Architectural Design Education Research Articles

Digital Photography to Enhance Creative Thinking in the Education of Architectural Design

Digital Photography to Enhance Creative Thinking in the Education of Architectural Design

City and Ageing: Milan Explorations of the daily life of the elderly in a teaching experience

Through architectural and urban design teaching practice, the paper explores how society's progressive aging affects private and public spaces. The exercise investigates the relationship between living and ageing in seven neighbourhoods in Milan. In particular, it focuses on exploring the transformation and adaption of housing stock and public space, taking into account the strengths and vulnerabilities of the elderly population. The essay delivers the results of a teaching experience that has integrated multiple investigation tools to obtain knowledge on the subject: data, cartography, photography, drawing, and interviews. The paper intends to reconstruct the taxonomy of living of the elderly population in Milano.

On the Application of Digitized Virtual Reality Technology in the Teaching of Landscape Architecture Design

Landscape garden design is an important design foundation course for undergraduate students of landscape architecture in China, but the current classroom teaching has the problem of limited spatial dimension of the course. This paper proposes a virtual scene model construction method through the computer software with the creation of the need to display the scene. This virtual reality technology has immersive, interactive, and risqué characteristics. This paper focuses on the key points of virtual reality technology, discusses the specific implementation method of virtual reality technology in the “landscape garden design” course, and introduces the interactive control principle. The results of the research show that virtual reality technology to assist teaching can cultivate students' spatial thinking and enhance students' spatial simulation experience, greatly reducing the cost of traditional teaching.

Integrating Machine Learning in Urban Pedagogy: Addressing Homelessness in Skid Row

This paper investigates the application of machine learning in urban and architectural education, with a focus on addressing homelessness in Skid Row, Los Angeles. It presents a case study of an urban design studio utilizing data-driven methods to propose transitional housing solutions, emphasizing the importance of design in the context of social justice. The study explores the use of machine learning and digital cartography for a detailed analysis of Skid Row’s dense homeless population, offering students a thorough insight into urban challenges. The research also identifies the complexities involved in integrating these technologies into educational frameworks, including issues with data accuracy, technical hurdles, and ethical considerations. The paper concludes by advocating for an interdisciplinary, data-informed, and socially conscious approach in architectural and urban design education, highlighting its necessity in preparing students to effectively tackle contemporary urban problems.

Teaching Sustainability in Architecture through Collaborative Online International Learning

To confront global environmental challenges, architectural design can play an important role to achieve sustainability. This paper addresses the Online collaborative approach to support the integration of environmental sustainability. It will assess the efficacy of integrating collaborative online international learning exchange (COIL) and cross-cultural dialogue pedagogy into a sustainable architecture studio course to develop students’ architectural and intercultural competencies. In this study 16 groups, each group consists of 3-4 students, from An Najah university in Palestine and Memphis university in USA were involved in shared learning classroom model. Different methods were used to assess the students’ outcomes, such as reflection reports written by the students, the use of new technologies for design and communication, and the outcomes from the architectural design. The results show changes in the students' understanding of different cultures, they improved their communication skills, and their ability to design in different contexts. The findings also underline the importance of integrating COIL into architectural design education to create professionals who are able to design a resilient and sustainable built environment. The paper introduces intercultural dialogue framework and a new pedagogical technique in the field of virtual exchange.

Human-computer Interaction (HCI) Approach to Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd) in Architectural Design

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) in architectural design (AIEd) has experienced significant growth, and there is great potential for the application of Generative AI (GAI) in architectural design education. However, addressing challenges associated with AI is important. These include overhyped speculation, hidden inherent drawbacks such as fairness and ethics, and a trend of lacking human interaction when AI is involved. To tackle these issues, this paper introduces a triangulated research framework encompassing three key perspectives: vision, technology, and user acceptance. This framework aligns with Human-computer Interaction (HCI) principles, AI technology development, and past experiences in AIEd. By adopting this multi-perspective analysis approach, the paper aims to comprehensively understand the phenomena surrounding AI in architectural design. Furthermore, the research presented in this paper goes beyond theoretical discussions and illustrates how the research findings are applied in practice. It showcases the design of an ongoing architectural design course that incorporates the insights gained from the research. Three key observations from the ongoing designed modules indicate the need to shift the focus towards integrating multi-modal AIs and existing parametric tools. Secondly, it is essential to emphasise AIs as design partners rather than making assumptions about AIs’ specific uses at different stages. Lastly, providing user-friendly tools and theoretical foundations motivates students to explore beyond the design process, expanding their research and design boundaries.

