Architecture Department Curriculum

Architecture program adopted integrated curriculum. To obtain a bachelor's degree from the department, the student should pass 155 credits, distributed as follows (program study plan):

• University Requirements: 26 credits.
• College Requirements: 36 credits.
• Department Requirements: 70 credits.
• Electives Courses: 16 credits.
• Free Courses: 7 credits
• Field training.

Compulsory courses: 

Compulsory courses outside the department

Traditional Pathway (Bachelor of Architecture)

                                                                                      First Semester

Second Semester

Third Semester

Fourth Semester

Fifth Semester

Sixth Semester 

Seventh Semester

Eighth Semester

Ninth Semester

Tenth Semester

1. Collaborative Pathway (NONE).

List of selective courses for --------- department: 

Courses Description

AR 100: Freehand Drawing
Credit hours: 3hr
Course Description
In this course students are taught how to see and how to draw what they see thus improving their abilities to draw in three dimensions and then express what they imagine in mind. The course, through a series of exercises, develops student's sketching skills. The techniques of drawing are taught using various mediums, such as pencil, ink, and colors. Emphasis is put on principles of light, shade, scale, proportion, line, and tonal quality.

AR 120: Architecture and Heritage
Credit hours 2
Course Description
This course focuses on the traditional architecture of various regions of Saudi Arabia.  The aims of the course are to acquaint the student with the architectural characteristics of traditional culture of Saudi Arabia and to increase student’s understanding of the different styles of the various Saudi parts in terms of construction materials, skills and techniques.  The course also aims to exhibit the climatic and socio-cultural aspects of Saudi traditional architecture and to enhance the student’s appreciation of this type of architecture and familiarize him with its vocabulary in order to generate and encourage interest in using and developing such elements.

AR 160: Computer Applications in Architecture 1
2.  Credit hours 2 hr.
Course Description
This course covers the use of AutoCAD, as software, to create, edit and manipulate 2D architectural drawings. Upon completion of the course, students should know how to exploit basic and advanced features of the software to generate and develop all types of architectural vector drawings that the students may face during their study.

AR 101: Introduction to Architectural Design, Studio 1
Credit hours  4 Hours
Course Description
This course aims at developing the students’ drafting skills required for architecture design and related courses. It introduces drafting equipment, and techniques that focuses on measuring and documenting architectural spaces. This course covers different representation of building into two and three dimensional architectural drawings.

AR 102: Basic Architectural Design, Studio 2
Credit hours:4 hr.

Course Description
This course is an introduction to the fundamental elements and principles of two and three-dimensional design. It focuses on the development of visual design-thinking tools and skills. The course focuses on the design process to develop essential design skills needed for solving architectural problems. It cultivates a variety of communication skills other than the traditional drawing and sketching methods.

AR 221: History of Architecture
Credit hours 2
Course Description
This course will address the guiding principle of aesthetic understanding and creativity by giving each student the tools to develop the ability to form his or her own understanding of the cultural and social significance of the arts. The course will emphasize critical thinking and problem solving, as well as the importance of inclusiveness of diverse perspectives, that address the guiding principles of communication and self and society.

AR 232: Arhitectural Structure Systems 1
Credit hours:  2 hr.
Course Description
The course familiarizes the student with the role of structural systems and their elements in the design process of architectural spaces . The student is introduced with the basics of building structures that relate to the architectural design discipline. Topics are covered such as tension and compression forces and stresses; moment, deflection and torsion forces in building structural members... etc.

AR 233: Architectural Structure Systems 2  
Credit hours: 2 h   
Course Description
This course focuses on the effects of forces and stresses in structural elements (frames, columns and their grid pattern, arches, cables, etc.) on architectural forms which leading to forming buildings, and the basics of using such elements in architecture space formation and organization. Also, the course will focus on the main structure systems and mechanisms that would help the students to develop their architectural design skills

AR 242: Materials and Building Construction 1
Credit hours:  2
Course Description
In this course, the student will be familiarized with the various construction materials and methods ( load bearing walls construction methods, traditional  reinforced concrete construction methods, pre-fabricated and pre-stressed concrete construction techniques, wood construction methods, structural steel construction).Construction detail design, construction finishing methods and materials. The course also covers types of construction of main building elements including foundations, floors, ceilings, stairs, etc.

