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Short Term Training

Architectural Design and Building Technician Certificate

Turn your passion for buildings and design into a rewarding technical career. This certificate provides comprehensive training in architectural design, construction documentation, and building technology, combining software skills with real architectural knowledge so you can contribute to design projects from day one. BC’s architecture and building sector is booming, and technically skilled design technicians are in high demand.

Next Start Date: September 28th, 2026
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Program Snapshot

CredentialCertificate

Duration35 Weeks with Practicum or 31 Weeks without Practicum

Practicum4-Week Practicum (150 hours)

Schedule20 hours/week, Monday – Friday, daytime and evening classes

DeliveryIn-Class, Online (Synchronous)*, or Combined

Employment Opportunities

Architectural Technician / Architectural Technologist
Building Design Technician
Drafting and Design Assistant (Architectural Firm)
Building Estimator
View more below →

Why Brighton?

Optional 4-Week Practicum Placement in Architecture or Design
Industry-Standard Software: AutoCAD, Revit & SketchUp
Architectural Drawing, Building Systems & Construction Documents
BIM Modeling
Career Pathways in Architecture, Design & Construction

Skills You’ll Gain

AutoCADRevit (Architecture)SketchUpArchitectural Drawing & Documentation StandardsBuilding Code and City Bylaws InterpretationArchitectural Planning and Design for Residential and Commercial Buildings

Brighton College was a great learning experience and helped my knowledge in this field greatly. I liked how helpful the teachers and staff members were. The flexibility was also very important to me.

– Prabhjot Sidhu, Architectural Design and Building Technician
Program Video

Watch the Program Video

Learn how this program develops practical skills in structural analysis, building systems, steel, concrete and wood design, Revit, estimating, and technical documentation.

Architectural Design and Building Technician Certificate program preview

Program Description

The Architectural Design and Building Technician Certificate provides students with a thorough foundation in architectural design principles, technical drawing, and building technology used by architecture firms, design studios, and construction organizations across BC. The program bridges design theory with practical technical skills, giving graduates the ability to contribute meaningfully to architectural projects at multiple stages of the design and documentation process.

Students develop proficiency in industry-standard design software — including AutoCAD, Revit, and SketchUp — while building knowledge in architectural drawing conventions, building systems, construction materials, site planning, and building code fundamentals. The curriculum emphasizes the production of accurate, professional construction documents through hands-on project work that reflects real architectural practice.

Building technology and construction systems are integrated throughout the program, ensuring students understand not just how to draw buildings, but how they are assembled and why design decisions matter. Students who choose the practicum option gain direct experience within an architectural or design firm, reinforcing their technical skills with professional mentorship and portfolio-building opportunities.

Graduates are well-positioned to enter the workforce as architectural technicians, building design technicians, or drafting assistants with architecture firms, engineering and design consultancies, construction companies, and government building departments throughout the Lower Mainland and beyond.

Learning Objectives

  • Use AutoCAD to create working, architectural, and structural drawings.
  • Apply local building codes and city bylaws.
  • Understand building science and energy-efficient design.
  • Interpret design drawings and perform quantity estimating.
  • Use Revit to create 3D building models and documentation.
  • Use SketchUp to create 3D models and sheet layouts.
  • Create a professional drawing portfolio.
  • Apply acquired skills during the practicum placement, when selected.

Courses

AUT010 | Computer and Mathematic Fundamentals

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in computer and mathematic fundamentals for architectural and building-design environments.

AUT100 | AutoCAD Fundamentals

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in autocad fundamentals for architectural and building-design environments.

AUT150 | AutoCAD Advanced

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in autocad advanced for architectural and building-design environments.

CCT100 | Building Code

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in building code for architectural and building-design environments.

AUT140 | Technical Communications

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in technical communications for architectural and building-design environments.

AUT410 | Building Piping Services

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in building piping services for architectural and building-design environments.

AUT310 | Revit Architecture

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in revit architecture for architectural and building-design environments.

