Architectural Design Education Research Articles

Spatial design outcomes of indoor soundscaping course as part of interior architecture education

Indoor soundscaping is a multi-disciplinary field that integrates, sound, user experience, and architecture. At its core, it has the potential to redefine any enclosed acoustic environment. It nor solely considers the theories and methods of architectural acoustics or depends only on noise management techniques, yet primarily focus on user, perception, expectation, and experience. Through this perspective, listening to spaces should be an active act of an interior architect; an awareness that should be gained during the early years of architectural education. The elective course with the same name, 'Listening to Spaces' has been offered to interior architecture students since 2015 at Çankaya University, Ankara, Turkey under the Department of Interior Architecture, with the aim of implementing an important additional topic specific course to the present education curriculum of the Department as the course combines architectural, spatial and functional analysis methods from an acoustical perspective, in order to raise awareness on conscious listening of spaces with different functions. The course is conducted through interactive learning bases and the orientation is more research-based than teaching-based, although basic acoustical and soundscape theoretical knowledge is given. Students are expected to accomplish 6 tasks progressively following the cognitive processing dimensions parallel to Bloom's taxonomy. The outcomes of the tasks and the final spatial design proposals has been evaluated and discussed as part of this study to highlight the importance of topic specific course integration to architectural design education.

Thinking manifesto on basic design studios in architectural education

Design education delivery is reconsidered every semester from the first basic design course through to the final project class, and while there are diverse approaches to architectural theory worldwide, the problem of teaching architectural design is a continual question to educators, especially for design educators. Over different periods of time, very different approaches to design education have been pursued. These differing theories form the basis for architectural design education. Throughout this process, the history of design education has been shaped and it is important to be able to use the accumulation of knowledge from different fields within the context of ‘architectural education’. When we consider the transformation of design education historically and the differing approaches today, such as the effects of changing theories, scientific-culturalsub-structures, transformed super structures and the ever-changing theories on architectural education, the design studio educators should incorporate the benefits of this diverse learned knowledge into the design studio education.Keywords: Basic design, architectural education, design studios.

A Theoretical Model of Using Extended Reality in Architecture Design Education

A Theoretical Model of Using Extended Reality in Architecture Design Education

A lifelong (Informal) Learning Experience in Architectural Design Education: The Case of KBU Department of Architecture with Competitions

In Today's conditions, where the information flow is intense, it is known that the education given only in schools is insufficient for architectural education, and the importance of individual development outside of school is increasing. Competitions, whose educational contributions many studies also draw attention to, are one of the essential alternatives for this personal development. It is vital to raise architecture students’ awareness by motivating them to improve their individual experiences thanks to competitions. In this context, a series of competition experiences were held with Karabük University (KBU) architecture students with a promising approach, which is not uncommon in the architectural education process. These national-level competitions based on different contexts were carried out under the authors’ design studio studies. A survey study on these competition experiences has been conducted with contestant and non-contestant students. The survey results were evaluated within the framework of the observations made during the competition and the information obtained from similar studies in the literature mentioned here. As a consequence of this study, positive outcomes were obtained, especially in terms of students' self-confidence and collaboration, with the experimental research carried out at the intersection of professional experience and lifelong learning. It has also been confirmed that competition experiences are an essential motivational tool.