Virtual reality space in architectural design education: Learning effect of scale feeling

In teaching architectural design, accurately visualizing a space's realistic size through the dimensional figures on the architectural drawings (scale feeling) is considered a crucial design competency. Typically, students learn this through field surveys and measurements of numerous buildings and rooms. However, this process might be time-consuming. Therefore, to expedite the improvement of students' scale feeling, we used virtual reality (VR) instead of real space and verified whether VR training can also develop students' scale feeling and achieve similar training effects as in real space. In this study, we used undergraduate architectural students as subjects and observed the change in verbal responses to the length of some objects before and after training using VR or real space to confirm the learning effect of scale feeling. Consequently, younger students who lacked architectural knowledge demonstrated a 19.4 % (p < 0.01) decrease in inaccuracy after VR training and a 31.4 % (p < 0.01) decrease in real space, while older students demonstrated a small decrease: 8.2 % (p < 0.1) with VR and 3.1 % (n.s.) with real space. No significant difference occurred between students trained in VR and real space. In summary, we conclude that utilizing VR in architecture education can improve students' scale feelings to a similar extent as in real space. When VR space is used for teaching scale feeling, the focus should be on students without architectural knowledge, which is more meaningful than teaching those with architectural knowledge. This study provides theoretical support for the researcher's further use of VR as a tool in teaching architectural design.

Exploration of Civic Teaching of Architectural Design Foundation Based on Craftsmanship

As a discipline combining art and technology, the philosophy, culture, and values behind architectural design cannot be ignored. In recent years, people have increasingly realized the importance of traditional craftsmanship in modern architectural design. Craftsmanship is not only the pursuit of skill but also a kind of perseverance and pursuit of excellence, perfection, tradition, and innovation. However, how to effectively integrate the artisan spirit into the teaching of basic ideology and politics of architectural design, so that it not only cultivation students' technical ability but also deepens their ideological and political education, is an important issue facing educators at present. The paper explores the objectives and strategies of basic Civic and Political teaching of architectural design based on the spirit of craftsmanship.

The Application of Extended Reality Technology in Architectural Design Education: A Review

With the emergence of Architecture 4.0 and the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic, extended reality (XR) technology has been increasingly applied in architectural education. This study aims to systematically organize and analyze the applications and outcomes of XR technology in construction education over the past five years, provide a theoretical framework for its future widespread use, and highlight its drawbacks as well as future research directions. The paper employs content analysis to summarize and analyze the findings. The report reveals that more institutions are integrating XR technology into their architectural education programs and that it has a significant impact on teacher effectiveness, student motivation, reflection and improvement, and teacher–student communication. The study suggests that XR technology will increasingly replace conventional teaching techniques in classrooms.

Integrating video feedback into architectural design education to engage diverse learning styles

Integrating video feedback into architectural design education to engage diverse learning styles

Research on the Influence of Nonmorphological Elements’ Cognition on Architectural Design Education in Universities: Third Year Architecture Core Studio in Special Topics “Urban Village Renovation Design”

This study focuses on the topic of “Urban Village Renovation Design” under the complex and diversified social needs in the third year of the architecture undergraduate program at Zhejiang University, China. Based on the theory and method of “situational teaching,” this study proposes a teaching framework integrating the investigation and cognition of nonmorphological elements, such as historical background, economic structure, social structure, public service, and human needs. The study aims to reveal the analysis and response of site investigation and architectural programming to social needs in the realistic context, and take nonmorphological elements as one of the important factors to promote the rationality and authenticity of architectural design, standardize the teaching process in the form of the teaching framework, and realize the teaching goal of solving social needs by design. Qualitative analyses are used to evaluate whether the proposed teaching framework achieves the expected teaching effects according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. We then use the Kirkpatrick model to quantitatively evaluate the specific effects of the framework, and the differences in the positive effects of nonmorphological elements on teaching are explored. In addition, regression analysis is used to discuss ways of obtaining nonmorphological elements. The results show that the teaching framework is a feasible method to improve students’ understanding of social problems and implement reasonable architectural programming that integrates nonmorphological elements in the architectural design course. To some extent, this teaching framework addresses the neglect of nonmorphological elements in traditional Chinese architectural design teaching, and forms an experience-based teaching methodology that can be used to guide architectural design teaching on other topics. This study is helpful in exploring the value and potential of nonmorphological elements in architectural design and provides a reference for college teachers engaged in architectural programming and design teaching.

