Study Guide

Descriptions

Building architect education at Turku University of Applied Sciences provides students with a strong foundation and expertise in the field of building design, taking into account today's green transition, energy efficiency and low-carbon requirements. The goal of the education is to prepare professional building architects who are able to design sustainable and environmentally friendly buildings and public spaces.
In the building architects' training program, special attention is paid to incorporating the principles of the green transition into building design skills. Students gain in-depth knowledge and skills about the design of energy-efficient buildings and the use of low-carbon materials and technologies. In the training program, students also get to know the principles of sustainable development and learn their application in building design, especially using digital methods based on construction information models.
The training of building architects meets the requirements for the qualification of a building designer in the Finnish Building Regulations. The education program offers versatile study courses that cover the key areas of competence for the construction design tasks of public service buildings and residential buildings, such as building construction technology, history and theory of architecture, environmental technology and sustainable construction.
At Turku University of Applied Sciences, innovation pedagogy and CDIO standards are used in the education of construction architects. The studies include 30-60 credits of international studies. Students participate in work-oriented projects, where they practice both independent, self-directed skills and solving ideation and planning tasks in a group. Teamwork skills are emphasized especially with the main designer's tasks in mind, and students develop their abilities to work as part of a design team and lead a design team effectively.
The student's competence, knowledge and skills develop from local to international and from small design projects to managing larger entities.
Turku University of Applied Sciences' construction architect training program offers a high-quality learning environment where students get a solid theoretical foundation, practical skills and the opportunity to participate in student projects and working life cooperation.

Objective

The goal of the training is to give the student the skills to work in the multifaceted work tasks of a construction architect, e.g. construction and chief designer, expert, management, development or supervisor positions. With experience, the duties become more diverse, which requires extensive knowledge of the construction industry and business life.
The key competence goal is to meet the eligibility requirements of the construction industry in accordance with the Ministry of the Environment's instruction YM2/601/2015 of 12 March 2015, cf. section Structure and content of education. The civil architect (amk) degree in building and community engineering education, depending on the study choices, together with the work experience gained later, gives the qualification to work in various positions required for the qualification in the construction industry, but the primary goal is the qualifications of a construction designer for a demanding design task. Even after a degree and sufficient work experience, it is possible to apply for the required qualifications, e.g. FISE qualifications.
The professional goal is to provide information on the main fields of building and structural design, infrastructure technology, renovation construction and production, and HVAC technology and their theoretical foundations, and to provide readiness to work in the service of industry and public communities in tasks that require expertise in various fields. The educational goal is to provide readiness to apply and develop systems, services and products belonging to the construction and real estate sector, as well as their implementation, operating technology and economy, and to provide readiness for expert tasks and postgraduate studies in the respective fields.
The main purpose of the learning continuum according to innovation pedagogy is to produce students with skills required in working life, such as interaction, teamwork and networking skills. The focus of competence is e.g. understanding of entities, teamwork, organizing ability, independent decision-making ability, sense of responsibility and punctuality. A prerequisite for professional competence development is the ability for creative activity.

Development

The training is carried out in accordance with the innovation pedagogy principles of the Turku University of Applied Sciences and the CDIO standards. In teaching, the most appropriate method is applied in terms of the competence of the course. The learning methods used are influenced by e.g. annual course, subject to be taught, group size, available facilities and resources. Ongoing research projects and business cooperation assignments are tried to be combined with teaching. In construction technology education, close cooperation is carried out with several operators in the construction industry, which enables various working life-oriented learning tasks, projects, company visits and guest lecturers. Multidisciplinary, international and entrepreneurship are sought in the learning environments. The student's previous studies and degrees are taken into account when preparing the HOPS within the limits allowed by the eligibility requirements of the construction industry.
Students take responsibility for their learning and acquire learning skills. The study is versatile classroom teaching and independent study with the help of literature and various learning tasks. The study includes plenty of practical exercises and teamwork. Working life cooperation plays a significant role. Practical assignments received from companies are solved as project work. Various assignments from companies increase know-how and generate good contacts and networks in working life. Innovation competencies are honed during studies by applying theory to practice in cooperation networks.
The thesis for the last year of study is done on the basis of the working life assignment acquired by the student. In the thesis, the student must demonstrate competence in his/her professional field, mastery of the research approach and fulfilling the client's will with a reasoned solution.

Further information

The subject of training evaluation is competence. Competence is based on the management of both details and entities. The evaluation methods are diverse and also emphasize the student's own ability to evaluate both his own and fellow students' competence. Assessment is developmental in nature and supports learning. The evaluation of study courses can be based on many different aspects, e.g. doing learning tasks, exams, process management and the end products of various projects and their presentation. The assessment can be self-assessment, peer assessment and teacher assessment and based on feedback from the commissioning company. The evaluation criteria for the study courses and the formation of the grade are described for each study course in the implementation plans.
Study courses are generally evaluated on a numerical scale of 0-5. Passed performance in the numerical evaluation requires at least a grade of one. In addition to the traditional written evaluation, the teaching staff can also evaluate the student's progress orally and, if necessary, give feedback on e.g. practice work, which helps the student to pay attention to key issues (so-called formative evaluation). The purpose of the feedback discussions is also to create an atmosphere that promotes learning.