The art of architecture and civil engineering

Architecture is the art and the technique of building, employed to fulfill the practical and expressive requirements of civilized people. Almost every settled society that possesses the techniques for building produces architecture. It is necessary in all but the simplest cultures; without it, man is confined to a primitive struggle with the elements; with it, he has not only a defense against the natural environment but also the benefits of a human environment, a prerequisite for and a symbol of the development of civilized institutions.

The characteristics that distinguish a work of architecture from other man-made structures are (1) the suitability of the work to use by human beings in general and the adaptability of it to particular human activities; (2) the stability and permanence of the work's construction; and (3) the communication of experience and ideas through its form.

All these conditions must be met in architecture. The second is a constant, while the first and the third vary in relative importance according to the social function of buildings. If the function is chiefly utilitarian, as in a factory, communication is of less importance. If the function is chiefly expressive, as in a monumental tomb, utility is a minor concern. In some buildings such as churches and city halls, utility and communication may be of equal importance.

Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civil Engineering (KazGASA) is a main and leading institution among the higher educational institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of Architecture, Design, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Economics and Management in Construction. Since 2000 President of the Academy is Kussainov Amirlan Aidarbekovich. It has the old traditions, highly skilled staff and scientists. More than ten thousand graduates have been come out from the walls of KazGASA and many of them are known in Kazakhstan and abroad as experts, hold important posts on state service and leaders of large companies and firms. KazGASA is a multiple-discipline institution that comprises all stages of educational process – secondary school (represented by the Lyceum and Vocational School) up to Undergraduate, Graduate and Postgraduate Degrees. There is also College of KazGASA which train specialists according to the program of technical and vocational education. For those who wish to improve the qualification or to get another Degree there are Institute of Continuous Education (ICE) and Republican Centre of Improvement Professional Qualification of the Specialists in the field of Architecture and Civil Engineering.