Architectural Engineering

Chairman: Dr. Abdulrahman Ahmed Alymani, Assistant Professor of Architectural Engineering
Ph: +966 11 289 0886
E: abalymani@alfaisal.edu

Web address: https://coe.alfaisal.edu/en/ae-home
 

General Department Information

Architectural Engineering combines architecture and engineering to focus more on the links between design and construction. Professionals in this discipline work with both architects and other engineers to ensure the timely, effective design and construction of buildings and other structures and systems. With the enormous amount of construction taking place in Riyadh, it is obvious that Architectural Engineering is potentially a rich field here in the Kingdom. If you are interested in building things, thinking about how things work, drawing, model making, working with your hands, and working with others, Architectural Engineering may be the job for you.

The Architectural Engineering program at Alfaisal University prepares its graduates for a wide range of career paths in the construction industry, includ­ing design co-ordination and management, and project management. Architectural Engineering often encompasses elements of other engineering disciplines as architectural engineers actively work in the design and construction of buildings while managing and constructing mechanical, electrical, fire protection and structural systems.

There is much more engineering in modern buildings than architecture purists might care to admit! Architectural Engineering can be seen as a way to try to upgrade the traditional and historic role of architects in building design and construction. Prepared to apply the increasingly new and challenging technology of building construction, the new Architectural Engineer fulfills an important role in the field of architectural production and construction.

Study of Architectural Engineering at Alfaisal University will prepare you for employment in a number of different engineering and architectural fields. Not only will you learn draftsmanship and the use of Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD), but you will also study structural, mechanical and electrical design to gain knowledge of cooling/heating ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, fire safety systems, elevators and power supply systems. To fulfill the engineering aspects of the course, you should prepare for an intensive study of mathematics, physics and other sciences as well as the standard engineering and architecture courses.  Once you have completed your degree studies, many career opportunities will be open to you in the construction industry, in architectural design firms, in manufacturing and in project management. Many architectural engineers move rapidly from design positions to administration and management. Who knows, you may find that you are soon starting your own firm with a long list of prestigious clients here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and abroad.

Classes

ARE 110: Architectural History and Theories

This course presents a survey of architectural styles of the past to the present time on the comparative methods. Emphasis includes the geographical, geological, climatic, religious, social and political influences.

ARE 120: Drafting and Drawing

The course is designed for students with little drafting background. Course content includes careers in drafting/engineering, use of drafting equipment, drafting techniques, lettering, geometric construction, multi-view and isometric drawings, sectional and auxiliary views, and basic dimensioning.

ARE 120-S: Drafting and Drawing Lab

The course is designed for students with little drafting background. Course content includes careers in drafting/engineering, use of drafting equipment, drafting techniques, lettering, geometric construction, multi-view and isometric drawings, sectional and auxiliary views, and basic dimensioning.

ARE 201: Architectural Design I

Students will study all the elements of architectural design and develop a sensitivity and awareness required for valid interpretations of design concepts. Students will design a small-scale architectural projects focusing on the notions of time and transformation in conceptual, structural, organizational and spatial terms. This distinct emphasis supports a unifying analytical and creative framework for increasingly complex architectural interventions. Analytical and experimental drawing techniques, including drawing plans, sections, elevations and perspectives, and model-making to inform and represent the transition from simple concepts into sophisticated and developed spatial designs.

ARE 202: Architectural Design II

Students will complete commercial design study and advanced architectural design projects utilizing computer-aided design as well as traditional methods. Emphasis is placed on three-dimensional conceptualization, elements of design, site development, architectural history, color in design, computer generated 3D rendering, basic and advanced model building and time management skills.

ARE 220: Construction Drawing (CAD)

The course teaches drawing and drafting and computer-aided design of architectural systems, and includes the preliminary design, analysis, and documentation of these systems. This will include first and third angle projections, solid modeling and the use of commercially available CAD software.

ARE 220 S: Construction Drawing (CAD) Studio

The course teaches drawing and drafting and computer-aided design of architectural systems, and includes the preliminary design, analysis, and documentation of these systems. This will include first and third angle projections, solid modeling and the use of commercially available CAD software.

ARE 231: Building Materials and Construction Technology

This course introduces construction materials and construction technology. Topics include construction terminology, materials and their properties, manufacturing processes, construction techniques and technologies, and other related topics. Upon completion, students should be able to detail construction assemblies and identify construction materials and properties.

ARE 231 L: Building Materials and Construction Technology Lab

This course provides an understanding of the basic properties of construction materials and presents current field and laboratory standards and testing requirements for these materials such as Normal Consistency & Setting Time of Cement Past; Fresh and hardened properties of Mortar; Sieve Analysis of Aggregate; Specific Gravity of Aggregate; Unit Weight of Aggregate; Fresh and Mechanical Properties of Concrete; Mechanical Properties of Steel; Tests on wood.

