BACKGROUND TO THE PROGRAMME

The Department of Architecture at Makerere University was established in 1984 by a government

decision. The decision to establish the department was prompted by an increasing shortage of qualified

architects in Uganda, which has had a gross negative effect on the national economy as a whole.

The department was established at a time when the country was experiencing acute political and economic

problems, which delayed its full inception and the intake of students.

Despite the odds against this new department, the first intake of 8 students was made for the 1989/90

academic year.

The department of architecture at Makerere University aims at reversing the deteriorating state of architecture in Uganda and at having a positive impact on the national economy.

In this noble cause, the department untiringly solicits the support of all persons with an interest in

architecture and the cultural heritage of this great nation.

JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PROGRAMME

The starting point for the establishment of a Department of Architecture was a realization that changing

Social and economic relations, coupled with the accelerating pace of technological development, are

Inflicting upon our community and environment which often does not reflect its culture, its life-styles,

its hopes or even the demands of the climate on which it lives.

Accordingly, one of the tasks the department tries to tackle is to seek to focus professional and public

attention on directions in architecture which enriches the physical environment of the Uganda

population.

As part of this process the Department will organize seminars on contemporary architectural issues. Up

to date there has been no established national forum for the discussions and analysis of problems facing

those who design for the Uganda Society. In the past, the horizons of Architecture education have often

been limited to principles of construction and the aesthetics of design and decoration.

The Department seeks to stimulate architects to think and learn more widely about their art, about the vast spectrum of sources from which they legitimately can and should draw inspiration; about the impact their work will have on the future of the society they are to serve.

Students must be able to emphasize with the cultural base of Uganda's and Africa's civilization and

bridge the vast gap between it and the predominantly western idioms and technology which have

become the talk in trade of so called "International Architects."

The vast majority of Ugandans are  rural dwellers and are poor. The architect can have a valuable role

in third-world rural development by being the professional who both enables development to take place

and raises its standard, by assisting villages to build more effectively for themselves. In most African

countries formal architectural education is relatively a recent phenomenon. Current programmes of

architectural design are on too narrow a range of problems in a society, unresponsive to poverty,

emergency, and the tropical climate of Uganda, and unused to dealing with the clientele in greatest

need.

OBJECTIVES AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) Degree programme aims at producing professionals who will

assume major leadership role in shaping the built environment, the quality of which is the major

determinant of the quality of life of society.

Educational Objectives

The educational objectives of this programme are to:

(a)  Produce graduates who are able to practice architecture to serve Uganda and the regional

industries, government agencies, or national and international industries.

(b)  Produce graduates with the necessary background and technical skills to work professionally

in one or more of the following areas: architecture, planning and construction.

(c)  Prepare graduates for personal and professional success with awareness and commitment to

their ethical and social responsibilities, both as individuals and in team environments.

(d)  Prepare graduates who are capable of entering and succeeding in an advanced degree program

in a field such as architecture, planning, construction management, real estate business and

other related fields.

(e) To inculcate the ability to innovate, conceive, formulate and design according to various

requirements and needs.

(f)  To develop oral, written, visual, and graphic presentation skills and technical knowledge

necessary for perception and expression of ideas in architectural design and their construction

methods

(g)  To inculcate an in-depth perception of architecture as an activity in time and space, and

develop ability to design functions with an awareness of contextual issues involved in the

various facets of architecture.

Program Outcomes

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and

understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the architectural professional practice. Therefore,

by the end of the programme the student should be able to:

(a)  Demonstrate comprehensive awareness and experience of the realm and context of

architecture and design within the built environment.

(b)  Understand diverse cultures and communities and the impact that their legacies have in the

development of ideas and architectural design.

(c)  Respond appropriately through architectural design to the functional, environmental and

human needs of diverse cultural communities.

(d)  Respond holistically to the complex architectural and urban context through development of

sustainable architectural designs.

(e)  Integrate comprehensive technical, environmental, practice-based and legislative knowledge

relevant to architectural practice, and apply these in architectural design development.

(f)  Apply and integrate knowledge of the responsibilities of the architectural designer to society

in the context of socio-cultural, economic, technological and environmental

(g)  Work effectively as part of a team with both peers and in cross-level collaboration.

(h)  Conceptualize and convey ideas and intentions skillfully and eloquently utilizing visual,

graphic, written and verbal means of communication.

(i)  Communicate clearly and effectively at different levels and with different parties involved in

the processes of architectural design.

(j)  Analyze problems and synthesize solutions, through the use of innovation, flexibility,

Adaptability, logical and lateral thinking.