Alternative Scale(ing) Practices in Architectural Design Studio

Commonly associated with the accurate representation of reality according to a specific ratio, which depends mainly on measuring and precision, the notion of scale has been considered an operative tool in architecture to perceive and indicate the size of anything according to a reference system. An effort to challenge the concept of scale(ing) to include diverse reference units and their scalar articulations holds the potential of instigating novel associations in architectural design studios. Possible readings of these alternative scale(ing) conditions are discussed in the paper in reference to a series of design exercises conducted at architectural design studios. The main intention is to question these unmediated associations to the reference unit in the determination of size and proportion, thus possible scales of architectural space. This particular method of analysis aims to arrive at various scale(ing) conditions, whose internal reference system is challenged by the changes and shifts in the definition of the major reference unit. Each different scale(ing) condition studied through the given exercise was regarded as an act of confrontation for readings of scale as well as presenting provocative challenges to the architectural design processes. With this standpoint, the paper proposes a multi-layered reading of scale that argues the reference unit’s instrumentality in the definition of architectural space and proposes an alternative methodology of integrating scale in architectural design education.

Multilayered and Interacting Course Design Approach in Architecture Education: A Case of Building and Construction Technology Courses and Studios

Building and construction technology education is a crucial component of architecture education, providing knowledge on tools and methods for designing and realizing building designs. While it provides knowledge as an input to other disciplines, it is also supported by the knowledge the other courses offer. On the other hand, these multilayered and interacting relations within the fields of architecture education may not be well-reflected in education curriculums, or implementation problems may occur. However, designing the architecture education curriculum based on these interacting relationships directly affects the education quality and educational outcomes. Within this respect, the AGU Department of Architecture provides a flexible curriculum design, which aims to provide experience in research and design during undergraduate architecture education and raise responsible team leaders or members. Therefore, building and construction technology courses of the curriculum are designed following the paths of the department’s and the university’s educational principles to engage all architecture disciplines with a multilayered and interacting approach. This paper explains the course design approach developed for and experienced with building and construction technology courses by aiming to contribute to the architectural design education literature from the technology education perspective. It sets forth the instructional design models and teaching methods used for designing the building and construction technology courses and also explains the course interactions within the curriculum.

SENSORY EXPERIENCE IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN EDUCATION: AN EXPERIMENTAL VISUAL PERCEPTION STUDY WITH SERIAL VISION METHOD

Architectural Design is a process that creates products that are perceived by sensory experience and appeal to the senses of the designer and the user, therefore, it is essential to include the senses in architectural education. In recent years, it has been discussed that design appeals to all senses and their sensory scale. For this reason, a sensory experience was planned within the scope of the Interior Reinforcement Relation course, and experimental processes were carried. In this study, students' perceptions of the city and its urban meaning were examined through visual sensory perspectives, and it was aimed to construct the relationship between architectural education and visual experience. The method of the research is a process that integrates visual perception and meaning by creating perspectives with serial visions. Students were given two shopping centers in Adana and were asked to photograph these places. Each stopping point is defined with a perspective and named with concepts that characterize students' perceptions. Consequently, it has been seen that the inclusion of sensory experiences in education contributes to the design education process by making students more sensitive to their environment, and the education process can be enriched by including different senses in architectural design education.

Urban morphology in architecture and urban design education

ABSTRACT Mainstream practice on the built environment has often become closed in its own idiosyncrasies, disconnected from fundamental socioeconomic and environmental challenges. This paper argues for a change in practice, sustained by research and teaching. It claims for urban morphology as a scientific support for architecture and urban design education. A methodology is proposed, grounded on the comprehensive historico-geographical analysis of human settlements and on a balanced reading of each settlement ground plan (street systems, plot patterns and building arrangements), building fabric, and land uses. In this methodology analysis and design are two sequential parts of the same process. As the design object, goals and programme are site-specific, they are defined after analysis. The paper describes the methodology’s application in Ganpu, Hangzhou Bay (China), under the framework of a Design Studio at Zhejiang University.

