Program Description

Globally, over 50% of the population lives in urban areas; and moving towards urbanization is accelerating.  As urban populations grow, the housing gap will widen, exacerbating inequality and threatening the traditional view of cities as reliable drivers of economic growth. Though providing affordable, adequate and secure housing is a basic human need, housing provision persists a key urban challenge worldwide. The Housing Architecture and Urban Development (HAUD) program aims at preparing architects and urban planners specialized in housing and the built environment design for sustainable urban development. Graduates go on to obtain professional degrees in architectural engineering with specialization in housing and urban development...

The program is focusing on the technical, aesthetic and cultural components of design for housing and public buildings. Moreover, it qualifies graduates with all necessary competences to design and to understand the housing market and real estate development as well as to use digital technologies and tools to generate and analyse spatial data. Graduates will gain knowledge in housing typology, provision, policies, finance, legislation, and management and will be able to produce integrated architecture documents, and land mapping. The HAUD emphasizes the integration of social, economic, environmental, along with physical aspects to create safe, inclusive, healthy, and sustainable cities. It introduces graduates to contemporary trends and practices in housing industry and urban development schemes such as smart housing/cities as well as principles of Sustainable Development Goals. The program will prepare graduates to take leading roles in the professional practice in the field of architecture, housing and urban development on local and international level.

Career Prospects

Graduates of the HAUD program can handle with different jobs in related fields to housing design and urban development sector ranging from architecture level to the urban design and planning level with special knowledge of real estate and land management. They can work as architects and urban planners in governmental bodies, such as, the Ministry of Housing Utilities and the Urban Development; International Agencies, such as UN-Habitat; and local companies and consultancies. The current construction booming and the future development of building new urban communities and national mega projects in Egypt is thriving for such kind of skilled graduates who are engaged with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) standards and principles and have integrated vision to tackle planning and design issues in the field of housing architecture and urban development.

Program Concentrations

There are no specified concentrations in this Program.

Agreements with another University

The program is not yet partnered with another university.

Program Competences

In addition to the competences for all Engineering Programs (A-Level), the Housing Architecture and Urban Development Program graduate must be able to (D-Level):

• Demonstrate comprehensive ability to create architectural designs for residential projects ranging across different scale (residential complex, multi- story, clustering and neighbourhood) based on the most contemporary trends and smart systems and theories of architecture, urban and planning that satisfy both aesthetic and technical requirements
• Using adequate knowledge of: history and theory, related fine arts, local culture and heritage, technologies and human sciences that influence on the quality of architectural design.
• Produce designs that meet building users’ requirements through understanding the relationship between people and buildings, and between buildings and their environment; and the need to relate buildings and the spaces between them to human needs and scale.
• Demonstrate comprehensive ability to Urban Upgrading (Site and Services or In-situ Development, ecologically sustainable urban and architectural conservation and rehabilitation based on the most contemporary trends with due consideration of their contexts (social, economic, political, technical, institutional, environmental and physical / infrastructure and engineering problems associated with building designs.) that exist in thematic/heritage context
• Recognize and demonstrate the technical design and construction aspects of houses, infrastructure, and Solve conflicts between the engineering systems that serve residential context and its urban values (Technical Installations, Urban Infrastructure, Architecture Installations).
• Apply digital technologies and software as design aiding tools to generate and analyse spatial data and to produce integrated architecture documents and Land Mapping.
• Demonstrate deep understand to public transportation modes and urban sustainable mobility that serve urban and residential communities
• Apply theories and concepts to identify key housing and urban development needs, problems and solutions that satisfy both aesthetic and technical requirements, with due consideration of their contexts on both regional and local levels
• Interpret and apply principles best practice of all aspects of property urban, development, land management and real estate valuation with due regard for the legislative framework and relevant property legislation while having adequate knowledge of industries, organizations, regulations and procedures involved.
• Apply theories, principles and best practice guidelines to design Affordable Housing with due regard for Social Infrastructure and Principles of Equity and Social Justice
• Critically evaluate Value Engineering and explain financial plans and models of Economic Models for Housing Provision within the constraints of project financing, project management, cost control and methods of project delivery.
• Produce design project briefs and documents; and analyses the context of the architect in the construction industry, including the architect’s role in the processes of bidding, procurement of architectural services and building production.
• Explain critical contemporary issues that face the society and built areas and apply best practices with specific reference to social, economic and environmental development towards sustainable integrated housing and urban development.
• Define, design, compare and evaluate models of policy and strategy formulation, programs and projects for housing through efficient resources management towards sustainable housing provision, informal upgrading and urban development
• Demonstrate comprehensive ability to Manage and maintain systems, processes, programs of housing and land management projects and Informal Settlements Regularization at organization and operational levels
• Apply principles of participatory approach with stakeholders, resolve conflict, and manage disasters in housing and human settlements.

Required Courses

In order to get a Bachelor of Science Degree in this program, and to satisfy the Program Competences, the following set of courses need to be completed.