International recognition for your designing skills

Amalshan Gunerathne

The City School of Architecture (CSA), one of the two schools of architecture in Sri Lanka, was recently granted with the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) accreditation.

RIBA is a highly esteemed architectural institute in United Kingdom and to be bestowed with its accreditation is considered to be a great honor. With the accreditation of RIBA, the City School of Architecture expects to provide its students with an internationally recognized architectural course stream.

City School of Architecture founded in 1986 boasts 25 years of academic practice. “The RIBA is a highly respected architectural institute in the world and most schools of architecture strive to achieve its validation. Within the South Asian region there are only handful of institutes that boasts of its recommendation. The CSA feels this is the most significant achievement the school has obtained thus far.” Chandana Edirisuriya the chairman of City School of Architecture said.

The school provides both budding school leavers and matured students a pathway to become skilled architectures with a wholesome seven year course stream. The institute gives professional training and practical exposure to the students where they get the opportunity to learn while they work. The system also allows the students to form direct links with the architectural professionals.

The seven year course stream is segmented in to two parts. The part one includes four years of practice where after the successful completion of the course, the students will given ‘the Diploma in Architectural Studies’. With the completion of part two, the students receive a ‘Higher Diploma in Architecture’. Expressing his thoughts on the lengthy course duration, the architect Edirisuriya went on to say, “There are no short cuts to become an architect. This is the international recommendation.

This is a well manicured, sandwiched course stream which has the potential to produce extremely skilled, professional architects.” He further went on to say, “Architectural education is unique, it’s more than attending a course of study and passing exams, it demands the students the students to have a good creative sense. The profession is not merely a job; it is a way of life, a passion.”

The maximum intake for the institute is thirty five students per a year which guarantees high-level of student-teacher interaction. Entrance for Part 1 course stream will require Advanced Levels with 3 passes in one sitting and Ordinary Levels with Credit passes for Mathematics and English in one sitting. Applicants are shortlisted following an aptitude test.

The students who successfully complete the part one stream will be given the opportunity to take up the part two course stream. For the part one course stream, the student fee weighs approximately around 200 000 per a year which is very low in comparison to other regional institutes. With the new recognition, the institute expects to recruit overseas students as well.