So you want to become an Architect? If you are here, then this tells that your mind is already made up about what you want to do. In this article, we will go right ahead and list our top ten free online courses in architecture with certificates in 2022.
Whether you are a beginner learner or you have been in this field already but seeking ways to gain more knowledge and improve some already existing skills, our list is designed to fit every learning level.
So, why don’t we jump right in?
Free Online Courses in Architecture with Certificates in 2022
Below is a list of carefully researched and compiled list of the best free online courses in architecture you should go for. These courses are accessible to you free of charge. Even more, all the courses on this list come with a shareable certificate each that learners will be awarded upon course completion.
So, let’s look at them.
1. Making Architecture
This course is offered by IE Business School, an internationally renowned business school that has since its establishment promoted innovation and change in organizations, equipping managers with an entrepreneurial mindset that generates employment, social well-being, and wealth.
This course aims to offer you the perfect preparation you need to undertake a degree in architecture. This is regardless of whether you are a beginner or an advanced learner.
The course begins by exploring and examining the mindsets of an architect, what they do, what they think, and how they employ creativity and inspiration from the environment to stimulate design ideas.
Furthermore, the course explores the technical aspects of architecture such as composition, form, space, and hierarchy as well as stresses the importance of creating stories that help to define their designs.
Course Syllabus
- Welcome to the Mind of an Architect
- Design Analysis
- Creating Spaces
- Design Process
In addition, this course comes with shareable certificates the participants are awarded upon course completion.
Course Provider: Coursera
Duration: Approximately 14 hours
Cost: Free
Certificate: Yes
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2. Innovation Through Design: Think, Make, Break, Repeat
This course is offered by the University of Sydney, one of the universities in Australia known for its excellence in research and teaching, and has been highly ranked among the top universities in the world.
This course is designed for learners who are curious about designs and translating the process as well as the tools of design thinking into innovative opportunities.
It aims to explore how you can use design as a way of thinking to provide strategic as well as innovative benefits within your profession. Also, the course explores the theoretical concepts and examines industry case studies with top Australian design firms.
In addition, the course explores the context, of building prototypes as representations and testing potential solutions.
The course follows through three of Australia’s most exciting design offices and offers the learners the opportunity to learn from practicing designers and leaders in design.
Course Syllabus
- Introducing design
- Design thinking
- Design making
- Design breaking
- Repeating design
In addition, this course comes with shareable certificates the participants are awarded upon course completion.
Course Provider: Coursera
Duration: Approximately 16 hours
Cost: Free
Certificate: Yes
3. The Architectural Imagination
This course is offered by Harvard University, a university devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research and to developing leaders who make a difference globally.
This course aims at exploring the fundamental principles of architecture as an academic subject or a professional career by studying some of history’s most important buildings.
It introduces the idea of architectural imagination and explores perspective drawing as well as architectural typology. Also, it explores technology as a component of architecture and the learners will get to learn ways that innovative technology can enable as well as promote new aesthetic experiences or disrupt age-old traditions.
Furthermore, the course explores the architecture’s complex relationship to its social as well as historical contexts and its audiences, achievements as well as aspirations. Also, the learners will get to learn about the power of representation and as well, see how it can produce collective meaning and memory.
By the need of this course, you will learn:
- How to read, analyze, and understand different forms of architectural representation
- Social and historical contexts behind major works of architecture
- Basic principles to produce your own architectural drawings and models
- Pertinent content for academic study or a professional career as an architect
In addition, this course comes with shareable certificates the participants are awarded upon course completion.
Course Provider: EDX
Duration: N/A
Cost: Free
Certificate: N/A
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4. Sustainable Building Design
This course is offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts established in 1861 and has since played a critical role in the development of modern technology and science as well as ranking among the world’s top academic institutions.
This course focuses on exploring key scientific principles, technologies as well as analysis techniques for designing comfortable indoor environments while reducing energy use and associated climate change effects.
The courses primarily focus on the study of the thermal ad luminous behavior of buildings. It examines the fundamental scientific principles underlying these phenomena, as well as uses computer-aided design software and climate data to explore the role light and energy play in shaping architecture.
By the end of this course, you will learn:
- Understand the scientific principles underlying the thermal and luminous behavior of buildings
- Learn to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a range of technologies for creating comfortable indoor environments.
In addition, this course comes with shareable certificates the participants are awarded upon course completion.
Course Provider: EDX
Duration: Approximately 13 weeks
Cost: Free
Certificate: N/A
5. A Global History of Architecture
Also, this course is offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts established in 1861 and has since played a critical role in the development of modern technology and science as well as ranking among the world’s top academic institutions.
It focuses on exploring humanity’s rich architectural history around the globe from 100,000BCE to ca. 1,600 CE.
This course aims at providing a more global view by focusing on different architectural moments. The course will answer the following questions:
- How did the introduction of iron in the ninth century BCE impact regional politics and the development of architecture?
- How did new religious formations, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, produce new architectural understandings?
- What were the architectural consequences of the changing political landscape in northern Italy in the 14th century?
- How did rock-cut architecture move across space and time from West Asia to India to Africa?
- How did the emergence of corn impact the rise of religious and temple construction in Mexico?
By the end of the course, you will learn:
- History and context of the important buildings that shaped our culture
- History of technological advances that significantly impacted the development of architecture
- Impacts of certain cultural and religious traditions on architecture
- History of climate and geographical changes that shaped human civilization and its architecture.
In addition, this course comes with sharable certificates the participants will receive upon course completion.
Course Provider: EDX
Duration: Approximately 13 weeks
Cost: Free
Certificate: N/A
6. Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology
This course is offered by Harvard University, a university devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research and to developing leaders who make a difference globally.
