Course Overview.
Building construction technology can be defined as the process of assembling building components to form a complete building structure. Professional’s best for this field are referred to as construction project managers. Construct project managers are assisted by building technicians or technologists to actualize building designs. Building technologists usually work on construction sites where they are involved with supporting construction managers, architects and surveyors among others. Their work entails; estimating material costs, negotiating for and buying materials, checking the quality of suppliers, monitoring construction progress, attending project meetings, supervising contractors, inspecting small projects and getting necessary permits among other duties. In Kenya, higher learning institutions have concentrated on training graduates in traditional disciplines such as; architecture, quantity surveying, mechanical engineering, civil engineering and Engineering and Electrical Engineering all of which are quite essential in the building industry.

Professionals in the above mentioned fields have played a big role towards organizing space, design services and building structure; however, little progress has been made in training personnel with adequate skills and capability in the assembly of building components. The Bachelor of Technology in Building Construction is a four year course which has been developed to bridge this gap. The curriculum of the course has been designed keeping in mind the importance of improving quality of buildings when actualizing designs formulated by the other professionals mentioned above. Therefore, this programme has been specifically tailored to improve and advance the practice of building construction. The course has therefore been organized to produce competent building technologists or technicians capable of applying various construction techniques to the building industry. Upon successful completion of the course, graduates will have the skills required to competently support construction managers on construction related projects towards the creation of quality and sustainable building projects.

Entry Qualifications
For self sponsored students, at least a mean grade of C+ in KCSE. For Government sponsored students, the minimum cut point which is announced annually applies. The students should in addition have good performance in the following cluster subjects; Subject 1 MAT A, Subject 2 PHY, Subject 3 any GROUP III, Subject 4 2nd GROUP II or 2nd GROUP III or any GROUP IV or any GROUP V.

Becoming a building technologist
If you are passionate about the building construction profession and interested in a practical career within the building industry that can enable you play a role towards promoting adequate housing as a basic human right, then pursuing this course might be a good choice for you. In addition, you should be prepared to develop skills that can help you grow in this field.

Building technologists must have good communication skills and be able to communicate effectively with other professionals such as; construction managers, engineers, architects and even the workers.  They also need to be well versed with advance d IT tools and Computer Aided Design applications used in building rendering and modelling. Building technologists should have good physical stamina as they are constantly on their feet and often must crawl through attics and other tight spaces during construction process in addition to climbing tall buildings.

They also need to have competence in mechanical and electrical installations as this forms part of building technology. Building technologists must have good interpersonal skills and be able to work in a team. Safety concerns is very important in building technology, building technologists must therefore have a clear understanding of health and safety issues, and laid down building regulations as well. For sustainability and functionality of building structures, building technologists should have excellent knowledge of construction methods and building materials.

Technologists in this field also need to have excellent knowledge of construction methods and building materials. Good organisational skills and the ability to meet deadlines are equally important in this field. Construction projects may be faced with various challenges, building technologists should have good problem-solving skills and be able to offer appropriate solutions should those challenges arise.

Work environment.
Building technologists generally work in offices with considerable time spent in construction sites.

Career opportunities
Building technologists can find employment in areas such as; architectural firms, construction companies, real estate development companies, utility companies, engineering companies, large store chains, banking institutions, building material distribution company, manufacturing companies and property management firm among others. Graduates can opt to start their own businesses in building construction.

You may explore these courses
Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.)
Bachelor of Architectural Technology
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
Bachelor of Construction Management
Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering Technology
Bachelor of Technology in Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology
Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering Technology
Bachelor of Education in Technology