Rethinking the Pedagogical Fiction of the Architectural Design Studio

In line with the changing definitions and boundaries of architecture and the changing roles and professional description of the architect, the need to question and explore the contexts, contents, methods, techniques and tools of architectural design education is always on the agenda. The pedagogical fiction of the architectural studio is treated as a noteworthy issue that is effective in educating architects and shaping architecture. It is a matter of discussion about what the training in the studio should cover and how the content should be processed. This study, developed with an experimental approach to design, questions the architectural design studio's fiction of content and method to rethink its pedagogical coverage and processing. To materialize the discussion on the studio pedagogy, "house" as a design content and "designing in becoming" as a design method are proposed. "House" is re-conceptualized as a basic spatial structure for designing space in terms of its openness to derivation and reproduction. "Designing in becoming" is conceptualized as an experimental design method that creates instability and constructs a field of experimentation at the level of both subject and object. Accordingly, "Becomings of House" is proposed as an experimental design studio fiction through which the conceptualized content and method can be applied together. Based on the conceptualizations made in the study, the pedagogical opportunities and limitations of the proposed fiction are examined. A discussion on the pedagogy of architectural design studios towards experimental design approach is set up.

Extended reality for enhancing spatial ability in architecture design education

Extended reality for enhancing spatial ability in architecture design education

ARLE GPS: A computational tool to aid architects in spatial planning of house

The floor plan layout (FPL) is conceptualized as an ill-defined problem, due to the identification and formulation of objectives not being fully clear in the conceptual phase of the design. A solution to this issue is to convert the ill-defined problem into a well-defined problem. That is, to make the problem explicit, already in the initial phase of the design process, so that it readily allows the architects to know the requirements and constraints, to formulate the goals, and to apply solution strategies they can manage while solving the problem. This conversion makes it possible to solve the problem by a scientific method, through mathematical modeling of the decision-making problem, rather than by a drawn method, via sketches. It allows the architect to establish a relationship between design variables and house performance attributes, and to know the limits within which the solution, or solutions, can be found, aiding him in generating optimized solutions. In order to contribute to the solution of this issue, we present the computational tool ARLE GPS (geometric planning solver). The tool acts as a physical-biological model of the FPL of house. The physical model is structured by a sophisticated mathematical model, which provides a set of metrics for objective (mathematical) analysis and evaluation, simulation, optimization, rating, and solution selection. The biological model collects, stores, transcribes, and retrieves genetic information from the FPL. The functionality of the physical-biological model allows to construct and explore physical-biological design spaces of FPL, and to establish their value spaces. Its operationalization occurred as an innovative acting tool in the housing architecture design education system.

Integrating Sustainable Manufacturing into Architectural Design Teaching through Architectural Design Competitions

Sustainable manufacturing is essential for boosting resource allocation efficiency, as well as sustainable economic development, while the construction industry is one of the main sectors affecting it. However, the complexity of multidisciplinary integration of sustainable manufacturing makes it challenging to fully integrate into architectural design teaching. By incorporating architectural design competitions in architectural design teaching, we can encourage students to systematically reflect on the role of elements beyond traditional architectural design during the architectural design process to help them gain a more comprehensive understanding of sustainable manufacturing. The research results were obtained with a combination of both qualitative and quantitative analysis. We analyzed the survey data through grounded theory and presented the results graphically, which include a framework for promoting the learning of sustainable manufacturing through architectural design competitions in teaching architectural design. In order to gain an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the teaching effect and to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, in addition to qualitative analysis, we also adopted statistical analysis to clarify whether the new teaching method is really effective. In evaluating whether there was a statistically significant difference in the understanding of sustainable manufacturing between students who participated in architectural design competitions and those who did not, according to the established teaching objectives, we found that a statistically significant difference did exist in the results, and further analyzed other contributing factors through regression analysis. Our research shows that introducing architectural design competitions into architectural design teaching is a feasible way to promote students’ understanding of sustainable manufacturing. In architectural design competitions, sustainable-manufacturing-related elements, such as resources and economy, were taken into consideration in line with various design elements, such as site, environment, ecology, and energy consumption, which were integrated into students’ design process of thinking, drawing, modeling, and presenting. In this way, students will have a clearer understanding of approaches to achieve sustainable manufacturing through architectural design. This research helps tap into the value and potential of architectural design competitions in delivering sustainable manufacturing during architecture education and can offer references for college teachers to conduct sustainability education.

Intelligent Evaluation Method of Architecture and Interior Art Design Education Based on LSTM Neural Network

Intelligent Evaluation Method of Architecture and Interior Art Design Education Based on LSTM Neural Network