Re-examination of the current architectural curriculum at Kuwait University

Abstract

As we enter the twenty-first century, it is impossible to ignore that society is growing increasingly more complex. As each year passes, this increasingly complex world requires architects who can contribute to larger, more interdisciplinary teams. Architects play an important role in shaping the future of the world. However, the only production factories of architects, the schools of architecture, are frequently accused of producing architects unable to meet the expectations of the profession and society in general. Architectural education is in desperate need of change and improvement, primarily through reforming the heart of the architectural education--its curriculum. This study reviews the existing program of the Department of Architecture at Kuwait University, with specific emphasis on its curriculum. In addition, it outlines the factors affecting the degree of integration between the curriculum's components, assures that the program is providing the education needed to prepare for professional practice, and, consequently, recommends new educational approaches for the development of the department's architectural curriculum. The architectural program at Kuwait University will be reviewed in two ways. First, survey procedures, questionnaires and interviews are utilized as part of a case study designed to gather the relevant data for the study. Second, the structure of the curriculum's offerings is compared to professional degree programs of selected academic institutions in the United States and Saudi Arabia. Based on the results of the study, several conclusions are drawn. These conclusions concern four categories: (1) weak subjects in the curriculum needing considerable improvement, (2) fair subjects needing some improvement, (3) strong areas with no or minimal need for improvement, and (4) additional subjects lacking in the program, which need to be implemented in order to further the development of the architectural curriculum at Kuwait University. The challenges, visions of the program's future, and several areas requiring further study are also identified as a result of the survey and the conclusions drawn from the study.