AR421 BUILDING ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY :: C-16

Subject Title : Building Economics and Sociology

Subject Code : AR-421
Periods / Week :3
Periods / Semester : 54
Credits :3
Internal Assignments &Mids : 50 Marks
External Examinations : 50 Marks
Total Marks : 100 Marks
Duration of Exam : 3Hrs (University Exam)

TIME SCHEDULE
Weightage Short Essay
No. of of Marks Questions Questions
Sl. Major Topics
periods
No End Exam End Exam End Exam

1. Unit – I 18 1 2
11
2. Unit – II 10 10 1 1

3. Unit – III 10 18 1 2

4. Unit – IV
11 10 1 1

5. Unit – V 12 18 1 2

Total: 54 74 5 8

Note: Final exam question paper consists as follows:

1. PART-A for 10 marks which consists 5 short questions all 5 to answer, no choice and each one
carries 2 marks &

2. PART-B for 40 marks which consists 8 essay questions out of which 5 to answer (3 are choice) and
each carries 8 marks.

Course overview:

To introduce the economics and sociological aspects in arc hitecture.

Objectives of the Course:

To introduce the economic concepts to familiarize with students, the importance of

economic approaches in managerial decision making in constructions process.
Expected Outcomes / Knowledge Transferred:

Acquire knowledge for the applications of economic theories in business decisions.

Estimating of costs and minimizing them in building construction process.

For the students of Architecture the study of economic principles and changing trends in the
financial matters will help in designing different projects economically. This will make the
students to implement the learnt economic principals in socio-economic aspects in design of
different projects.

Course contents:

Unit –I

Brief introduction of general economics through micro and macro economics as applicable to building
Industry. Micro economics:The market, budget constraint, choice, demand and supply, Uncertainties
equilibrium, technological constraints, profit maximization and cost minimization, Monolopy and
Oligopoly.

Macro Economics: GNP, NNP, inflation, interest rate, employment, saving and investment, monitory
and fiscal systems and policies.

Unit –II

General economics of the basic inputs into building construction – Land, Labour, Capital and
Materials.Study of cost concepts and development – Urbanization and planning Urban Land
utilization Housing analysis, public Housing, Urban public utility services – problems and
perspective.

Unit – III

The Economics of Building costs. Building efficiency, Building life cycle and cost reduction through
planning design of building components, Use of new materials and innovative construction techniques
etc. Rent and other Building Acts. Financing of Projects, Agencies and institutions influencing
economics aspects of project.

Sociology:

Unit – IV

Family as the basic unit of society. Differences in lifestyles due to regional background, religions,
caste, income group etc., and their implication in Architectural design of the housing units.
Sociological aspects in the history of the evolution of housing/shelter forms.

Unit – V

Sociological problems of interaction, isolation, privacy, accessibility, conflict, alienation related to

planning and design of different buildings with the references to the people of different age groups of
population. Power structures in society- local, Government, administrative structures- Structure of
decision making process related to building projects.

References:

Building economics for Architects – T.Mann

Economics for engineers – M.L.Gupta.

Modern Economic theory – K.K.Dewett.

Ferry J.D &BrahdanS.P(1994), Cost planning of buildings, BSP Professional Books.