Engineering

Diploma in Architectural Design

The Diploma in Architectural Design is a KUCCPS-listed programme (Building, Construction & Related cluster) that trains draughtspersons and design assistants to support architects and building professionals in producing construction drawings and design documentation.

Students study architectural drawing and design, building construction technology, building materials, computer-aided design (CAD), building measurement, and design communication, developing the technical drafting skills architecture firms and construction companies rely on daily. Skills RequiredArchitectural DrawingComputer-Aided Design (CAD)Building Construction TechnologyBuilding Materials KnowledgeDesign CommunicationBuilding MeasurementKey SubjectsArchitectural DesignBuilding Construction TechnologyBuilding MaterialsComputer-Aided Design (CAD)Building MeasurementDesign CommunicationBuilding Services BasicsCertificationsBoard of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS) Technologist RegistrationAutodesk AutoCAD Certified UserSpecializationsResidential Design DraftingFocus on producing construction drawings for houses and small residential developments. Commercial/Institutional Design DraftingFocus on larger-scale commercial and institutional building documentation. BIM and Digital DesignFocus on Building Information Modelling and advanced CAD/3D design tools.

Kenya's ongoing construction boom, spanning housing, commercial, and infrastructure projects, sustains consistent demand for skilled draughtspersons who can translate architects' concepts into accurate, buildable drawings.

Training combines design studio work with CAD software practicals, site visits to active construction projects, and a supervised industrial attachment in an architectural or construction firm.

Graduates typically work as architectural draughtspersons, design assistants, and CAD technicians in architecture and construction firms, with progression possible into Bachelor of Architecture or related built-environment degrees.

The programme suits students with a strong interest in design, drawing, and the built environment who want a practical, technically grounded entry point into the architecture and construction industry.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 67,189
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 30 students
Award: Diploma

What you study

7 subjects

Architectural Design
Building Construction Technology
Building Materials
Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
Building Measurement
Design Communication
Building Services Basics

Modules

10 in the programme

Architectural Drawing I
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Fundamentals of technical and architectural drawing conventions for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Building Construction Technology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Building construction methods, structures, and materials for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Building Construction
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Construction methods and materials covering materials, techniques, safety procedures, and quality standards for construction projects.
Life Skills
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Personal development and interpersonal skills for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Entrepreneurship Education
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Business planning and enterprise skills for enterprise development, business planning, and venture creation skills.
Information Communication Technology
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Computer applications and digital literacy for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
CAD software skills for producing architectural drawings digitally for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Building Materials
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Properties and applications of common building materials for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Design Communication
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Presentation techniques, model-making, and design communication for clients for professional practice and competency development in the field.
Industrial Attachment / Project
Year 3Semester 26 creditsCore
Supervised placement in an architecture or construction firm for professional practice and competency development in the field.

Specialisations

Residential Design Drafting
Focus on producing construction drawings for houses and small residential developments, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Commercial/Institutional Design Drafting
Focus on larger-scale commercial and institutional building documentation, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
BIM and Digital Design
Focus on Building Information Modelling and advanced CAD/3D design tools, with emphasis on practical application in Kenyan industry contexts and compliance with relevant national standards and regulatory requirements.
Sustainable Design
Focus on green building principles, energy-efficient design, and sustainable construction materials within the Kenyan building code and environmental compliance requirements.

A day as a student

Days are spent largely in the design studio — hand-drafting and CAD exercises, model-making, and design critique sessions — alongside construction technology lectures and periodic site visits to active building projects.

The trade offs

In its favour

Sustained demand from Kenya's active construction sector across residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects.
Builds transferable digital design (CAD/BIM) skills valued across architecture and engineering firms.

Against it

Ceiling on responsibility and pay without further study toward a Bachelor of Architecture and BORAQS registration.
Requires reasonably strong mathematics and technical drawing aptitude.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 332 engineering courses

Public67k to 67k

67k at Jeremiah Nyagah Technical Institute67k at Kabete National Polytechnic

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

TVET 67,189/yr at public colleges (kuccps.ac.ke). Private: unverified.

Students can access HELB loans and county bursaries; some architecture firms offer attachment stipends that support students financially.

Funding options

HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
Loan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited diploma programmes.
County Government Bursaries
Bursary
Bursaries for needy students from their respective counties.

Scholarships

2 recorded

County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 20,000Kenyan
Bursaries for needy students from their respective counties.
HELB TVET/Diploma Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited diploma programmes.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C-
Alternative entry: A craft certificate in a building/construction-related field from a recognised institution.

How you are assessed

3 components

Design Studio Projects
Coursework30% of the mark
Ongoing design and drafting projects assessed through studio critique.
CAD Practicals
Coursework20% of the mark
Computer-lab assessment of CAD drawing skills.
Final Examinations
Examination50% of the mark
End-of-semester written and practical examinations.

Accreditation

KUCCPS-listed diploma (Building, Construction & Related cluster); examined by KNEC at most public TVET colleges.

Accredited by

Kenya National Qualifications Authority
Qualification recognitionRequired
Recognised under Kenya's TVET qualifications framework.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Architectural Draughtsperson
Moderate demandKsh 28,000 to Ksh 45,000
Produces construction drawings and design documentation under an architect's supervision.
CAD Technician (Construction)
Moderate demandKsh 27,000 to Ksh 42,000
Prepares and maintains digital drawings and models for a construction or design firm.
Design Assistant
Moderate demandKsh 26,000 to Ksh 40,000
Supports design development, model-making, and presentation materials for an architecture practice.
Architectural Draughtsman
Moderate demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 65,000
Prepares architectural drawings, detail designs, and presentation materials using CAD software for architectural firms and construction companies.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as architectural draughtspersons, design assistants, and CAD technicians in architecture and construction firms.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

AutoCAD
SoftwarePrimary
Primary CAD software used for producing architectural and construction drawings.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Diploma holders can practise as registered architects.
Registered architect status in Kenya requires a Bachelor of Architecture and BORAQS registration; diploma holders typically work as draughtspersons or technologists supporting architects.
The course is purely artistic.
It is technically demanding, requiring precise drawing, construction knowledge, and CAD proficiency alongside design sensibility.