Covid 19 Pandemisi ile Değişen Mimari Tasarım Eğitiminde Öğrenci Deneyimleri

Tüm dünyayı etkisi altına alan Covid-19 pandemisi, hayatın pek çok alanı gibi eğitim faaliyetlerini de etkilemiştir. Salgının ülkemizde de hızla yayılması sonucu tüm eğitim kurumlarında eğitime ara verilmiş, sonrasında da süratle çevrim içi eğitim sistemine geçilmiştir. Ancak uygulamalı yürütülen dersler için bu geçiş beraberinde bazı sorunlar getirmiştir. Özellikle de mimarlık eğitimi gibi uygulamalı dersleri teorik derslere göre ağırlıkta olan bölümler, bu değişime adaptasyonda zorluklar yaşamışlardır. Tüm mimarlık bölümlerinde 2019-2020 yılının bahar döneminin 7 haftası ve 2020-2021 yılının tamamı çevrim içi eğitim ile sürdürülmüştür. 2021-2022 eğitim döneminde salgının etkisinin aşılanma sayesinde zayıflaması sonucu, YÖK’ün aldığı kararla hibrit (karma) eğitim sistemine geçilmiş, tüm uygulamalı dersler yüz yüze, teorik dersler çevrim içi eğitimle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu çalışmada Trakya Üniversitesi Mimarlık Bölümü özelinde, yüz yüze eğitim, çevrim içi eğitim ve günümüzde uygulanan hibrit eğitim sistemlerinin, tasarım eğitimi üzerindeki olumlu ve olumsuz etkilerini öğrenci gözünden değerlendirmek ve gelecekteki ideal mimarlık eğitim sistemi hakkında tespit ve önerilerde bulunmak amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem olarak çalışmada, nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden fenomenolojik yaklaşım kullanılmış, elde edilen veriler betimsel analiz yöntemiyle değerlendirilmiştir. Her üç eğitim sistemini de deneyimlemiş Mimari Proje 4-5 ve Diploma Projesi öğrencilerinden gönüllü olarak 17 öğrencinin katıldığı anket çalışması ve öğrencilerle gerçekleştirilen birebir yüz yüze görüşmeler neticesinde elde edilen veriler analiz edilmiştir. Çalışmanın sonuç bölümünde de öğrencilerin yüz yüze, çevrim içi ve hibrit eğitim modelleri kapsamında, proje derslerinin verimliliğine ait bakış açıları değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre; mimari tasarım eğitiminin, çevrim içi olarak sürdürülmesi halinde gelişmiş teknolojilerin sağlanması ve sanal gerçeklik kavramının uygun sürümlerle hayata geçirilmesi gereklidir. Hibrit eğitim sisteminde, teorik derslerin çevrim içi eğitimle sürdürülmesi ve kayıt altında olması öğrencinin zaman kazanımı yaşaması nedeniyle proje derslerindeki başarısını artırmaktadır. Geleneksel yüz yüze ve çevrim içi eğitimin bir arada kullanılarak uygulandığı hibrit eğitim sisteminin, her iki sistemin de avantajlarını kullanan dezavantajlarını ortadan kaldıran ve gelecek için en verimli eğitim sistemi olduğu düşünülmektedir.

Modelling AI in Architectural Education

This work displays an outlook on major questions concerning the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Architectural education. Gradually, part of the domain knowledge and hard skills become either irrelevant or insufficient by the time the students graduate. This paper suggests that integrating AI in the architectural design curriculum is beneficial for raising designers’ awareness of all areas of architectural design, in the form of input, process, and output. The study views consecutive learning experiences in a continuum and explores the potentials of integrating AI applications and techniques in architectural education, and how architectural design practice may benefit from it. Consequently, it provides insights into how architectural design education may transform itself considering the future impact of AI on the Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) industry.

Augmented reality and tangible user interfaces as an extension of computational design tools

Abstract The paper envisions the use of Augmented Reality (AR) as an interactive and communication tool utilized in the architectural design research, education, and practice. It summarises the current knowledge and various applications of this immersive technology in both the theoretical and practical field and focuses on a particular type of the AR implementation – tangible user interfaces (TUI) – in a computational design context. The outcome of the research is an adaptation of the originally GRASS-GIS-powered Tangible Landscape tool into Grasshopper 3D environment, which is more accurate and suitable for the architectural design workflow with respect to 3D computation, algorithmic modelling and different scale management. The newly prototyped tool is reactive to the modifications of the physical model and projects the computed additional information on it in real time and thus can communicate with the designer or observer, which results in a more interactive, haptic man-machine interface. The projected and visualised data on the physical model are the outcome of the computing algorithm designed in Grasshopper that allows for a wide range of applications, including the visualisation of shadows and solar potential analysis and thus depicts the physical model in multiple dimensions. Furthermore, the article discusses the potential and further development of this tool as well as the possibilities of layering different AR technologies in the subsequent research.

Enhancing Engagement and Learning Outcomes in Architectural Computing Design Education: A Study on the Implementation of Augmented Reality

Abstract Augmented reality (AR) technology is being increasingly used in the fields of architecture and design to provide new and engaging ways to visualize and communicate design concepts. Since architectural models are the simplest approach to emphasize a design concept, the tools, materials, and technology used to construct physical models in architecture and design education may vary. This paper describes the implementation of AR technology in an architectural computing design course. The purpose of this study is to ascertain an efficient method of model-making for architectural education through the use of AR. The study involved the development of an AR application that allowed students to visualize their design concepts in a virtual environment. The paper presents the design of the application, the methods used to integrate AR technology into the course curriculum, and the results of a survey conducted among students to evaluate their experience with the technology. Architecture students’ experiences using AR technology in place of physically constructed physical models for design projects are discussed in this study as well. The study concluded that the use of AR technology in the course had a positive impact on student engagement, learning outcomes, and overall satisfaction.

