Architecture at WUT: How much will you spend on project materials and tools?

Workshop investment – Complete list of WAPW utensils

Studying architecture in the building at 55 Koszykowa Street is a constant struggle with the budget. Unlike other faculties of the Warsaw University of Technology, tuition fees here are only the tip of the iceberg. Your main expenses are materials whose consumption increases logarithmically before each design session. If you are looking for reliable opinions about WUT architecture, you need to know that a student’s wallet is just as burdened here as his spine.

Freehand Drawing and Design Tools (Semester 1-3)

At the beginning of his studies, technology gives way to craftsmanship. This is where the first high start-up costs are generated.

• Technical rapidographs and fineliners: The standard on WAPW is the Rotring or Rystor brand. You need thickness: 0.1, 0.18, 0.25, 0.35, 0.5 and 0.7 mm. A set of 4 professional rapidographs costs approx. PLN 350–450. Mascara for them is another PLN 30-50 per month.
• Papers and substrates: A hand-drawn drawing in the Drawing Rooms requires cardboard (B1 format, 50×70) with a weight of min. 200g. One sheet is about 5-8 PLN, but you will use at least 30 of them in a semester. For design, you need sketch rolls (the so-called technical tracing paper). A 20-meter roll costs about PLN 40-60, and two such rolls can go down for one “housing” project.
• Markers and media: Promarkers or Copic markers are most often used to color plans and elevations. A single piece is PLN 12–25. A set of basic 12 architectural colors (greys, greens, blues) is an expense of PLN 250.

Model shop and models – Bottomless well (Entire course of study)

Building a mock-up is the most expensive stage of the project. Working and final models require precise materials, which you can buy in art stores at Koszykowa or Noakowskiego Streets.

• Cardboard and foam (KAPA): Modeling foam with a thickness of 3mm and 5mm is the basis. A 70×100 cm sheet costs PLN 45-70. For the final urban mock-up, you need 3 to 5 such sheets.
• Balsa wood and veneers: Balsa slats are used for architectural details. A package of slats costs PLN 50. Veneers imitating wooden facades cost about PLN 30 per sheet.
• Cutting tools: A professional scalpel (e.g. Excel or Olfa) with a supply of blades (a pack of 50 pieces) costs about PLN 100. Broken knives bluntly on the foam in no time, so the wear is enormous.
• Adhesives: UHU harden, spray adhesives (3M) or bookbinding adhesives (Magik). The budget for binders alone in the semester is about PLN 80-120.

Hardware and Software – Transition to Digit (From Semester 2)

Architecture at WUT quickly requires a transition to BIM modeling and rendering.

• Laptop “DTR” (Desktop Replacement): Forget about your regular notebook. Rendering in V-Ray or Lumion requires an i7/i9 processor and an RTX 3060/4060 graphics card or higher. Cost: 5500 – 9000 PLN.
• Graphics tablet: Useful for corrections and digital sketches (e.g. Wacom Intuos). Cost: 300 – 1200 PLN.
• 3D mouse (optional): Devices such as 3DConnexion make it easier to navigate in CAD, but it is an expense of about PLN 600.

The most difficult subjects for WUT Architecture

In addition to the cost, the student must overcome substantive barriers. The most difficult subjects at WUT Architecture are those that combine engineering rigor with “dedication” terms.

General Construction and Materials Science

It is here that students learn that a wall is not just two lines. The object requires drawing construction details (insulation, wreaths, lintels) on a scale of 1:10 or 1:5. The most common reason for the procedure being removed from the list of students is the recurrent failure to pass construction details, which blocks admission to technical subjects in the 3rd year.

Statics and Mechanics of Buildings

Subject-sieve carried out in cooperation with other faculties or by internal WAPW engineers. Calculation of internal forces, moments and stresses in structures. The exams are written, the tasks are long and complicated. Statistically, how many people fall out on constructions? After the first date, only 40% of the year has positive grades.

Architectural Design (All Phases)

This is the heart of the studies, but also the biggest blockade. Each semester has its own “devotee”. Failure to submit the project on time (even 5 minutes after the deadline) results in a 2.0 rating. The inability to improve the project in the session makes the WUT condition of the cost per project (often 8-10 ECTS) the only way to continue your studies.

Linear geometry – why is it a “conqueror”?

It is a legend subject, implemented in the first semester. Exams in the Małachowski Auditorium verify spatial imagination in a brutal way. The specificity lies in hand-drawn drawing with apothecary’s precision. One mistake in the projection makes the entire drawing go to the trash. The most difficult subjects at WUT Architecture start right here – descriptive geometry can generate 30% of unsatisfactory grades at the halfway point of the semester. This is a subject-condition: without passing it, forget about freely entering design in the second year.