AR 243: Materials and building construction 2
Credit hours:  2
Course Description
The course serves as a continuation of Materials and Building Construction 1, where construction materials and methods of main building components are studied. The course also covers finishing methods used in construction, use of insulation in walls, ceiling, and roofs; rough carpentry and cabinetry, doors and windows construction systems.
After completion of this course, students will be knowledgeable of different building systems thru architectural perspective and they will be able to implement these systems in their architectural projects. The students need to explore the knowledge conceived among other sources of knowledge such as interne, books, magazines and attendance of building related events.

AR 261: Computer Applications in Architecture 2
Credit hours:  2h.
Course Description
This course will prepare students to utilize state of the art computer applications in developing a digital computer model of buildings. The topics covered include, 3D modeling, rendering, animation, as well as presentation. By the end of the course students should be able to:    
● Develop 3D concepts.
● Construct accurate 3D building models.
● Create animations and walkthroughs of the building.
● Present the project digitally.

AR 262: Digital Presentation by Computer
Credit hours:  2h.
Course Description
This course covers the use of digital graphic techniques to create, edit and manipulate photographic and other raster graphic images. Upon completion of the course, students should explore digital imaging techniques through the use of Adobe Photoshop as a proposed software package. Students should learn how to use selection, photo editing and colour correction tools. Further, they should learn how to work with layers and masks. They should also know how to apply filters and blending modes to create special effects, and work with a variety of file formats. At the end of the course, students would be able to exploit the wide spectrum of skills they achieved to make a professional presentation of an architectural project.

AR 203: Architectural design studio 3
Credit hours: 5 hours
Course Description
This studio studies architectural design process of a single building with emphasizes on solving the problems of traffic (internal and external), spaces and the interfaces. It also studies the ways to cover structures of large spans. The projects include but not limited to: banks, post offices, public cafeterias, exhibitions and museums.

AR 204: Architectural Design Studio 4
Credit hours: 6 hr.
Course Description
The studio aims to familiarize the beginner students with fundamentals of architectural design including aspects of function, structure, and form. By the end of the studio, students are expected to gain knowledge about fundamental concepts including function, structure, form, and to acquire reasonable presentation and drafting skills.
This studio focuses on:
• Solving simple functional requirements. 
• Introduction to structure systems suitable for covering spans up to 20 meters.
• Studying aesthetic appeal.
• Introduction to building codes and standards.

AR 390: Field Training 1
2.  Credit hours: 0
Course Description
The field training course is a crucial component of our student academic curricula. Each student is required to complete two (8 week) summer training in a respectable and reputable establishment. With confidence in our students capabilities, we allow our students to train anywhere in the world seeking international standard of work. We leave the option of geographical location widely open, restrict them in terms of level of quality, and encourage them to aim high. The course aims to orient our students in the following manner:
• Linking theory to practice.
• Exposure to the professional way to prepare deliverables in their field.
• Mastering skills that they learned from school and acquiring new ones through Hands-on approach. Learning tricks of the trade.
• Improving their team-work experience and spirit, and learning the importance of regulations and discipline at the workplace.
• Acquainting students to draft and submittal of professional reports.

AR 300: Psychological and Social factors in Architecture
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
The course covers the introductory information related to the different concepts and concerns of the effects of psychological and social implications, which resulted from designing and forming the human built-up environment. It also covers the studies related to the different concepts of reading the human built-up environment.

AR 322: Theory of Architecture
Credit hours 2 hr.
Course Description
The course will help the students explore the major directions that architecture has taken over the past years. During the course, students will be exposed to the thoughts, ideas and interests that provided the bases for shaping the built environment. Therefore, it will help the students make an informed design decisions consistent with the values and concerns of the region.