ARE 232: Building Construction

This course introduces the student to the basics of building construction methods and techniques. It deals with the main elements and components of the building such as; site conditions, foundation systems, retaining walls, load bearing & masonry walls, skeleton R.C. structures, R.C. Footings, R.C. columns, R.C. floors & roofs, building insulation and protection, and staircases design, finishes and construction sequence.

ARE 297: Architecture and Buildings

This course presents an introductory study of the theory, history, principles and practice of architecture. It includes the basic principles of architectural analysis, criticism and aesthetic principles. It discusses the roles and responsibilities of the design professions, including interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning and engineering and how they relate to each other.

ARE 302: Indoor Air Quality Engineering

This course is designed to provide a fundamental knowledge about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and provide information about IAQ standards and laws. Participants will also learn the basics about how to implement the IAQ solution and perform IAQ audit in buildings.

ARE 303: Interior Design

The student will learn about design fundamentals as applied to the study and practice of interior design. Topics include color, space, form, light, furniture, windows, floors, and accessories. Class format includes illustrated lectures, discussions, and projects.

ARE 303 S: Interior Design Studio

The student will learn about design fundamentals as applied to the study and practice of interior design. Topics include color, space, form, light, furniture, windows, floors, and accessories. Class format includes illustrated lectures, discussions, and projects.

ARE 311: Building Acoustics

In this course, students will study the acoustical environment of buildings, including basic theory with an emphasis on room acoustics and mechanical system noise and vibration. Principles and their applications to sound insulation and testing will also be presented and discussed together with relevant standards and regulations.

ARE 313: Electrical Installations

Electrical Installations abound in any building. The Architecture Engineer is expected to have knowledge of the design, variety and maintenance of these Electrical Installations. This course will give the student a foundation course in power generation, distribution and control with respect to electrical installations in buildings.

ARE 314: Architectural Design III

In Architectural Design III, students will be introduced to the dynamic relationship between buildings, streets, and public open spaces, which can create a functional, attractive and sustainable built environment. This course emphasizes sustainability through forms and functions, the integration between various arrangement of buildings and spaces, and the utilization of new technologies and systems in designing and constructing buildings. It is an interactive course that accentuates evidence-based design and research. Students will complete design proposals and schemes to redevelop an urban site in the city of Riyadh; involving different factors: economic, social, and environmental. The emphasis will be placed on fitting architectural forms into historical, and cultural contexts; enabling desirable activity patterns; conceptualizing built form; providing necessary infrastructure and service systems.

ARE 314 S: Architectural Design III Studio

The emphasis of this design component is to utilize hands-on analysis and problem solving techniques to create a better arrangement and design of the site under investigation. You will have the opportunity to apply what you have learned through lectures and field research into your design. The design of your final project should meet the requirements of the site, and the aspirations of its users.

ARE 315: Lighting Systems and Applications

This is an introductory course to lighting systems, their designs and applications in buildings, for students who aspire to be architects, interior designers and building service engineers. It covers day-lighting, electric lighting and introduces the use of color.

ARE 321: Structural Mechanics

This course covers the analysis of construction materials and structural components in buildings: uniform and non-uniform torsion of structural shapes, analysis of determinate and indeterminate beams (including elastic foundation conditions) by classical methods, finite difference equations, numerical integrations, series approximation, elastic stability of beams and frames, lateral stability of beams, beams-columns, analysis of frames including the effect of axial compression. It also introduces the concepts, theories and methodologies for structural design for buildings.

ARE 321 L: Structural Mechanics Lab

Laboratory experiments related to structural mechanics, including truss analysis, bending, buckling, torsion, stresses, and strains of structural members.

ARE 332: Building Services Engineering

This course will cover the principles of building services engineering, which consists of three major modules: fire safety engineering, piped and gas services engineering and vertical transportation systems in buildings.

ARE 332 L: Building Services Engineering Lab

This course will cover the principles of building services engineering, which consists of three major modules: fire safety engineering, piped and gas services engineering and vertical transportation systems in buildings.

ARE 341: The Built Environment

Through a series of modules dealing with different architectural issues and building types (Representation; Landscape; Dwelling; Commerce and Industry; Public Institutions; Sacred Spaces), students will be introduced to ideas and problems that affect the way in which the built environment has been and continues to be shaped in a variety of historical and cultural contexts. We will think broadly about how the spaces that people move through and inhabit in their daily lives shape and are shaped by human behavior, cultural identity, political experience, and the currents of historical circumstance. Contemporary buildings and projects will figure prominently as examples of how designers currently approach architectural, structural and urban problems. Local sites will serve as case-studies for the analysis of different aspects of the built environment. This class is taught in a seminar format with students evaluated on their class participation and assigned projects. Readings and projects will introduce students to a variety of techniques for analyzing and representing the built environment, providing the basic tools for subsequent architectural research and studies.