It focuses on exploring the archaeology, art, history, and hieroglyphs surrounding the famous Egyptian Pyramids at Giza. Also, it teaches about old kingdom Pharaohs and elites, temples, tombs, and the Sphinx as well as how new technology is unlocking their secrets.
Basically, the course focuses on exploring cutting-edge digital tools such as 3D modeling and how they are reshaping the discipline of Egyptology.
By the end of this course, you will learn:
- The history and significance of the Giza Pyramids and surrounding cemeteries
- Who explored the Pyramids and how they documented their discoveries
- The cultural and religious significance of the Giza Pyramids, tombs, and temples
- The role of hieroglyphic inscriptions in the tombs at Giza
- An appreciation for Egyptian art of the Old Kingdom, or Pyramid Age
- How digital technologies allow us to visualize ancient monuments in new ways
- What the future holds for our understanding and experience of Giza
In addition, this course comes with sharable certificates the participants will receive upon course completion.
Course Provider: EDX
Duration: Approximately 8 weeks
Cost: Free
Certificate: N/A
Related: Top Ten Free Online Courses in Non-Industrial Design With Certificates in 2022
7. Models in Architecture – design through physical & digital models
This course is offered by the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands’ largest and oldest technological university.
The course offers you the experience you need to advance in your personal and professional development. It focuses on sketch models for the early stages of a design process and then continues with exploring the virtual representations for design communication.
In the theoretical aspect of the course, leaders will learn about the several models; how architects use these as well as how they are vital in the design process. Also, in the practical aspect of the course, the course addresses several challenges ranging from technical and creative difficulties in exciting and pleasant ways.
By the end of the course, learners will learn:
- Creative Thinking: learn how to develop an architectural idea by using physical and digital models.
- Design Knowledge: explore ‘the concept of scale’ to relate to context and to further develop details.
- Learning by Doing: experiment to get a sense of spatial composition, materials, and ergonomics.
- Digital Technology: experience the potential of Virtual and Augmented Reality in architectural design.
In addition, this course comes with sharable certificates the participants will receive upon course completion.
Course Provider: EDX
Duration: Approximately 6 weeks
Cost: Free
Certificate: Yes
8. Archeoastronomy
This course is offered by Politecnico di Milano, a scientific-technological university devoted to training engineers, architects, and industrial designers. It is also another one of the top free online courses in architecture with certificates.
The course provides a complete yet, easy introduction to archeoastronomy – and interdisciplinary science between architecture, archaeology, and astronomy.
During the course, the learners will visit, although virtually, various spectacular ancient archaeological sites such as:
- Stonehenge in England
- Giza and Karnak in Egypt
- Chichen Itzá in the Yucatan
- Macchu Picchu in Peru
- Pantheon in Rome
Also, the fascinating events occurring at the sites on the special days of the year shall be shown and explained.
Furthermore, this course provides the essential background on anatomy with the naked eye and a general introduction to the role of astronomy in religion as well as in the management of power in ancient culture.
In addition, this course comes with shareable certificates the participants are awarded upon course completion.
Course Provider: Coursera
Duration: Approximately 7 hours
Cost: Free
Certificate: Yes
9. Sustainability in Architecture: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
This course is offered by the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), a public educational institution that offers modern, flexible degrees specifically designed to fulfill the demands of society.
This course focuses on introducing the basic elements as well as trends that define sustainability practices in architecture today. Also, it follows an interdisciplinary approach which includes performance assessment and urban policies.
The course begins with teaching the participants to develop a conceptual model from the architectural elements of buildings; the basic building block of which serve as the performance of materials.
In addition, the course explores the methods of optimizing performances. Furthermore, the course equips the learners with the skills needed to develop the basic tools for introducing energy as well as measuring the potential impact of climate change (CO2).
By the end of the course, learners will learn:
- How to evaluate the sustainability performance of buildings from materials
- Ways to assess energy use
- How to account for use of urban infrastructure
- How to create a neighborhood model adequate for analysis and urban policy assessment.
In addition, this course comes with shearable certificates the participants receive upon course completion.
Course Provider: EDX
Duration: Approximately
Cost: Free
Certificate: N/A
Related: Top Ten Free Online Courses in Earth Sciences with Certificates in 2022
10. Age of Cathedrals
This course is offered by Yale University, a university that has since its establishment inspired the world and is devoted to bringing people and ideas together for a positive impact on the world.
The primary goal of this course is to instill in the leaders a better appreciation of the High Middle Ages.
It offers an introduction to some of the most astonishing architectural monuments in the world – Gothic cathedrals. It explores the art, intellectual life, literature, economics, and new social arrangements that arose in the shadow of the cathedrals which were also important parts of the revival of cities in both the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Course Syllabus
- Introduction & Saint-Denis I
- Saint-Denis
- Architectural Innovation
- Notre Dame de Paris
- Intellectual and Everyday Life
- Our Lady of Chartres
- Cathedrals and Crusades
- Saints and Kings
- Conclusion
In addition, this course comes with shearable certificates the participants are awarded upon course completion.
Course Provider: Coursera
Duration: Approximately 18 hours
Cost: Free
Certificate: Yes
Conclusion
We hope you found the courses helpful. Also, it’s important to note that you can take as many courses as you deem fit.
FAQs
Best free online architecture courses:
Making Architecture
Innovation Through Design: Think, Make, Break, Repeat
The Architectural Imagination
Sustainable Building Design
A Global History of Architecture
Pyramids of Giza: Ancient Egyptian Art and Archaeology
Models in Architecture – design through physical & digital models
Archaeoastronomy
Sustainability in Architecture: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
Age of Cathedrals
References
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