AR 323: Contemporary Architecture
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
The course will be delivered in the form of illustrated lecture seminar basis, encouraging more students' involvement in the process. The subject information will be abstracted from various manifestations of architectural thoughts. During the course, students are encouraged to develop new ways of analysis and criticism for architectural objects as a step to reformulate new ideas and theories. On successfully completing the course the students should:
• Be exposed to the thoughts, ideas and interests that provided the bases for shaping the built environment.
• Explore the major directions of contemporary architecture.

AR 324: Introduction to Architecture
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the elements and principles of architecture to support students in their architectural study. To do that, the course highlights the basic architectural elements, theories and issues that students would deal with in detail in following courses.

AR 332: Electric and Mechanical Systems in Buildings
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
This module is intended to provide a framework for exploring the mechanical systems in architecture, starting with fundamentals of thermal comfort, then heating, cooling, air conditioning, conveying systems in the buildings: escalators & elevators, water supply & drainage systems, fire alarm & fire protection.

AR 342: WORKING DRAWINGS I
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
This course contains the study and applications of techniques used in preparation of working drawings sheets, the symbols used in drawings and their interpretations in architectural plans, elevations and sections. A study of architectural, wood works and metal work detailing is included along with the study of electrical, mechanical and plumbing work detailing. All the studies are based on a genuine architectural project.

AR 343: WORKING DRAWINGS II
Credit hours: 2hr.
Course Description
In this course, the student prepares a complete set of working drawings details for an appropriate size project. Through this process the student is familiarized with building systems and materials specification, how to achieve coordination between the various types of working drawings; structural, electrical, plumbing, architectural detailing, interior and exterior building design according to specifications suitable for all building functions.

AR 305: Architectural Design Studio 5
Credit hours 5 hr.
Course Description
The purpose of the course is to teach students the technical design issues such as: structural systems, mechanical systems (HVAC), vertical and horizontal circulation systems in the building, through design studio settings.

AR 306: Architectural Design Studio 6
Credit hours 5
Course Description
This course is designed to give the students a fair background about urban design issues but in different types of context. However, by the end of the course students should construct and formulate a multiple design solutions reflecting a multi-level design responding to the urban and architecture problem.

AR 491: Field Training II
Credit hours: 0
Course Description
The field training course is a crucial component of our student academic curricula. Each student is required to complete two (8 week) summer training in a respectable and reputable establishment. With confidence in our students capabilities, we allow our students to train anywhere in the world seeking international standard of work. We leave the option of geographical location widely open, restrict them in terms of level of quality, and encourage them to aim high. The course aims to orient our students in the following manner:
• Linking theory to practice.
• Exposure to the professional way to prepare deliverables in their field.
• Mastering skills that they learned from school and acquiring new ones through Hands-on approach. Learning tricks of the trade.
• Improving their team-work experience and spirit, and learning the importance of regulations and discipline at the workplace.
• Acquainting students to draft and submittal of professional reports.

AR 492: Professional Practice 
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
This course introduces the student to the state of professional architectural practice and its principles and administration of architectural offices. Contract documents and administration practices used locally to govern relationships among designers, clients and consultants are covered. It also covers standard of conduct in architectural competitions, code of ethics in professional practice, professional societies and organizations regulating the architecture design profession in Saudi Arabia.

AR 470: Graduation Project  Research
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
After a graduation design project is selected by the student and approved by the department based on a survey of local urban problems and needs, in this course, the students are aided in the preparation and the completion of an entire architectural program for the selected project.

AR 407: Architectural Design Studio 7
Credit hours: 6 hr.
Course Description
This Architectural Design Studio 7 aims at solving local urban problems with emphasis on urban spaces and their components. Students would explore characteristics of different urban space elements as related to space use, social, cultural, and environmental aspects. Visual study of the project components is of main interest. By the end of the course students should be able to:
• Conduct site surveys for urban settings.  
• Carry out SWOT analysis, applied to urban design.
• Generate design alternatives and evaluate them. 
• Create design solution in response to complex urban problems.