Building Mechanics and Structures – Chain of Dependencies

This is the “engineering” face of architecture. Students with an artistic profile lecture en masse on counting beams, trusses and frames. Failure to pass Mechanics blocks Concrete and Metal Structures in the higher semesters. It’s a classic chain of dependencies: failing to pass one technical module postpones engineering defense by a full year.

History of Universal Architecture

A lot of material to master. Exams often involve recognizing projections, details, and dates from a very wide range. The ability to redraw details of columns or vaults in scale is required. Lack of regularity in learning this subject is the easiest way to get the PW cost, which can be severe.

The most difficult semester – critical moment analysis

The critical moment is Semester 3. This is the time when the reduced tariff ends. The student has already gone through the “drawing shock”, but enters full-scale architectural design (housing), which must be supported by real technical knowledge. It is in the second year that the largest accumulation of projects that require nights spent at the plotters and in the model shop takes place.

Survival Procedure: Condition, Commission, and Deletion

• Condition: At WAPW, the cost of repeating a course (condition) is charged for each ECTS credit. The WUT condition cost for one point is currently approx. PLN 120-150 (rates may change at the Rector’s decision). For a project subject for 6-8 ECTS, the cost of repeating the course exceeds PLN 1000.
• Commission will: The board exam is the last resort. The composition of the committee is usually the Dean, the examiner and an independent specialist. The atmosphere in the Architecture Building during the commission is heavy, and the chances of passing are estimated at less than 15%. The committee checks not only the knowledge, but also the reliability of your work throughout the semester.
• Deletion: The decision to delete appears in the USOS after the closing of the protocols. The most common reason is the lack of an entry from the “handover” of the project. An effective appeal to the Dean must contain hard evidence (e.g. a medical certificate), “I didn’t have time to weave” is not an argument.

The most important questions of Architecture students at WUT

Is it possible to have a deficit of points in the 1st year at WUT Architecture?

According to the WUT Study Regulations and WAPW guidelines, the permissible deficit of ECTS credits after the first year is usually 12 credits. Exceeding this threshold means no registration for the next semester and no deletion procedure. However, it is important to note that some items are sequential. This means that even with a deficit of 6 ECTS, if you fail Architectural Design 1, USOS may block you from enrolling in Architectural Design 2, which de facto stops your progress in your studies.

What if I fail the Construction twice?

If you fail the course within the basic and retake deadlines, you must apply for a conditional entry with the repetition of the course. If you fail a repeated subject (i.e. de facto fail the course for the fourth time), the situation becomes critical. The dean may refuse another condition, which results in the need to repeat the entire semester or year. Then the student has to pay for all repeated ECTS credits, which is much more expensive than a single condition.

Does the Warsaw University recognize sick leave after the 7-day period?

The rules for justifying absence from the Warsaw University of Technology are rigid. The student is obliged to present a medical certificate within 7 calendar days of the end of the leave period. Documents delivered after this deadline are usually rejected by the instructors and the Dean’s Office, resulting in an unexcused absence. In design fields, where the continuity of corrections is important, even an excused absence does not exempt from the obligation to submit the project on time.

What does a conditional entry in USOS look like step by step?

After receiving an unsatisfactory grade in the retake session, the status “no stage passed” will appear in the USOS system. In this case, an electronic application for “conditional enrolment for the next semester” should be submitted. After approval by the Dean, the system will charge a fee for the missing ECTS credits. The payment should be made to the student’s individual account visible in USOS. Only after the payment has been credited, the student’s status will change to “registered”, which will allow enrollment in courses in the next round of token or faculty registration.

How much does it cost to repeat a project at WUT Architecture?

The cost of repeating a course depends on the number of ECTS credits assigned to the course. In Architecture, projects usually have a high weight (6–10 ECTS). Assuming a rate of approx. PLN 130 for ECTS, the repetition of one large project costs about PLN 800-1300. This is the cost of the teaching itself, to which should be added the re-expenses for the mock-up and plotting.

Can I return to university after being removed from the list of students?

Yes, this procedure is called resumption of studies. According to the WUT regulations, resumption is possible after at least one semester of break, as long as the student has completed the first year. The resumption takes place for the semester that the student has not passed. This involves the need to fill in the curriculum differences if the study plan has changed in the meantime, and to pay for repeated courses.

What drawing tools are required in the first year of WUT Architecture?

Apart from standard pencils, the absolute basis is: a set of rapidographs (e.g. rystor or rotring – thickness 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5), a compass with a rapidograph tip, curves, erasers (large), and high-quality erasers (bread and standard). In the drawing room in the Architecture Building, B1 and 50×70 cardboard formats are also required. The starting cost is about PLN 500-700.