Investigating the responses of architectural programmes in South African universitites of technology curricula to sustainable building practices

M.Tech. (Architectural Technology)Curricular changes in architectural studies are necessary to allow for the incorporation of newer concepts and ideas which will equip graduates with the skills required for contemporary professional practice. This study was carried out to investigate the incorporation of sustainable building (SB) knowledge into the undergraduate curricula of Departments of Architecture at Universities of Technology in South Africa. The study rationale, current status of sustainable building teaching to diploma students, levels of awareness and training in sustainability as well as obstacles to the incorporation of SB into teaching curricula were investigated. A sample size of 8 architecture lecturers and 17 architecture students from three universities of technology, at third year and BTech levels were surveyed using a questionnaire. The third year and BTech classes were chosen for this survey because the researcher assumed that they have more knowledge about curricular structure and content than the junior classes (first and second year). Results showed that architecture departments in all the universities investigated currently teach sustainable building concepts (theory, design and technology) and that there appears to be a fair awareness of sustainability and green building practices among the lecturers and students. However, curricula in these universities were either inadequate or poorly conceptualised. General comments from respondents indicated that much more needs to be done to improve the teaching and learning of SB in the universities surveyed. The study showed that students are not adequately exposed to regular and affordable sustainability-related workshops, seminars, symposiums, excursions and field trips, possibly because of cost implications as these tend to be generally expensive. The findings also revealed among others, that the level of study at which SB is formally introduced to students, the number of lecturers involved, as well as the number of lecture hours for teaching SB, all varied considerably between the institutions. A benchmark exercise with the University of Maryland (UMD) in the USA revealed that structural and conceptual changes have to be made in the curricula and behavioural adjustments among students and lecturers in South African Universities of Technology are necessary to measure up with global trends