Abstract
Geographical Information Systems (GISs) in architecture were initially limited to regional and urban development applications. Over recent years its potential has been recognized and its use has evolved to address urban planning and architectural heritage management subjects. Nevertheless, evidence shows that its use in architecture teaching is scarce and uneven. Directive 2007/2/EC, establishing the infrastructure for spatial information in the European Community (EU), is, in this way, an opportunity to develop a greater knowledge and application of GIS in the framework of higher education. In architecture, this can be achieved by problem solving based on real case scenarios, which can benefit from GIS-based techniques and analysis capabilities. In this paper, the authors aim to present a review of the use of GIS in teaching and research in architecture to assess its level in different European programmes. Experiences from three European universities (University of Seville, Spain, University of Beira Interior, Portugal, and Technical University of Crete, Greece), which are among the few in their respective countries that promote the inclusion of GIS in architectural education, particularly in the fields of urban and regional planning and architectural heritage, are compared and framed within the European scenario. The paper concludes with a reflection on the three universities’ practice compared to the leading European architecture programmes listed in the main international university rankings. Main trends of future evolution on the use of GIS in architecture teaching are also presented.
Highlights
This article is an open access articleAccording to Drennon [1], non-geographers are probably the fastest-growing group of Geographical Information Systems (GISs) users
This paper aims to carry out a review of the use of GIS in teaching and research in architecture, with special emphasis on its use in the fields of urban and regional planning and architectural heritage to assess the level of GIS teaching in European architecture programmes
This study aimed to identify the accessibility of an urban area, estimated at an urban block level, by aimed to identify the accessibility of an urban area, estimated at an urban block level, by combining data related to geometric distance from metro stations, public buildings, and combining data related to geometric distance from metro stations, public buildings, and commercial facilities, using a weighted expression based on map algebra
Summary
This article is an open access articleAccording to Drennon [1], non-geographers are probably the fastest-growing group of GIS users. Considering geographic contexts and existing environmental conditions to develop some of their designs. GIS was initially used for regional and urban development and extended to urban planning and management, offering architects more than just base maps and site diagrams. It encompasses various scales of subjects and space, incorporating powerful tools for the analysis, design, production and management of architecture data to support informed decisions [3,4]. GIS can be a powerful tool to process this data for architectural purposes
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