Integrating sustainable development goals into architectural design education: a case study in second-year design studio

Abstract

PurposeThe main objective of this paper is to investigate how Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be integrated into architectural design education through a second-year architectural design studio experience, exploring ways to create awareness among students regarding SDGs.Design/methodology/approachTo arrive at this aim, a case study has been conducted. In this study, the entire curriculum of the second-year design studio has been specifically tailored to correspond with the SDGs and their three dimensions. This alignment covers all stages of the studio, from concept development to material selection, ensuring a direct association with different SDGs. At the end of the semester, all qualitative and quantitative data obtained from the final project submission of the students and the results of a comprehensive questionnaire that has been applied to students aiming at assessing their awareness of the SDGs were evaluated simultaneously.FindingsThe design studio process during the semester, the data obtained from the final submissions of the students, and the student survey have proved that the integration of SDGs and related targets widens the vision of students and creates awareness not only of environmental issues but also of social and economic sustainability.Originality/valueAlthough there are many studies in literature searching for opportunities to integrate SDGs into the architecture curriculum, there are only a few studies directly using SDGs as the main concept generator of the design studio course. This paper contributes to this missing point in the literature.