Environmentally Friendly Architectural Design Studio: A Studio Based Case Study

Abstract

The introduction of environmental design strategies into an architectural design studio is not alwaysan easy task. An experimental design studio at the Faculty of Architecture, Naresuan University, Phitsanulokencouraged a group of 18 students to design a relatively environmentally friendly office building. The experimentalstudio reported here was one of studios in the Special Topics in Architectural Design Studio course,which allowed students to choose a subject of their interest. The studio’s learning strategies focused on the useof simple but tangible environmental evaluation activities, such as discussions and workshops, to gauge thepossible health and environmental effects of each design, including its estimated rainwater run-off and solarefficiency. Through these strategies, the students were able to evaluate the impacts of their design to thenatural environment. The process of measuring and acknowledging these impacts served as a tool for thestudents to better themselves by developing lower impact designs in the next draft. As a result, these strategieswere demonstrated to encourage design improvement and served as a useful learning strategy for the teachingof environmentally friendly design in an architectural studio.