AR 408: Graduation Project
Credit hours: 6 hr.
Course Description
In this course, the previously prepared architectural program is transformed into a completed design solution through a defined philosophical direction and a clear vision. These is achieved by stressing the use of analytical logic in presenting the main design problem (s), methods of evaluation, and the formulation and selection of most appropriate design alternatives.

AR 391: Project Management
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
This is an introductory course on principles of management of architectural projects, contemporary management methods and techniques used in the field. The course covers project administration and planning, time scheduling of projects, project costs calculation and quality control.

AR 325: History of World Architecture
Credit hours 3
Course Description
This course will address the guiding principle of aesthetic understanding and creativity by giving each student the tools to develop the ability to form his or her own understanding of the cultural and social significance of the arts. The course will emphasize critical thinking and problem solving, as well as the importance of inclusiveness of diverse perspectives, that address the guiding principles of communication and self and society.

AR 333: Acoustics and Illumination in Architecture
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
This module provides an introduction to room acoustics and artificial lighting. By the end of the course the students will be able to:
Understand some technical terms in acoustics: Decibel, Sound Pressure Level and Reverberation time, Noise Criteria, Noise Criteria Curves, Background noise level and Transmission loss.
Calculate reverberation time and transmission loss.
Understand artificial Lighting and its effect on architecture.
Calculate the required number of lamps to illuminate different architectural spaces according to their functions.

AR 350: House and Neighborhood
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
A statement of what the student will know and be able to do as the result of learning:
- After the completion of the course, students will be knowledgeable of various Neighbourhood issues in general and as related to house studies in particular. In addition, they will be able to choose and implement various house efficient recommendations in their projects
- A statement on how they will be expected to demonstrate their learning.
- The students need to explore the knowledge they conceive among other resources on knowledge such as books, magazines, workshops and conferences

AR 380: Green Building Systems
Credit hours  3 Hours
Course Description
This course aims to introduce the student to emerging delivery systems for high performance green buildings and the basis on which their sustainability can be evaluated. Green building assessment including regional (Saudi and GCC), as well as US and international systems will be covered. The course will also discuss design strategies and building techniques and strategies that can help building and communities reach the green aspects; keeping in mind the alignment and the contrast of global and regional aspects and context

AR 381: External Envelope of Buildings
Credit hours  3 Hours
Course Description
This course discusses the basic thermal processes in buildings and presents comprehensive methods for thermal design of envelope assemblies in commercial and residential buildings. The first part of the course includes steady-state and transient conduction through envelope assemblies, convection and radiation heat transfer in buildings, solar radiation and solar gains, thermal performance of  windows, internal gains, ventilation and infiltration. The second part of the course considers surface and room energy balance equations and presents analytical and computational models for calculation of hourly heating and cooling loads throughout the year. Climatic-based standards, passive solar design, advanced energy guides, and innovative technologies for high performance buildings are discussed

AR 482: Fundamentals of Renewable Energy
Credit hours   3 Hours
Course Description
This is an introduction to renewable energy technologies and potentials. The course aims to introduce a general architectural design audience to the basic concepts of renewable energy. The course will be taken in three parts:
1. First to establish a foundation necessary for those from the design discipline in terms of what is energy and how it linked to pollution
2. A brief on conventional energy resources and the concept of energy efficiency.
3. Then a study of renewable energy sources including solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, geothermal and biomass; with focus on solar.
In the interest of time some basic mathematical criteria will be covered. Each lecture contains several examples from real world applications and in-progress industrial developments.

