Usefulness and effectiveness of computer graphics for the education of architectural compositions at the beginning architecture curriculum

Abstract

This research focused the usefulness and effectiveness of computer graphics for the architectural composition project at the beginning architectural curriculum - the first year. As a subset (pilot study) of the niain research of the usefulness of computer graphics for the architecture student's threedimensional form design capabilities, the main interests of the study were to find out whether the using computer graphics would help improve the students' composition abilities. For the research, seventy-four beginning architecture students were divided into two groups including an experimental group of thirty-five students and a control group of thirty- nine students. The experimental group only used computer graphics in the process of their composition project while the control group was allowed to use traditional design tools such as pencils and papers. With an intensive evaluation from the panel group consisted of three senior professors of design major, the research results showed using computer graphics was much helpful for the students' geometrical composition capabilities while it was nothing to do with the improvement of their color composition abilities and ultimate project qualities. With the results above, the research concluded that architecture schools needed to more adopt and utilize computer graphics for their design classes and develop education methodologies in the studios.