CCT140 | Construction Estimating 1

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in construction estimating 1 for architectural and building-design environments.

ARC120 | Building Structures

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in building structures for architectural and building-design environments.

AUT450 | AutoCAD for Interior Design

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in autocad for interior design for architectural and building-design environments.

CCT160 | Building Construction Inspection and Management

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in building construction inspection and management for architectural and building-design environments.

AUT420 | Electrical Systems

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in electrical systems for architectural and building-design environments.

ARC100 | Building Science and Construction

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in building science and construction for architectural and building-design environments.

ARC110 | Architectural Planning and Design

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in architectural planning and design for architectural and building-design environments.

AUT550 | SketchUp

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in sketchup for architectural and building-design environments.

AUT650 | Portfolio Development

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in portfolio development for architectural and building-design environments.

WEP150 | Practicum

This course develops practical knowledge and applied skills in practicum for architectural and building-design environments.

Admission Requirements

  • High school diploma or mature student status*
  • Legal eligibility to study in Canada
  • English proficiency requirement from one of following options:
    1. Completion of 3 years of full-time secondary education (Grades 8-12), or 2 years of if Grade are 10, 11, or 12, have been successfully completed in the program’s language of instruction in a country where the language of instruction is one of the principal languages, or
    2. Completion of 2 years of full-time post-secondary education in the program’s language of instruction in a country where the language of instruction is one of the principal languages (includes international education credentials recognized through WES, ICES, and IQAS), or
    3. Evidence of achievement in a recognized standardized language assessment at an overall level equivalent to IELTS 5.5 (academic) or higher: IELTS academic 5.5; TOEFL IBT 46; CAEL 40; CELPIP (Listening 6, Speaking 6, Reading 5, Writing 5); DET 95, PTE 43; FCE 160 or “C”; Cambridge Linguaskill B2; LANGUAGECERT Academic B2; MET B2; iTEP Academic 3.5; EIKEN Grade Pre-1. Test results must be dated no more than two years before the start date of the program, or
    4. Evidence of graduation from language program with a minimum grade/level from a Languages Canada accredited institution with an established pathway/articulation agreement allowing direct entry (no further testing required) to a diploma or degree program at a public institution in Canada. The pathway/articulation agreement must be current at the date of enrolment, or
    5. Accuplacer - This option may only apply when:
      • English is the program’s language of instruction, and
      • the applicant is a mature domestic student facing barriers, and
      • the applicant cannot access their educational records or cannot provide sufficient evidence of secondary or post-secondary education as outlined in this policy
      • Applicant is 19 years or older at the start of the program and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and
      • Applicant provides attestation that they have completed at least three years of full-time instruction in English* in a country where the English is one of the principal languages, and
      • Applicant completes an Accuplacer English Assessment (Next Generation: Reading, Writing and WritePlacer) and achieves the following minimum scores:
        • Reading: 230, and Writing: 230, and WritePlacer: 4

Refer to Language Proficiency Policy for details.

*Mature Student is defined as an individual who is 19 years of age or older at the start of the program.

*Under no circumstances can these Admission Requirements be waived.

Employment Opportunities

Start Your Career As

  • Building Designer
  • Architectural Design Draftsperson
  • AutoCAD Draftsperson
  • CAD/Design Technician
  • Building Estimator
  • Building Inspector Assistant
  • Building Construction Coordinator

Grow Your Career Into

  • Architectural Design Technologist
  • Lead Piping Designer
  • Contract Mechanical Designer
  • Senior Drafter
  • Municipal Building Plan Checker
  • Building Estimator
  • Building Construction Project Manager

Labour Market Snapshot

  • NOC: 22210
  • Annual Earnings *Average: $70,036
  • Job Openings (2025–2035): 740
  • Wages (BC): High $45.39/hr
    Median $34.31/hr
    Low $24.50/hr

Data sourced from WorkBC.

Career-path occupations generally require additional industry experience, employer training, certification, professional registration or further education. Completion of this program does not by itself confer a professional licence or protected occupational designation.