Identifying online learning experience of architecture students for a smart education environment

ABSTRACT The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant change in the field of architecture and design education. Students and educators have been forced to rapidly adopt virtual courses, and returning to the physical classroom in the near future is still uncertain. This study investigates the recent remote learning experiences of tertiary students in Architecture programs through a questionnaire. In addition to the three dimensions of the community of inquiry (CoI) framework, including teaching, social, and cognitive presences, spatial presence is explored in this research because learners’ presence of space can affect their learning experience. The findings indicate that first- and second-year students have significantly different remote learning experiences than third- to fifth-year students, depending on their experience in face-to-face classes. The extended survey concludes with a discussion of three approaches to reflective learning in online architectural design education. This paper provides systematic knowledge of students’ perceptions of distance learning during the pandemic and contributes to developing smart education environments in architectural pedagogy.

Teaching Architectural Technology Knowledge Using Virtual Reality Technology

Construction detail (CD) knowledge is one of the leading learning components in architectural technology (AT) study. The traditional pedagogical method adopts a series of two-dimensional drawings to explain three-dimensional objects. The interactive and immersive features of virtual reality (VR) technology attract attention from the educational sector. While architectural design education has begun exploring integrating VR tools in the classroom, especially in the early design stage, AT is one of the very few subjects that have experimented with VR. This research, undertaken from within a larger, ongoing project, aimed to explore if VR could assist in teaching AT knowledge, especially CD. The project has two phases: phase 1 created several VR lessons that explained specific AT knowledge, using a VR technology currently available for educational purposes; phase 2 adopted a mixed method approach to investigate learners’ experience with the VR lessons created. This paper focuses on the experience in building up a VR learning environment in phase 1. The initial findings after phase 1 showed that the VR technology adopted in this project was not a perfect tool in creating a VR experience in the CD field but could still offer students degrees of virtual reality learning experience.

Landscape architecture design as an art creative practice: A studio teaching model

Landscape Architecture is defined as a blend of art and science. However, it has been acknowledged that configuration of design forms, which is related to spatial composition and element forms is the most challenging design aspect that the students face in learning the design process in the basic design course. This is not the case for the scientific aspects where students can establish their ability and confidence in learning landscape technical issues and functional requirements. This paper discusses the outcomes of the first Landscape Architecture Design Studio at the Department of Landscape Architecture at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU), which represents the first foundation stone for Landscape Architecture design education. The Landscape Architecture Studio has examined the role of creative practice in art plays in the landscape architecture design process in the light of Zangwill’s Aesthetic Creation Theory (ACT), and following the Form-Based Design (FBD) approach process defined by Stefano Fillipi. In this studio, students were asked to design a private garden related to, hypothetically, an artist’s family house. Based on the FBD approach, each student chose a specific modern artist, supposedly owning the garden house, and studied his artistic principles of forms, patterns, colours and composition, and used them as an inspiration for their own art paintings. The students’ art pieces acted as the basis for conceptualising their design preliminary plans and 3D images. As a result of this studio, students showed a great interest in the studio artistic approach, and demonstrated a significant ability to translate the artistic principles and qualities existing in creative painting successfully into their landscape architecture design. At the end of the teaching process, a reflective student survey feedback from instructors indicated that students had learned about the aesthetic creative approach and were able to understand the role non-aesthetic properties played into manifesting the design aesthetic quality.

Measuring The Effectiveness of Using Modern Teaching Strategies in Developing Architectural Design Students' Skills (A Case Study of West Bank-Palestine)

This research aims to explore the effectiveness of using modern architectural design teaching strategies in developing students' skills from the viewpoint of instructors. The research was applied to two universities out of three in the West Bank - of Palestine that teach architecture. The research sample consisted of (18) instructors selected intentionally from the research community. The approach used is the descriptive and analytical approach based on the questionnaire verified for its validity and stability. The results indicated that all the degrees of using strategies are high, and the highest used strategies are the strategy for developing thinking skills, followed by the strategy for developing cognitive skills, and finally, the strategy for improving the environment. The results also showed that there are no statistically significant differences in the effectiveness of using modern teaching strategies in developing students' skills due to the variable (workplace, specialization, number of experience years), and the presence of statistically significant differences attributable to the scientific qualification variable in favor of scientific qualification (Ph.D.). In the field of developing social skills. The research concluded with several recommendations and proposals in light of their results.

