with a platform for further specializations in architecture, urban planning, urban design, landscape design, digital design, and other fields in design.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Architecture, students will acquire the following skills:

  1. Practice architecture in various contexts and cultures
  2. Develop competent projects of different types and at different scales
  3. Demonstrate professional practice and compliance with building codes & laws in Lebanon and other regions
  4. Elaborate projects with sound structural systems, detailing and materials 
  5. Consider the impact of architectural interventions in community-based projects

Curriculum

A total of 169 credits are required to graduate, after Freshman Year [or the equivalent Lebanese Baccalaureate Part II], distributed as follows:

  • Foundation Courses (22 credits)
  • Architecture Major Courses (113 credits)
  • Architecture Professional Electives (12 credits)
  • Art Elective (3 credits)
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) Curriculum (18 credits)
  • PED-Physical Education (1 credit)

Foundation Requirements (22 credits)

  • FND201 Drawing for Foundation (3 cr.)
  • FND231 Studio I-A (3 cr.)
  • FND232 Studio I-B (3 cr.)
  • FND235 Shop Techniques (1 cr.)
  • FND236 Studio II Formal Tectonics (6 cr.)
  • FND251 Digital Media (3 cr.)
  • FND281 Design Culture (3 cr.)

Architecture Major Courses (113 credits)

Architecture Professional Electives (12 credits)

  • ARCH441 Regional Architecture (3 cr.)
  • ARCH442 Modern Arch in Lebanon (3 cr.)
  • ARCH443 Architecture in the Middle East (3 cr.)
  • ARCH444 Regional Urbanism (3 cr.)
  • ARCH462 Seminar in Architecture Theory (3 cr.)
  • ARCH542 Urban Planning II (3 cr.)
  • ARCH580 Topics in Architecture (3 cr.)
  • ARCH591 International Studio (3 cr.)
  • ART431 Modern Art (3 cr.)
  • ART432 Contemporary Art (3 cr.)
  • IAA375 Introduction to Islamic Art (650-1650) (3 cr.)
  • IAA376 Introduction to Islamic Architecture (650-1650) (3 cr.)
  • IAA481 Contemporary Art in Islamic World (3 cr.)
  • IAA595 International Studio IAA (3 cr.)
  • IAA741 Byzantine and Early IAA (3 cr.)
  • IAA742 Ayyubid and Mamluk in Art and Architecture (3 cr.)
  • IAA744 Ornament in IAA (3 cr.)
  • IAA745 Calligraphy in IAA (3 cr.)
  • IAA746 Geometry IAA (3 cr.)
  • INAR441 Lighting Design (3 cr.)
  • INAR442 Textiles Design (3 cr.)
  • INAR443 Stage Design (3 cr.)
  • INAR471 Modern Interiors (3 cr.)

Art Elective (3 credits)

  • ART211 Ceramics (3 cr.)
  • ART212 Ceramics Wheel Throwing (3 cr.)
  • ART222 Figure Drawing (3 cr.)
  • ART334 Printmaking (3 cr.)
  • ART341 Painting I (3 cr.)
  • ART342 Painting II (3 cr.)
  • ART351 Sculpture I (3 cr.)
  • ART352 Sculpture II (3 cr.)
  • PHO201 Intro to Photography (3 cr.)
  • PHO231 History & Theory of Photography (3 cr.)
  • PHO301 Studio Photography (3 cr.)
  • PHO330 Black & White Analog Photography (3 cr.)
  • PHO341 Architectural Photography (3 cr.)
  • PHO342 Landscape Photography (3 cr.)
  • PHO344 Fashion Photography (3 cr.)
  • GRDE310 Illustration I (3cr.)
  • GRDE311 Illustration II (3 cr.)
  • GRDE313 Advertising Design (3 cr.)
  • GRDE314 Silkscreen Printing & Binding (3 cr.)
  • GRDE317 Design Management (3 cr.
  • GRDE365 Visual Storytelling (3 cr.)
  • GRDE366 Character and Composition (3 cr.)
  • GRDE367 Principles of Animation (3 cr.)
  • GRDE413 Introduction to 3D Animation (3 cr.)
  • GRDE461 2D Animation (3 cr.)

Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) Requirements (18 credits)

PED-Physical Education (1 credit)

Recommended Study Plan

Year One (Foundation)

Fall (13 credits)

  • FND201 Drawing for Foundation (3 cr.)
  • FND231 Design Studio I-A (3 cr.)
  • FND232 Design Studio I-B (3 cr.)
  • FND235 Shop Techniques (1 cr.)
  • FND281 Design Culture (3 cr.)

Spring (16 credits)

  • FND236 Design Studio II - Formal Tectonics (6 cr.)
  • FND251 Digital Media (3 cr.)
  • ARCH201 Architectural Drawing (3 cr.)
  • Art Elective (3 cr.)
  • PED Physical Education (1 cr.)

Summer (6 credits)

  • LAS Elective (3 cr.)
  • LAS Core (3 cr.)

Year Two

Fall (17 credits)

  • ARCH311 Structural Concepts (3 cr.)
  • ARCH331 Design Studio III (6 cr.)
  • ARCH361 Theory I (2 cr.)
  • ARCH371 History of Architecture I (3 cr.)
  • LAS Core (3 cr.)

Spring (17 credits)

  • ARCH332 Design Studio IV (6 cr.)
  • ARCH351 Digital Drawings (3 cr.)
  • ARCH362 Theory II (2 cr.)
  • ARCH372 History of Architecture II (3 cr.)
  • LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Summer (6 credits)

  • Digital Modelling (3 cr.)
  • Professional Elective (3 cr.)

Year Three

Fall (17 credits)

  • ARCH421 Materials & Methods of Construction (3 cr.)
  • ARCH422 Climate & Energy (3 cr.)
  • ARCH431 Design Studio V (6 cr.)
  • ARCH463 Landscape Architecture (2 cr.)
  • LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Spring (15 credits)

Summer (7 credits)

  • ARCH481 Construction Documents (4 cr.)
  • ARCH Professional Elective (3 cr.)

Year Four

Fall (15 credits)

  • ARCH531 Design Studio VII (6 cr.)
  • ARCH541 Urban Planning I (3 cr.)
  • ARCH581 Professional Practice I (3 cr.)
  • LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Spring (17 credits)

  • ARCH461 Contemporary Trends (2 cr.)
  • ARCH511 Advanced Building Systems (3 cr.)
  • ARCH532 Design Studio VIII (6 cr.)
  • Topic in Regional Architecture (3 cr.) [ARCH441 Regional Architecture/ ARCH442 Modern Architecture in Lebanon/ ARCH443 Architecture in the Middle East]
  • ARCH Professional Elective (3 cr.)

Summer (7 credits)

Year Five

Fall (7 credits)

Spring (9 credits)

  • ARCH632 Final Project (6 cr.)
  • ARCH Professional Elective (3 cr.)