AR 483: Environmental Control Systems
Credit hours   3 Hours
Course Description
This course builds on the fundamentals of environmental control systems dealing specifically with building heating, cooling, lighting, water, waste, and acoustics. This course places an emphasis on the integration of spatial, visual, and environmental performance aspects of predominantly residential and small scale buildings that are skin-load dominated. Innovative environmental solutions will be illustrated throughout the course. Field trips will occur as an integral part of the course.

AR 484: Architecture and Environmental Response
Credit hours   3 Hours
Course Description
This course introduces students to the relationship between the built and natural environments in the context of sustainability. The course approaches the subject through theory and analysis with application by considering architecture in a broad environmental context with emphasis on climatic response. The course topics include environmental concepts, landscape and site ecology, natural resources, comforts, climate, wind, and shelter. The course is presented through lectures and precedent study involving computer-based modeling and analysis.

AR 485: Research in Sustainability
Credit hours 2 Hours
Course Description
This course prepares students to conduct original research related to sustainable architecture. Fundamental concepts of ecology, ecological systems, and social ecology are introduced.  Students will learn multiple perspectives of sustainable architecture, specially the importance of sustainability as an ethical concept, and a recycling approach of the built-environment.  This is through an in-depth research in sustainability of a selected topic by the student and supervised by a faculty member. Topics are chosen based on a departmental program where faculty members and guest lecturers participate in a series of lectures and study seminars on important contemporary issues to the discipline of sustainable architecture. Students are aided in preparation of research and writing of progress reports and research’s findings.

AR 450: Housing and house types
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
The course handles concepts and design of the house within housing system and different housing types. The course also deals with analyzing and designing residential areas, as well as analyzing, evaluating and designing housing models within introducing practical models and specific exercises. 

AR 452: Introduction to housing policy
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
The course handles different theories and directions of housing system for various programs, projects and social categories, as well as identifying policies that affect systems and directions of offering housing through observing  documenting and evaluating different housing policies in and outside the KSA and factors influencing them. The course also handles comparative studies for historic housing policies and outputs accompanied along time.

AR 453: Fundamentals of affordable housing
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
The course handles theoretical approach to affordable housing that covers fields, objectives and design principles for affordable housing programs and projects, deserving categories, social and economic aspects of affordable housing and methods of finance. The course also handles the applied approach of affordable housing within designing and applying affordable housing models for the KSA.  

AR 454: Research in affordable housing
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
The course handles fundamental principles and scientific methods for proceeding different researches related to affordable housing through defining and identifying bases that directions of affordable housing are built upon, categories deserve affordable housing, social and economic aspects of affordable housing and methods of finance, besides studying principles of designing affordable housing projects. The course also deals with analytical and comparative studies of affordable housing projects in and outside the KSA.     

AR 434: Introduction to construction drawing and detailing
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
This course contains the study and applications of techniques used in preparation of working drawings sheets, the symbols used in drawings and their interpretations in architectural plans, elevations and sections. A study of architectural, wood works, and metal work detailing. All the studies are based on a genuine architectural project.

AR 435: Fundamentals of Construction Process
Credit hours: 3 hr
Course Description
In the course, the student prepares a complete set of working drawings for an appropriate size project. Through this process the student is familiarized with how to achieve coordination between the various types of working drawings; structural, electrical, plumbing, architectural detailing, interior and exterior building design according to specifications suitable for all building functions and building systems and its working steps. 

AR 436: Introduction of Industrialization
Credit hours: 3 hr
Course Description
In this course the student should identify the basic idea of fabrication in general, and particularly the building fabrication, as well as the principles of mathematics and engineering that are based on the idea of prefabricated buildings and built on the principles of modular coordination. The student should also learns the various faces of the prefabrication process of the building through the study of different production systems (open system and closed system) and what are the different forms for the production of prefabricated units.

AR 437: Research on Prefabricated Buildings
Credit hours: 2hr
Course Description
In this course the student learns how to choose which of the building prefabrication systems is adequate to various architectural designs through searching and analyzing modern prefabricated building systems and how to benefit from its different potentials and apply it in various building elements.

