Bachelor of Architecture
Introduction
As part of the school's charter and mission, Architecture Department of the School
is providing a vibrant design culture, ensuring its graduates are not only valued
by the architectural practice, but are also able to make critical contribution to
the future of the profession. The school has put efforts in the development of open
studio culture, in which students at all levels can learn from each other, how innovative
ideas are generated and developed as well as developing an in-depth practical knowledge
through independent and original research.
The study of architecture and planning is all-encompassing that involves broader
and deeper understanding about the people and the physical and cultural contexts
of places within which we all live. It requires innovative thinking and rethinking,
technical and practical knowhow and encourages in-depth study of the arts, history
and the culture, but they also need to understand, in the society, how their role
interacts with role of others in order to create good building designs for better
and safe environments.
The Course at bachelor's level is integrated within studio-based design projects
along with theoretical knowledge, abilities and skills generated by lectures in
technical studies, cultural context along with an extensive practical knowledge
imparted through site visits and case studies. Design projects, which require development
of both manual and computer generated presentation skills, are taught in small groups,
enhancing personal attention throughout the course. This work forms the basis of
the design portfolio which, eventually, signifies the achievement when applying
for postgraduate courses or employment.
Course Structure for B.Arch Programme
In the first year, the students work on basic projects which develop their two and
three-dimensional visual perception and improve their graphical understanding, such
as drawing, computing and model-making. The students are introduced to the fundamentals
of mathematical application, mechanism of structures, building materials and construction
and climatology.
In the second and the third years, advanced projects are undertaken in the context
of individual design units while working towards common student-centered teaching
objectives. The course models in key subjects such as History of Architecture, Theory
of Settlements, Structures, Building Technology and Services, that include Water
Supply and Sanitation, Electrical and Acoustics to provide a wider understanding
of the built environments. Apart from these subjects, Estimation and Costing, Computer
Aided Design, Working Drawing and Visual and Written Skills are also introduced.
Even more advanced and critical design projects are undertaken in the first semester
of the 4th year. Similarly, more advanced issues are taught in the Building Materials
and Construction and Theory of Structures. Similarly training also enhances the
student's ability to develop the communication skills. At this level, student are
introduced to variety of subjects including Urban and Regional Planning, Landscape
Architecture, Project Management and Behavioral Psychology, through which they can
get awareness on how they would like to develop their career in a particular area
of interest in the coming future.
In the second semester of 4th year, student have to take professional training under
a practicing architect registered with the Council of Architecture. During their
professional training, students learn about the practical issues; how they should
deal with all kinds of possibilities and constraints involved in the architectural
practice. They also become familiar with the market resources and client management.
During the 5th year of the course, advancements in the design module is undertaken
along with the Advanced Building Technology, Advanced Structures, Ecology and Environment
and advanced exercises in Seminar. In this semester, the students have an option
to choose some elective subjects of their preference, on which he or she can choose
to build their career further.
The last semester of the course is mainly directed towards the development of Design
Thesis. Based on the previous knowledge gained through all the inputs from theory
and practice, students work on specific issues of their interest and develop a design
thesis. Along with the design thesis, subjects such as Professional Practice, Valuation
and Arbitration and Seminar are undertaken simultaneously.
Number of seats : 85
Syllabus
(Revised)
Bachelor of Planning
Introduction
The Bachelor of Planning course at SPA, Bhopal is one of the few courses in our
country, imparting planning education at the undergraduate level. After the implementation
of the 74th Constitution Amendment Act 1992, which has empowered urban local bodies
significantly to undertake developmental works, the need for qualified planners
has increased significantly. The B. Plan. course is an endeavor to bridge this gap
of demand and supply of planning professional in the country. In a country where
urbanization has been on a steady rise since independence, and escalated significantly
in recent years, planning professionals need to be trained in handling the myriad
problems which come along with urbanization-issues of migration, infrastructure
deficit, environmental concerns are but a few.
Academic Focus
The B. Plan course equips students with the essential skills, knowledge base and
attitude required to enter into a profession which combines analytical skills along
with a strong understanding of socio-cultural and economic context. This blend of
the social sciences, economics and technical knowledge of various planning specializations
(transportation, environment, legislation and policies, infrastructure, etc.) is
imparted over a period of four years building up the foundation of planning professionals.
Course Structure
The B. Plan. course comprises of minimum duration of 4 academic years consisting
of 8 semesters. The course inculcates essential skills of data analysis, graphic
presentation, report writing and technical drawing along with knowledge of basic
subjects in the initial years. As the course progresses, in higher semester, the
students are exposed to specialized areas of planning along with development of
advanced skills. Use of state of the art technology and application (for instance
GIS) are taught at the higher levels and applied in planning studio projects. The
curriculum is structured around a core planning studio in every semester which has
a specific thrust starting from the basics of layout plans and gradually handling
more complex planning aspects (transportation, special area planning, master planning,
etc.) in order to prepare the students to address a wide range of contemporary issues
in planning. The higher semesters consist of a range of electives from which the
student can choose areas of interest and specialization. The course is thus structured
into three main thrust areas: the planning studio, core subjects and electives.
In addition to the academic inputs, the students get industry inputs through summer
training which is undertaken twice in the course of four years, once after completion
of fourth semester and once after the sixth semester.
In the first year, the student is trained in the fundamentals of Urban and Regional
Planning, Surveying, Economics, Statistical and Quantitative Methods in Planning,
Computer Applications and Technical Report Writing. In Addition, Building Structures,
Materials and Principles of Construction, Estimation and Introduction to Art and
Culture and Basic Architectural Design are also taught. The planning studio in the
first year is focused on training in graphical and presentation techniques and developing
methods of data organization and presentation.
In the second year, the emphasis of the two semesters planning studio is on neighborhood
and site planning techniques and transportation planning. Along with the basic subjects
of planning theory and techniques of planning the student is introduced to fields
of settlement geography and sociology. In additions the students gradually learn
more advanced subjects of Planning Practice, Transportation Planning, Housing and
Ecology and Environment. Simultaneously skill imparting continues with hands-on
training on CAD Application in Planning. The student undergoes the first summer
training after completion of the second year and essentially works with various
government planning departments to get an exposure of the system of planning in
the country.
In third year, after completion of two year of formal education and one exposure
to summer training, the student is ready for more advanced inputs. The planning
studios at this level deal with area planning and urban planning respectively in
the two semesters. The core subjects taught at this level reinforce the thrust area
of the studios of urban planning and include Real Estate Planning, Utilities and
Services Planning, Landscape Planning and Urban Design, Sustainable Urban Development,
Urban Management, Pl anning Management of Informal Sector and Urban Conservation.
The skill development continues at advanced levels with students being provided
adequate training on the application of GIS and geo-informatics in planning. The
student undergoes the second period of summer training after completion of the third
year and is encouraged to work with planning consultants of various specializations.
The final year consists of mix of core subjects and electives supporting the planning
studios. The thrust of the seventh semester studio is regional planning while the
eighth semester provides the student with the opportunity of working on a thesis
of his/her own choice. The core subjects include Urban Governance, Finance and Management
along with Professional Practice. The electives cover a wide range of contemporary
issues including Infrastructure Development Planning, Rural Development and Management,
PPP in Urban Environmental Sciences, International Finance, Infrastructure Finance,
Environmental Impact Assessment. They also include subjects on Planning for Small
and Medium Towns, Planning for Global Cities and Planning for Special Areas.
Number of seats : 34
Syllabus
