eleonora antoniadou
Between Design and Digital in Architectural Education: Studies on the Architectural Design Studio
Summary
The development of digital technology over the last years, has transformed the processes used in architectural education and more specifically, inside the Αrchitectural Design Studio. However, design education and digital technology education continue to be seen as separate loci of learning, separated by pedagogical gaps and teaching mindsets.
This research is focusing on the relationship of design and digital in the Architectural Design Studio, trying to identify the gap and to suggest ways of improving and developing. Working with Bauhaus as a pathfinder and interdisciplinarity as the main method of approach, the main question of this research is how to bridge the gap between design and digital in architectural pedagogy using the Architectural Design Studio as the main platform of investigation and experimentation. By bridging the gap of design and digital in education, not only the educational system but also industry will benefit, as technology is already dominating the biggest parts of production.
Additional info
Methodology
The research question and sub questions guided the methodological approach to four different types of methods based on the sort of knowledge and different aspects on the subject.
The first method is to provide the theoretical background through the literature review and empirical findings. The literature review connected to the evolution of ADS and the case study of Bauhaus, is to give the historical background. The empirical findings will give an understanding of the current situation and will examine the case study of computational design education model, as a pedagogical experiment performed today trying to bridge the gap between design and digital. The findings will clarify the problems and obstacles that these experiments are facing and a comparison with the historical precedents will help to find a path of development and evolution.
The second method is studio observations, and data collection. To propose ways to improve the ADS one needs to understand it, and the understanding can come through a series of studies around it. (Blaxter, Hughes &Tight. 2006). Collecting data through personal observations, websites and social media that the school is using to communicate work and outcome. Also, different happenings along the period of the research such as exhibitions can help to collect data.
The data collected is archived, and analysed through thematic analysis conclude to findings.
The third method is questionnaires and personal interviews with students inside the ADS. A round of simple questioners and reflection to help the understanding of the problem better and to collect information and insights. A thematic analysis also follows the collection of material. After the collection of the data an analysis will follow.
The fourth method is studio experimentations with students that can give feedback on a series of pilot workshops. The pilot workshops are the platform for the creation of the final workshops, which are the final proposal for this research.
The aim of the mixed method methodology, of data gathering and analysis chosen, is to combine the literature findings with the studio experiments and include students as participants in the research. (Jurs & Wiersma 2009).
Structure
The research aims to open architectural design studio up for discussion in order find ways and methods in which the gap between digital and design education can be bridged. In parallel with the main goal of the research I also aim to find ways to study and investigate the architectural design studio and to develop experiments on teaching and learning inside it.
The research subjects that have identified are: (1) digital technology and (2) interdisciplinary education. Researching the Architectural Design Studio required multiple research methods and different research areas to build a framework of understanding and proposing. The research areas that guided me to form a framework are: (1) Evolution of ADS and Bauhaus as the main case study (2) Experimental Studies in Contemporary Education (3) Student’s position. The final framework of my proposal for this research project is a combination of my initial hypothesis, the literature review, the findings from my research and the feedback from the experiments rehearsed, resulted in three different themes: (1) Processes, (2) Tools and (3) Output.
The selection of these themes is based on reappeared points, recurring matters and repeated patterns, acknowledged during my empirical observations, the research and on the feedback, I got from the interviews and the questioners with the students. These three themes helped me to build a framework and to connect the theoretical approaches with the findings.
