Italian Design

The Department of Architecture is committed to the satisfaction of all its various stakeholders and to the uplifting of the quality of life for Kenyans and for all humanity. In recently months, the Department has given much thought to the process and manner of fulfilling its mission. We now know that in order to reach the goals we have defined for ourselves, we need to partner our stakeholders in a deeper and more meaningful way.

Our students are our immediate concern but they also constitute the main source of energy in meeting our goals. It is our desire to deliver to the students a quality education characterized by a well structured exploration of knowledge in order that an intense learning process results. Students should come out of this with a thorough understanding of the fundamental knowledge of Architecture. One of the ways we are achieving this is by a deliberate focus on “Basic Knowledge” in our curriculum. We intend further to ensure that there is enjoyment of this process.

We desire that students see the years spent with us as some of the most memorable and enjoyable of their lives. As part of this effort we are ensuring that student have modern technology available both in the classroom and in general support of their work.

It is also our wish to mould the students to take on a higher responsibility in society, in their own profession and in the shaping of our social condition. Graduates of the school should be able to shoulder the moral responsibility in the shaping of our cities, living environments, institutions, etc. From the students we ask for commitment to the learning process and an appreciation of the values of the professions we represent.

As a center of Architectural learning we endeavor to be an effective node in the international network of scholars in our fields. Collaboration with our colleagues in the international scene is critically important to our mission and we welcome expressions of interest to work with us either in teaching, research work or community service. The Department is continuously reaching out to our colleagues elsewhere for partnership and sharing. In similar manner, we are concerned with other players in the shaping of the built environment.

The Department has a declared goal to impact positively on the work of practitioners in this area, policy makers and the general public. This is achieved by the manner we structure our research agenda and community services. We recognize that our research and publications efforts must also be accessible to these other audiences. We also recognize that we must be active players in the enhancement of economic activity among the people through developing knowledge and applying it in a manner that raises the quality of life. The full exploration of this last point has seen the Department begin to embrace fully the challenges that come with being a center of creativity.

The significance of this aspect of our work goes beyond the architectural profession or the built environment. The Department is thus working to play a deeper role in enshrining creativity as a guiding principle in the full spectrum of economic activity in the nation and beyond.