ARE 355: Quantity Surveying

Students will acquire knowledge of and understand basic concepts of: accepted drawing conventions and formats; how to read and interpret architectural and engineering drawings; what constitutes a set of drawings and how to locate cross-references, etc; how building specifications are prepared and structured; the purpose of measurement and estimating in the construction industry; how to measure simple architectural and engineering structures using basic measurement techniques; how to effectively describe items that have been measured; what the purpose of Standard Method of Measurement of Building Work is and how to use it; what are the standard building trades and why they have been identified; the definitions of building elements; how common construction rates are built-up including the constituents of material, labor, plant, overheads and profit; the inclusiveness and/or exclusiveness of rates and prices.

ARE 405: Structural Analysis

In this course students will study the methods of analysis for determinate and indeterminate structures under stationary and moving loads which include stability and determinacy of structures. They will also apply the basics of structural mechanics and design to analyze and optimize practical building structures using finite element analysis (FEA) software under various loading conditions.

ARE 406: Fundamentals of Reinforced Concrete Design

In this course, students will gain the ability to design and proportion structural concrete members including slabs, beams, and columns for strength as well as serviceability and economy.'a0'a0A practical understanding of the structural design process will be developed along with a theoretical understanding of the mechanics and behavior of reinforced concrete. Additionally, different types of reinforced concrete systems will be introduced.'a0 Students will develop a thorough understanding of the behavior and design of reinforced concrete members and systems and will be able to apply and effectively use the latest industry standard of formulas, tables, design aids, and/or computer software in the design of reinforced concrete members.'a0

ARE 409: Project Management and Economics

In this course students will learn to solve economic problems related to construction and engineering, through studying construction project management theories and techniques, characteristics of construction organizations, equipment, and methods. Using project management software and the project life-cycle model from construction project simulations, or real life projects, students will organize, plan, monitor and control a construction project. Students learn to delineate the unique cost control methods for construction productivity, job cost, labor records, and material and equipment purchases. Construction site safety is emphasized throughout the course.

ARE 410: Contracts and Liabilities for Buildings and Construction

This course presents and discusses the legal aspects of engineering and construction contracts; contract formation, interpretation, rights and duties, and changes; legal liabilities and professional ethics of architects, engineers, and contractors. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: (1) identify the elements of contract formation; (2) interpret contract clauses; (3) explain the rights and duties of the parties involved in design and construction; and (4) evaluate changes and their root causes. Students will also be able to objectively identify and analyze legal liabilities, ethical dilemmas, and the expected professional standard of architects, engineers, and contractors.

ARE 412: Environmental Management and Policy

The objective of this course is to develop an understanding of rational analysis, as well as decision making in issues concerning environmental economics and policy, taking into account the environmental impacts. Concept of externality of environmental impacts, market failure, social cost and benefit analysis, concept of environmental protection and policy instruments related to energy supply and consumption, environmental pollution control and abatement, case studies. Contemporary issues of environment at domestic, regional and international level: public participation and environmental concerns, acid rain, Montreal Protocol, UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol.

ARE 435: Undergraduate Research in Architectural Engineering

In this course students will learn how to produce highly quality research about a novel topic mutually agreed between the instructor and the student related to the broad field of Architectural Engineering. The student and the faculty supervisor will complete and sign a research contract which includes a plan for the semester before the research begins. Students receive guidance and are mentored throughout the whole process. Students' progress is periodically assessed by the instructor and ultimately the students will produce a final report detailing their research results.

ARE 435 S: Undergraduate Research in Architectural Engineering Studio

In this course students will learn how to produce highly quality research about a novel topic mutually agreed between the instructor and the student related to the broad field of Architectural Engineering. The student and the faculty supervisor will complete and sign a research contract which includes a plan for the semester before the research begins. Students receive guidance and are mentored throughout the whole process. Students'92 progress is periodically assessed by the instructor and ultimately the students will produce a final report detailing their research results.

ARE 452: Soil Mechanics and Foundations

The main objective of the course is to introduce students to the basic concepts of design and engineering of earth materials. After completion of the course, students should have a fundamental conceptual understanding of the mechanical behaviors of soils and rocks, which will provide them with the basic tools required in the solution of most geotechnical engineering problems.

ARE 455: Sustainable Buildings

This course presents the practice of creating building structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. It addresses the full range of issues associated with sustainable buildings, including energy consumption, use of materials, health, assessment methods and environment concerns. It discusses the issues through lectures, tutorials and case study reviews that identify how they are integrated into the design of buildings.

ARE 460: Waste Management in Buildings

The course is designed to furnish the technical skills of future engineers responsible for the design, installation, operation and monitoring of public health and waste management systems required for the safe, comfortable and environmentally friendly operation of modern buildings.

