OBJECTIVES OF ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION

s0. That architectural education develops the capacity in students to be able to conceptualise, design understand and realise the act of building within a context of the practice of architecture which balances the tensions between emotion, reason and intuition, and which gives physical form to the needs of society and the individual.

1. That architecture is a discipline which draws knowledge from the humanities, the social and the physical sciences, technology, environmental sciences, the creative arts and the liberal arts.

2. That education leading to formal qualifications and permitting professionals to practice in the field of architecture has to be guaranteed to be at university/tertiary level with the discipline of architecture as the main subject and be available at universities, polytechnics and academies.

3. That architectural education includes the following points:

• An ability to create architectural designs that satisfy both aesthetic and technical requirements.
• An adequate knowledge of the history and theories of architecture and the related arts, technologies and human sciences.
• A knowledge of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design.
• An adequate knowledge of urban design, planning and the skills involved in the planning process.
• An understanding of the relationship between people and buildings, and between buildings and their nvironment, and of the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale.
• An understanding of the profession of architecture and the role of the architect in society, in particular in preparing briefs that take account of social factors.
• An understanding of the methods of investigation and preparation of the brief for a design project.
• An understanding of the structural design, construction and engineering problems associated with building design.
• An adequate knowledge of physical problems and technologies and of the function of buildings so as to provide them with internal conditions of comfort and protection against the climate.
• The design skills necessary to meet building users' requirements within the constraints imposed by cost factors and building regulations.
• An adequate knowledge of the industries, organisations, regulations and procedures involved in translating design concepts into buildings and integrating plans into overall planning.

4. That the following special points be considered in the development of the curriculum:

• Awareness of responsibilities toward human, social, cultural, urban, architectural, and environmental values, as well as architectural heritage.
• Adequate knowledge of the means of achieving ecologically sustainable design and environmental conservation and rehabilitation.
• Development of a creative competence in building techniques, founded on a comprehensive understanding of the disciplines and construction methods related to architecture.
• Adequate knowledge of project financing, project management, cost control and methods of project delivery.
• Training in research techniques as an inherent part of architectural learning, for both students and teachers.

5. That architectural education involves the acquisition of the following capabilities:

5.A. DESIGN

• Ability to engage imagination, think creatively, innovate and provide design leadership.
• Ability to gather information, define problems, apply analyses and critical judgement and formulate strategies for action.
• Ability to think three-dimensionally in the exploration of design.
• Ability to reconcile divergent factors, integrate knowledge and apply skills in the creation of a design solution.

5.B. KNOWLEDGE
B.1. Cultural and Artistic Studies

• Ability to act with knowledge of historical and cultural precedents in local and world architecture.
• Ability to act with knowledge of the fine arts as an influence on the quality of architectural design.
• Understanding of heritage issues in the built environment.
• Awareness of the links between architecture and other creative disciplines.

B.2. Social Studies

• Ability to act with knowledge of society, and to work with clients and users that represent society’s needs.
• Ability to develop a project brief through definition of the needs of society users and clients, and to research and define contextual and functional requirements for different types of built environments.
• An understanding of the social context in which built environments are procured, of ergonomic and space requirements and issues of equity and access.
• An awareness of the relevant codes, regulations and standards for planning, design, construction, health, safety and use of built environments.

B.3. Environmental Studies

• Ability to act with knowledge of natural systems and built environments.
• Understanding of conservation and waste management issues.
• Understanding of the life cycle of materials, issues of ecological sustainability, environmental impact, design for reduced use of energy, as well as passive systems and their management.
• Awareness of the history and practice of landscape architecture, urban design, as well as territorial and national planning and their relationship to local and global demography and resources.
• Awareness of the management of natural systems taking into account natural disaster risks.

B.4. Technical Studies

• Technical knowledge of structure, materials, and construction.
• Ability to act with innovative technical competence in the use of building techniques and the understanding of their evolution.
• Understanding of the processes of technical design and the integration of structure, construction technologies and services systems into a functionally effective whole.
• Understanding of services systems as well as systems of transportation, communication, maintenance and safety.
• Awareness of the role of technical documentation and specifications in design realisation, and of the processes of construction, cost, planning and control.

B.5. Design Studies

• Knowledge of design theory and methods.
• Understanding of design procedures and processes.
• Knowledge of design precedents and architectural criticism.

B.6. Professional Studies

• Ability to act with knowledge of professional, business, financial and legal contexts.
• Ability to understand different forms of procurement of architectural services.
• Awareness of the workings of the construction and development industries, financial dynamics, real estate investment, and facilities management.
• Awareness of the potential roles of architects in conventional and new areas of activity and in an international context.
• Understanding of business principles and their application to the development of built environments, project management and the functioning of a professional consultancy.
• Understanding of professional ethics and codes of conduct as they apply to the practice of architecture and of the architects’ legal responsibilities where registration, practice and building contracts are concerned.

5.C. SKILL

• Ability to act and to communicate ideas through collaboration, speaking, numeracy, writing, drawing, modelling and evaluation.
• Ability to utilise manual, electronic, graphic and model making capabilities to explore, develop, define and communicate a design proposal.
• Understanding of systems of evaluation, that use manual and/or electronic means for performance assessments of built environments.

6. That the balanced acquisition of subjects and capabilities cited in Sections II.3, II.4 and II. 5 requires a period of not less than five years of full-time studies in a university or an equivalent institution, plus in order to be registered/licensed/certified not less than two years internship in a suitable practice setting, of which one year may be obtained prior to the conclusion of academic studies.

The UNESCO/UIA Charter initially approved in 1996 was drafted by a group of ten experts, coordinated by Fernando Ramos Galino (Spain), and including: Lakhman Alwis (Sri Lanka), Balkrishna Doshi (India), Alexandre Koudryavtsev (Russia), Jean-Pierre Elog Mbassi (Benin), Xavier Cortes Rocha (Mexico), Ashraf Salama (Egypt), Roland Schweitzer (France), Roberto Segre (Brazil), Vladimir Slapeta (Czech Republic), Paul Virilio (France).


This text was revised in 2004/2005 by the UNESCO/UIA Validation Committee for Architectural Education, in collaboration with the UIA Education Commission. The authors of this revision were : Jaime Lerner (Brazil) representing UIA and Wolf Tochtermann (Germany), representing UNESCO : co-Presidents, Fernando Ramos Galino (Spain), General reporter, Brigitte Colin (France), representing UNESCO, Jean-Claude Riguet (France), UIA Secretary General and the following regional members :

Ambrose A. Adebayo (South Africa), Louise Cox (Australia), Nobuaki Furuya (Japan), Sara Maria Giraldo Mejia (Colombia), Paul Hyett (United-

Kingdom), Alexandre Koudryavtsev (Russia), Said Mouline (Morocco), Alexandru Sandu (Romania), James Scheeler (USA), Roland

Schweitzer (France), Zakia Shafie (Egypt), Vladimir Slapeta (Czech Republic), Alain Viaro (Switzerland), Enrique Vivanco Riofrio (Equador).