The Relationship between Students' Mimetic Approaches and Learning Styles in Architectural Design Education

Architects' attitudes most likely get from the common values obtained during their education and these values are acquired within the period of architectural education i.e., from the first year to the last year. In this sense, design problems are mostly defined with the help of mimetics and it is believed that thinking through mimetics enables the student to explain and understand an unknown situation relative to a familiar situation. So, believing that each student in the design studio uses certain language codes and develops them with knowledge, in this paper the design preferences of four architecture students at three different stages of their education are cross-sectionally analysed using the method called "Metaphorical Reasoning: Context and Depth" and the design approaches of each student are revealed. As shown in this study, some students have an excellent ability to use abstract concepts and have been able to switch between resources (between-domain sources and within-domain sources) very boldly. In the process, the accumulation of knowledge and education changed their mimetic behaviour, and the abstract concepts of some novices became more complex as their education progressed. On the other hand, some other novices who took tangible design approaches remained almost unchanged until the end. Considering that these different mimetic approaches of students are related to their learning styles, Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI) method was used and learning styles of four students were revealed. The learning styles of the students obtained by Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI) method support all the findings.

Construction and Application of Prefabricated Architectural Design Teaching Platform Based on CAD Technology

Computer-Aided Design and Applications is an international journal on the applications of CAD and CAM. It publishes papers in the general domain of CAD plus in emerging fields like bio-CAD, nano-CAD, soft-CAD, garment-CAD, PLM, PDM, CAD data mining, CAD and the internet, CAD education, genetic algorithms and CAD engines. The journal is aimed at all developers and users of CAD technology to ptovide CAD solutions for various stages of design and manufacturing. The journal publishes all about Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided technologies.

BIM as a Learning Tool in Design Studio

Building Information Modelling (BIM) can be considered as a design thinking tool in architecture besides its technical aspects. Many of the companies and countries commonly prefer using BIM in projects. The development of BIM in the AEC industry points out its adoption in education. BIM in architectural design education has to be searched for the current state. This research investigates the determination of benefits and awareness of BIM in design courses and architectural education. The effects of associating BIM education with the design studio are observed through a case study. The development of design processes by using BIM tools is observed. The study helps to investigate the use and adoption of BIM in design education.

The Contribution of Online Teaching Process to Architectural Design Education

COVID-19 salgınının ulusal-uluslararası tasarım eğitiminde meydana getirdiği dönüşümler, çevrim içi eğitim sürecinde oluşan sorunsallar, bu sorunsalların çözümü için geliştirilmiş eğitsel yöntemler ve bunlar aracılıyla edinilmiş kazanımlar dikkat çekicidir. Bu çalışma, mimari tasarım derslerine ilk kez katılacak öğrencilerle 2019-20 Bahar dönemi ve 2020-21 Güz-Bahar dönemleri olmak üzere 3 çevrim içi eğitim döneminde edinilmiş deneyimleri kapsamaktadır. Pandemi koşullarında doğal çevrelere özgü fenomenlerin deneyimlendiği ortak geziler düzenlenememiş, mimari tasarım sürecinde tasarım aracı olarak işlev gören ortak maketler stüdyo ortamında inşa edilememiş, dijital ortamda üretilen çizimlerin çıktıları alınamamıştır. Eğitimciler ve özellikle mimari tasarım edimine başlayacak öğrenciler açısından zorlayıcı olmuş koşullara adapte olmak yeni eğitsel yöntemlerin devreye sokulması gerektirmiştir. Uzak-yakın kentsel ortamlara özgü fenomenlerin deneyimlenmesi ve sosyal içerikli güncel konularla evrensel içerikli sanat eserlerinin mimari program önerileri aracılığıyla toplum-birey-mekan ilişkilerinin tartışıldığı çevrim içi eğitim sürecinde sözel iletişimin güçlendiği/derinleştiği gözlemlenmiştir. Bireysel tasarım alanı-mimari program önerilerinin öğrencilerin seçimine bırakılması alan-program-kullanıcı-mekan kurgusu-malzeme seçimi ilişkilerine, mimarlığın fizik mekan ötesine geçen niteliklerine değinilmesine olanak tanımıştır. Ölçek kavramı mimari temsil ediminde kullanıldığı anlamın ötesinde anlamsal-zamansal-fiziksel-sosyal boyutlarıyla irdelenebilmiş, yaratıcı tasarım ediminin holistik yapısı görünürlük kazanmıştır. Çevrim içi eğitim sürecine özgü yöntemlere/ kazanımlara ışık tutmak amacıyla kaleme alınmış bu çalışmanın 1. bölümde Covid-19 salgınının pandemi olarak tanımlanması itibarıyla ulusal-uluslararası yükseköğretimin çevrim içi ortama aktarılışı ve mimarlık eğitimi bağlamında yaşanan gelişmeler ele alınmıştır. İlk kez mimari tasarım derslerine katılacak öğrenciler özelinde kurgulanmış tasarım eğitiminin kavramsal çerçevesi, uygulanan yöntemler ve proje çıktıları, örgün mimari eğitim süreci bağlamında 2.-5. bölümlerde, çevrimiçi eğitim süreci bağlamında ise 3.-4.-6. bölümlerde irdelenmiştir. Örgün ve çevrim içi eğitim sürecine özgü yöntemlerin proje çıktılarıyla ilişkilendirilerek analiz edilmesi, her iki ortamın mimari tasarım eğitimine sağladığı farklı kazanımlara görünürlük kazandırmıştır. Sonuç bölümünde çevrim içi eğitim sürecinde uygulanmış yöntemler/kazanımlar ele alınmış, çevrim içi eğitim süreci deneyimlerinin özgün nitelikleri özetlenmiş, bunların pandemi sonrasında mimari tasarım eğitimi içeriği kurgusunda gözetilmelerinin tasarım edimine başlayacak öğrencilerin kazanımlarını artıracağı vurgulanmıştır.

