Architecture

The Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology in Poland offers a new four-year Bachelor's degree course in Engineering called Integrated Design of Efficient Architectural Solutions - IDEAS. The course is open to both Polish and foreign students and is designed to meet the requirements of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Chamber of Polish Architects. The curriculum is innovative and flexible, allowing students to develop intellectual and practical abilities that will prepare them for employment in the creative process of designing in urban and rural areas. The course covers a wide range of subjects, including the fine arts, architectural and town-planning theory, economics of building investments, basic management methods in design processes, BIM (Building Information Modelling) techniques, and state-of-the-art computer technologies and software. Special emphasis is placed on knowledge, skills, and social competence, with a focus on circular economy solutions in building projects, architectural design, and urban planning, including harmonious location of designed volumes within pre-existing surroundings. Students will learn how to ensure maximum energy efficiency of buildings while maintaining occupants' access to daylight and visual contact with the surrounding environment, as well as maintaining adequate technical parameters in the building's design. The course is intended to allow future graduates to undertake the professional tasks of a designer and to prepare those who wish to become project managers in all or part of the building investment process, developers' and contractors' representatives, land investment or real estate consultants. The teaching process is conducted through lectures and design seminars, enriched with the issues of strategic management required in each design undertaking, and students are expected to participate in a preparatory course that shall form an integral part of the curriculum, including fine art techniques as well as lectures and seminars on Polish architecture and culture. The main area of studies is conducted as an "atelier" under the guidance of chosen academic teachers, and the studies conclude with the composition of a diploma design thesis, which must be presented orally before an examination board.