AR 463: Building Information Modelling (BIM)
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
Building information modelling (BIM) is process involving the generation and management of digital representations of buildings. Building information models (BIMs) are files which can be extracted, exchanged or networked to support decision-making regarding a building or other built asset. Current BIM software is used by architects, engineers and government agencies whom plan, design, construct, operate and maintain diverse physical infrastructures.
The course aims at applying Information Technology to building design, construction, and management.

AR 464: Introduction to Scripting and Architectural Design
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
Introduction to Scripting and Architectural Design sofwares. The course aims at awareness of the newly developed languages that utilizes computational capabilities into the design process.

AR 465: Digital Evaluation of Architectural Design
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
The development of architectural design to enclude different functional, aesthetic, environmental anf technical aspects, may require digital evaluation of the design process, in addition to working drawings and application of value engineering, to reach to the best alternatives for different projects. The course aims at providing knowledge, skills and experience required to apply digital technologies in in architectural engineering evaluation.

AR 466: Research in Digital Architecture
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
Digital architecture uses computer modeling, programming, simulation and imaging to create both virtual forms and physical structures. The terminology has also been used to refer to other aspects of architecture that feature digital technologies. The objective of this course is to search and develop an understanding of the theory, practical experience and skills in digital Architecture.

AR 471: Social Dimensions of Neighborhood
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
The course aims to find empirical foundations for dimensions in neighborhood cohesion, socio-environmental determinants of community formation, environment and behavior.  Urban characteristics provide increased opportunities for social interaction.  Relationship between urban characteristics and specific forms of community life.

AR 472: Physical Dimensions of Neighborhood
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
The course aims to find empirical foundations for dimensions in neighborhood spatial planning, physical-environmental determinants of community formation, environment and behavior.  Urban characteristics provide increased opportunities for urban functions.  Relationship between urban characteristics and specific forms of community land use.

AR 473: Community and Neighborhood Management
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
The course aims to study principles of neighborhood management, Community and Neighborhood Facilities (CNF), CNF skills, CNF functions, Neighborhood planning and administration, space utilization.  Human and environmental factors, health, safety and security.  Quality management.  Value management, outsourcing and contracting administration.  Zoning and code requirements.  Building performance.  Approaches and strategies for effective management and operation of facilities.  Information system in CNF.

AR 474: Research in Community Neighbourhood
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
The course that deals with identification of a research topics in community neighborhood, literature survey, and topic development.  Structured presentation on selected topic.  Submission of a research paper.  The course will cover several themes: (1) basic research methods used in applied urban research, (2) understanding of learning outside of a traditional class room, and (3) an emphasis on integrating both quantitative and qualitative research methods with community engagement strategies.

R 475: Interior Lighting
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
To familiarize student with theoretical and practical aspects of lighting design in the interior spaces and how to control its aesthetic and psychological components.

AR 476: Color Theory and Application
Credit hours: 3 hr.
Course Description
The course covers the theory of color in interior architecture. It helps student to learn how to recognize color, primary colors, secondary colors, the effect of heterogeneous and contradictory colors, the relationship of light and color, color applications in practical life and how to develop a color plan for the interior spaces. Student will be able to understand:
1. Functional effects of color.
2. Physical aspects of color.
3. Biological effects of color.
4. Aesthetic effects of color.

AR 477: Furniture Design
Credit hours: 3hr
Course Description
The object of Furniture Design is to equip the student with the practical and theoretical knowledge of the furniture design & decoration. The course will provide different facilities to develop the student’s skill in furniture design.

AR 478: Interior Landscape
Credit hours: 2 hr.
Course Description
In this course student will learn the basic theory and practices of the interior landscaping industry. Student will be able to discuss the identification, culture and uses of common indoor plants. The design, installation, management and seasonality of interior landscapes will be stressed. The care and handling of potted indoor plants are also included. Environmental conditions and developing portfolios of interior landscape designs for proper installation of drainage and irrigation are further experienced.