ARE 470: Building Automation and Control

This course provides an integrated system approach to understanding building automation and control systems and their applications to building services. It covers the architecture, communication methods, and application software of modern building automation and control systems, and provides good working knowledge of how to specify, design, install, commission, operate, and maintain building automation and control systems. Application areas will include air-conditioning systems, fire detection and suppression systems, security systems, lighting systems, vertical transport systems and other essential building services. The lectures will be complemented by hands-on training sessions in labs.

ARE 475: Building Energy Management

This course gives a rigorous treatment of issues related to the judicious use of energy in the design and use of buildings is provided. Energy-efficient building services systems and system control, energy-conscious building design, building energy analysis, auditing, building envelope, energy-efficient lighting design, energy management programs, energy sources and conservation, rate schedules, waste-heat recovery, passive solar heating/cooling and day-lighting.

ARE 477: Smart Buildings

This course explores how a building'92s operational efficiency as well as occupants'92 productivity and safety can be improved through the use of advanced and smart technologies. Students will be introduced to principles of smart systems and green building systems, in addition to how these principles integrate and interact. Students will also learn the possibility and feasibility of utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT), especially in evaluating and transforming existing buildings into sustainable ones. Finally, students will work on a technical, hands-on projects where IoT and other technologies are used in monitoring and managing a building'92s sustainability variables.

ARE 480: Construction Economics and Finance

The course provides a framework for understanding and interpreting the economic and financial issues in relation to the construction industry, construction firms, and construction projects. The course covers the economic theories of development and construction of built facilities and infrastructure and the roles of these processes in the general economy. Participants will benefit by gaining a better understanding of the conceptual frameworks of economic analysis that underly a variety of approaches to practical problems encountered in the construction process.

ARE 482: Operation Analysis in Building Construction

The course provides students with an introduction to how to approach a construction project covering site set up, planning including the provision of different types of construction equipment and their application, equipment economics, productivity measures, probability theory and statistics, and performance improvement. This task will be linked to the master schedule and the financial planning too . The outcome will be a comprehensive plan for driving projects through completion based on scientific approach and optimum planning. The course primarily focuses on modeling and simulation of field operations using discrete event simulation, including the use of specialized software. Activity cycle diagrams will be used extensively to describe processes and their elements, activities, and resources. Verification and validation of simulation models will be discussed. Analytical skills gained from this course will allow students to better understand and design construction operations. Students will have the opportunity to meet construction managers and visit construction projects to get hands on experience.

ARE 484: Construction Professional Practice

This course examines practice management and project management in the built environment professions, particularly in engineering and construction. Topics in practice management include: ethical practice; the character and operation of practices; legal requirements; cash flow and profitability; running a business; professional memberships and registration; risk and professional liability; and personal career planning. Topics in project management include: project stages; procurement and feasibility; statutory requirements; management of time, cost and quality; and contracts and contract administration in private and public realms. Alternative and innovative pathways through the profession are also considered.

ARE 491: Architectural Engineering Capstone Project I

The Capstone project is a two-semesters-long design project, undertaken individually or in a small team, under a staff mentor. The project involves an introduction to the life cycle of a project from a technical and management perspective, and is based on extensive oral and written communication. The capstone project is typically the foundation of the student'92s engineering portfolio for application to industry or graduate school. Students will apply the engineering concepts covered in the courses learned so far to architectural engineering problems, including the design of building structural and services systems, with an emphasis on teamwork. The projects are also used to introduce the students to various practical aspects of construction and professional ethics.

ARE 492: Architectural Engineering Capstone Project II

The Capstone project is a two-semesters-long design project, undertaken individually or in a small team, under a staff mentor. The project involves an introduction to the life cycle of a project from a technical and management perspective, and is based on extensive oral and written communication. The capstone project is typically the foundation of the student'92s engineering portfolio for application to industry or graduate school. Students will apply the engineering concepts covered in the courses learned so far to architectural engineering problems, including the design of building structural and services systems, with an emphasis on teamwork. The projects are also used to introduce the students to various practical aspects of construction and professional ethics.

ARE 401: Ethics and Professional Development

The course will integrate modules covering ethics, career and professional development, along with preparations for taking the Jahiziyah/ Saudi Engineering Council Exams. The course will introduce the professional ethics and compare it with personal ethics and common morality. The professional ethics will be studied within the Engineering context where differentiation between Ethics, Morals and the Law will be discussed. Typical Ethical issues that engineers face such as safety, health, confidentiality and conflict of interest will be covered.

The course will also cover professional development lecture series for the students to introduce them to topics and application related to their fields,  job market as well as trends in the local and international economies.

The students will also be prepared for the Jahiziyah and the Saudi Engineering Council Exams through lectures, discussions and mock up exams.