The Current Status of Teaching National Building Codes in Bachelor of Architectural Engineering and Providing Solutions to Strengthen it

Observance of National Building Codes in design, calculation, implementation, operation, repair, and maintenance of architectural buildings to ensure the minimum level of safety, comfort, health, proper utilization, and economic efficiency of the individual and society is essential. After graduating, architecture students must follow building codes in their professional work. To ensure their competence, they need to be familiar with these codes and their application in the university.This study aims to investigate the importance and ways of teaching National Building Codes (NBCs) in the undergraduate program of architectural engineering in Iranian universities. The study uses a qualitative research method and semi-structured interview tools. The statistical population of the study is derived from Targeted Sampling from architects with the following characteristics: 1) Having experience in the profession of architecture continuously, 2) having experience in architecture academic education continuously, and 3) having a grade in the Construction Engineering Organization and mastery of National Building Codes (NBCs).The results of this study show that the current method of teaching architecture based on the approved program of the University of Tehran, which is implemented in most universities in the country, is not effective in teaching NBCs and needs to be revised. Although the proposed method of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in direct teaching NBCs as a separate course can be considered as an effective step in filling the gap between the profession and university education, but indirect teaching NBCs during theoretical and practical courses should also be considered. To achieve this, it is necessary to revise the course topics and emphasize the teaching of topics related to that course.Due to time limitations in presenting the proposed two-unit course, it is only possible to give a brief introduction of NBCs' topic. Although the proposed course emphasizes teaching 10 of the 22 topics, the results of this study suggest that general familiarity with all topics is required.This study also reveals that some architecture teachers impede the entry of NBCs into university education. Some issues such as revising the curriculum of architecture, requiring the passing of national regulations in all universities in the country, planning to reform and change the architectural education at the Ministry of Science Research and Technology, more emphasis on technical aspects of architecture, and preparing students to enter the professional work can solve some of the problems.The results of this study show that the lack of attention to the teaching of NBCs during various courses, low level of teachers' interest in teaching topics and insufficient emphasis on the observance of NBCs in student projects, are among the main defects of teaching NBCs in Iranian universities.According to the teaching of NBCs in some Iranian universities following the curriculum approved by the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, it is suggested that after a few courses, some research have evaluated it from the perspective of teachers, students, and graduates based on the qualitative method to provide the necessary conditions for revising this curriculum in the future.