Architectural education in the context of social sciences

Abstract Architecture is an interdisciplinary subject that utilises knowledge and experience from numerous scientific fields. Social sciences in particular have a special relationship with architecture, transforming it into a living and reflective discipline. Architectural design is basically a hypothesis that explores how society would react to its substance and the conditions it creates. However, social sciences subjects are often limited to theoretical knowledge over the course of architectural education. This research discusses social and psychological sciences and their architecture-specific theories as powerful tools for student engagement in architectural education. Focusing on educational concepts which lead to a greater understanding of dynamic societal changes, the research also indirectly analyses the traditional process of creating a universal design, outside of this understanding. This approach enables students to understand the limitations of their education and to think analytically about design options and the improved interactions not only with their surroundings but, more importantly, with a specific person or group of people. Activities that develop this kind of understanding are different forms of interactive art (site-specific installations) and social activities (focus groups) with different demographics (persons with health impairments – for example barrier-lessness and social inclusion). The base research analyses social and psychological sciences in relation to the process of architectural design education with a focus on European context. In social sciences, social and spatial connection and their often implied or ignored relationships are investigated in increasingly more interesting ways. The aim of this study is to provide a complex outline of the educational methods which, on top of technological change, also actively monitor social change.

A computational framework for supporting architectural education of spaces’ furnishing design

Self-learning is receiving great attention internationally in different fields, along with the best utilization of different computational applications or methods. This paper introduces a novel computational approach for supporting Architectural Design Education (ADE) in its early stages; a computational implementation through MATLAB has been developed to conduct the proposed processes. As a scope, spaces’ furnishing design has been selected to demonstrate the proposed computational approach and implementation, while office workspaces have been selected as a representative case. However, the proposed approach provides and enhances ADE through three main concepts: (a) generating design alternatives for different cases of furnishing spaces, (b) providing accurate and flexible evaluations to students’/designers’ works with different levels, and (c) tracking students based on their defaults and relevant sensitive modifications. Different applications of the proposed approach have been generated, analyzed, and validated.

What Can Possibly Go Wrong? Three Examples of Recurrent Deficiencies in the Teaching of Architectural Design

AbstractBased on an ethnographic study on studio teaching at five leading European architecture schools, the paper at hand identifies three repeatedly occurring deficiencies (as well as one related problem) in the teaching of architectural design. Drawing on empirical data, the paper describes how ‘epistemic positions’ are shifted without reflection, that serious efforts at translating tacit into propositional knowledge are (too) scarce, and how procedures are not rigorously linked to the respective objects of study. In addition to tackling these three deficiencies, the paper calls for developing corresponding ways of critique assessment that reflect the aspired improvements.

Design conversations and informal chats: ‘situated’ professional development, community, and casual tutors in undergraduate architectural design education

ABSTRACTThis paper argues that in undergraduate architectural design education, professional learning and the formation of casual academics as university educators occur while ‘situated’ in tutorials through design conversations with students and as-needed chats with colleagues. For casual academics, such disciplinary, routine, and informal activities develop their agency, construct/reconstruct their personal knowledge about teaching, build shared knowledge, and foster supportive communities. Given the discontinuous contractual engagements of casual academics in universities, understanding the nature and characteristics of their teaching conversations makes visible their teaching knowledge, expertise, and professional development needs as university educators.