Why does portfolio commentary at AUS's College of Architecture, Art and Design need to reflect the program's actual structure?
American University of Sharjah’s Bachelor of Architecture is a five-year, 159-credit-hour program and the only program outside North America to receive full accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board, meaning portfolio work is genuinely held to a North American professional standard, not a regional benchmark.
One-Year Foundations Program
Every student in the College of Architecture, Art and Design, regardless of specialization, also completes a one-year foundations program in basic design skills and principles before advancing into their specific major.
Portfolio Progression
This means early portfolio pieces reasonably look and read differently from upper-year specialized work, and commentary that doesn't account for this progression can misrepresent where a student actually stands in their training.
Design Build Initiative
AUS also runs a distinctive, award-winning Design Build Initiative, recognized with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture's Collaborative Practice Award, where students directly engage in construction alongside design rather than producing purely theoretical drawings.
Hands-On Building Experience
Portfolio pieces from this program should reflect genuine hands-on building experience, not just conceptual renderings, since this is precisely what distinguishes the program from a conventional design-only curriculum.
Professional Portfolio Standards
Portfolio work is genuinely held to a North American professional standard, not a regional benchmark.