Architecture Courses in India

Architecture courses in India are amongst the popular courses offered by various architecture colleges in India. Architecture is discipline which includes designing of a structural environment right from the macro level of how a building integrates with its surrounding landscape to the micro level of architectural or construction details. Architecture is also an art, a technology and a business whose area of activity is in designing any kind of structure system. These include a wide variety of buildings, such as office and apartment buildings, schools, churches, factories, hospitals, houses and airport terminals. Also included are design complexes such as urban centres, college campuses, industrial parks and entire communities. The scope of Architecture is vast as it has varied applications even in non related areas. Architecture encompasses plumbing, sewerage system, heating, cooling, ventilation systems, electrical wiring's, landscape arrangements and so on. In some cases, interior architecture and furnishings need to be specified as well. It is interdisciplinary in nature since it relies on principles of science, arts, mathematics etc. A person involved in the occupation of Architecture is known as Architect. Basically an Architect provides professional guidance with regard to the execution of construction projects. But his role goes beyond this. He indulges in client discussions, preparation of the blueprint, budget decisions engineering, supervision, final execution, studying the environmental impact of a certain project and undertaking tasks such as site selection and materials supervision.

Few types of Architecture

1.  Green Architecture

2.  Landscape Architecture

3.  Museum Architecture

4.  Naval Architecture

5.  Theatre Architecture

Some of its specialized fields are -

• Designing
• Construction
• Production drawing
• Surveying
• Urban and Regional Planning
• Contact administration
• Model making
• Perspectives
• Information technology
• Real Estate / Property development
• Historic preservation
• Architectural Journalism
• Adjudications
• Arbitrators
• Expert witness

Architecture Course Content

The study of this field includes all or few of these -

• Architectural history and theory
• Building designs with an emphasis on CADD
• Structural systems
• Construction methods

Architecture Education Objectives

• To exert creative prowess while being resourceful and innovative
• To identify risk areas and design options
• Development of a creative competence in building techniques

Basic Requirement

Candidates with at least 55% marks (Science) in their 12th standard examination are eligible to apply for the course. They should also qualify any of the entrance examinations like All India Engineering Entrance Examination or AIEEE conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or the National Aptitude Test in Architecture conducted by the National Institute of Advanced Studies and Architecture. Students with excellent drawing abilities, clarity of thought, creativity, strong aesthetic sense and social awareness are likely to get through.

The duration of the undergraduate architecture courses or B.Arch is 5 years. This course provides both theoretical and practical training and helps a candidate develop and sharpen his creative skills. Higher degrees like M.Arch and Ph.d can also be acquired thereafter.

Few of the Prominent Colleges of Architecture in India

• Indian Institute of Technology - IIT Kharagpur
• School of Planning and Architecture (SPA)
• IIT Roorkee

Architecture Careers & Job Perspectives

Architects have the freedom to choose different career paths. Suitable architecture jobs can be acquired in Government firms and developing agencies like Public Works Department (PWD), Department of Railways, Post and Telegraph, National Building Organization, Town and Country Planning Organization, National Institutes of Urban Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Corporations. Others may get opportunities in architecture and building development firms or private construction organizations. As demand for commercial space increases, strong growth is expected from non residential construction. In recent years, some architecture firms have outsourced the drafting of construction documents and basic design for large-scale commercial and residential projects to architecture firms overseas.

Some Job Types

• Architectural Technician
• Architectural Theoretician
• Architectural Conservator
• Architectural Engineer
• Architectural Technologist
• Architecture Professor
• Architecture Critic
• Architecture Photographer
• Building Control Officer
• Building Inspector