In 1964, on the basis of the Tselinograd Engineering and Construction Institute, "Building Constructions" department was formed, where the discipline "Architecture" was taught for the engineers of the specialty ASG. As an independent structural subdivision the "Architecture" department was founded in 1995. The department educates in the following specialties: 5В042000 "Architecture" bachelor (5 years). Training is conducted at the state (since 2001) and Russian language.
In 2009 the "Architecture" department received the state license AA № 0000002 for the preparation of undergraduates in the specialty 6M042000 "Architecture".
In 1995, parallel with the Architecture Department, " Foundations of Architectural Design" department was created in connection with the opening of the specialty 0620- "Architecture" at the Akmola Engineering and Construction Institute. Head of the department was candidate of architecture, Professor Chikanaev Amanzhol Shaimerdenovich, who was invited to this post from the Akmola Agrarian Institute. In 1996 - 1997 academic year, the order of the Rector of the Institute, this department was merged with the existing "Architecture" Department. The head of the new department was сandidate of Architecture, Associate Professor Duisebayev Ulkairbek Duisebaevich. The staff of the department increased to 13 teachers. Since 1998, the department began training students on specialty 0613 "Design of the architectural environment" and the department received a new name "Architecture and Design".
The period from 1999 to 2008 is related to the activities of the head of Chekaeva Rahima Usmanovna, a candidate of architecture, a professor, an honorary architect of the RK, a corresponding member of the International Academy of Architecture of the East. Her contribution to the expansion of the teaching staff of the department, the improvement of its qualitative of staff by experienced experts as architects, designers, artists were invaluable.
With the arrival in 2003 of the famous Kazakh architect Malibekov Zhandarbek (author of the Emblem of the Republic of Kazakhstan) a new qualitative level was acquired by the teaching of profile disciplines in the Kazakh language. In 2006, the honorable architect of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Architecture, Professor Duisebay Esbolat, who previously worked at the Kazakh Head Architectural and Construction Academy (Almaty), was invited to the department.
Since November 2008, the duties of the head of the "Architecture" department are performed by the candidate of architecture, professor Sadykova Sarah Shangerevna, who has been working at the department since 2000.
Since 2010, the honored architect of the RK, the head of the Laboratory for Project Forecasting, Professor Narynov Saken has been invited to the Architecture Department.
Currently, the "Architecture" Department has - masters of Arts - Sabyrbaeva LA, Duisebay E.E., Sarsenbaeva D.E., Appasova A.Z., Syzdykova D.S., Kalikhin A.T. , Smagulova A.B., Rollankyzy Z., Saurbayeva A.M.
The department actively conducts research work (R & D) and research work of students (NIRS). Students under the guidance of scientists, experienced teachers are engaged in scientific work, take part in student scientific conferences, use their scientific material in their thesis papers. The scientific work of teachers and students were published in the collections of the university.
Diploma projects, carried out on topics relevant to Astana, regularly win prizes at international and republican contests of diploma projects and are exhibited at various professional exhibitions.
Graduates of the "Architecture" department are always in demand, especially acute at the present time, in connection with the growing volumes and pace of construction in the city of Astana.
The contingent of the students of the department is 224 people, of them 78 by grant, 168 persons on a contractual basis. The growth of the prestige of the specialties of the faculty is confirmed by the enrollment rates of students: 45 people entered the first year this year, including 11 people with the sign "Altyn belgi".
The faculty has a high qualification. Currently, there are 24 full-time teachers at the Department of Architecture. The scientific potential of the department is 2 doctors of architecture, 7 candidates of architecture, including 5 professors, 1 - corresponding member of the International Academy of Architecture of the East.
The creative potential of the department is 2 honored architects of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, 4 honorary architects of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 10 members of the Union of Architects of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 3 holders of the grant "Best University Teacher", 6 members of the Union of Urban Developers of Kazakhstan, 2 members of the Union of Designers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 1 member of the Union of Artists of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In recent years the teachers of the department have passed international internships in Germany, Great Britain, USA, Italy, India, Egypt, Turkey, China, Russia, Poland, Spain. Students of the 3rd and 4th year of the department undergo industrial and pre-diploma practice in large design and production companies in Astana, such as ORTA, SANAR, Zharnama-Astana, Gulden-AS, Astanaplane, Nur-Saulet. "The students of the 2nd year get acquainted with the architectural monuments during the briefing and familiarization practice in the ancient cities of Kazakhstan and the Central Asian region.
Under the program of academic mobility in the best foreign universities in the world, the annual research fellowship undergraduates of the department "Architecture" pass.
For the last years the "Architecture" department has occupied a worthy place among the higher architectural schools of Kazakhstan and today our graduates worthily contribute to the development of modern architecture in the advanced construction sites.