​
Should architectural education be changed? The answer is always yes. Since architecture is designing for the world, and the world is constantly changing, architecture and architects (and thus architectural education) should be able to adapt to these changes.
Before modern times, architects designed by themselves. The whole building process was decided by the architect. In modern times, architecture is strongly connected with other disciplines. Teamwork is required and the work is dynamic and technology intense.
Architecture has become an education based practise, in which education is always in need of discussion and improvement.
In current architecture education, students are led into one direction, where there is no space for creativity and/or orientation in new architectural demands. The strictly structured and standard curriculum or current architecture education contrains students; the graduated students are made by the same formula.
Introduction
Approach / Proposal
A new type of architectural education should be flexible, personalised, and is up-to-do with current architectural challenges.
There needs to be a shift in the architectural schooling systems. Instead of producing the “one kind of architect”, the school should give space for students to become “own kind of architect”. Students should be able to discover their own kind of architecture, following their interests, talents and ambitions in a curriculum that supports flexibility.
This proposal is going to be translated into more concrete ideas. Firstly, a list of qualities of the graduated architect will be given, as well as a list of focus points. From this, a manifesto of the school will be written. The manifesto results in a proposal for the curriculum, where there are three phases, namely: the first year, the second to fourth year, and the year of graduation. Lastly, ideas will be given about the physical environment of the school in the form of visualisations of the school and workscapes.
Our Architects
In order to be able to formulate a manifesto and curriculum, it should be clear which qualities the graduated student should have. These goals can be worked towards by making the curriculum and school manifesto supportive of them.
Below, the graduated architect will describe themself to you.
I am an architect who is one of their own
I am an architect who is self-motivated
I am an architect who learned by doing
I am an architect who has cooperation and communication skills
I am an architect who can work in interdisciplinary teams
I am an architect who feels a sense of community with other designers
I am an architect who adjusts to rapidly the changing profession
I am an architect who is skeptical and questions everything
I am an architect who is aware of social matters and ethical problems
I am an architect who designs sensitivity for the user
I am an architect who is aware of the uncertainties of the profession
.png)
Focus Points
Learning Uncertainty
The profession of architecture brings more uncertainty than most students anticipate at the start of their study. From the get-go, students should be made aware that the profession of architecture is constantly changing because the context (the world) is constantly changing. Nothing is certain. Furthermore, designing is about choosing between design solutions, because there is never one solution. This brings much uncertainty in the design process. Students should be made aware that it is alright to have doubts because it is part of this profession.
Direct Experience
Architectural skills are the result of interweaving the application of theoretical knowledge and field experience. The dynamic interaction between these two, is a crucial part of architectural education. Students should be able to theorize what they have learned through field work, but also apply theory to the field. This is an interwoven process that fluctuates.
Studio Culture
-Learning by doing
‘Doing’, in current education, is often not a part of learning. What is learned in the lectures and field works is often not applied in the studio design challenged.
Ideally, students should be able to interweave the knowledge acquired in lectures and field work into their studio projects. Students should learn by ‘doing’.
-Social/interactive
When students do no have the opportunity to share their project, ideas, and models with other students in a studio, students miss out on interaction, feedback and comments from their peers. Sometimes this can result in competitiveness. Furthermore, getting feedback from other students is often more accessible, approachable, and intimate than feedback from teachers.
Concerete Knowledge
Current architectural education divides theory, experience and application. This results in an incomplete view and understanding. Learning by doing makes the thinking and the knowledge concrete. ‘Doing’ can for example be acquired by doing an internship, assisting, and attending workshops.
Developing community
Architecture students, especially first years’, need support and guidance from fellow students, student assistants, teachers, and even from the professional field. These people are all into it together and should support each other. There should be more space for cooperation, collaboration and sense of community, instead of rivalry and competitiveness. There is much to be learned from each other. When students have a sense of community at their school, it can make them feel more comfortable, motivated, and they can enjoy their study more.
Manifesto
A school where you learn by doing, with studio as a base
-Students apply the skills, theoretical knowledge, and experience from informal activities, into the studio project.
A school with an open but structured curriculum of three phases
-The first phase of this is the first year, where students are introduced to the multifaceted profession of architecture. The basic design studio is the base, in which students learn the basic principles of design, while applying some of what they learn in theoretical classes and field experience.-The second phase is the second to fourth year, where students further develop their design skills, while learning new skills and theory each year. Here they will be able to apply more and more of what they know into their projects each year.-The last phase is the fifth year in which the diploma studio takes place. All experience obtained from the lectures, skill development and informal activities, is fully implemented into the last project.
A school that will help you find your way in architecture
-The school does not have a linear, limited or strictly structured curriculum. Students are free to choose their own projects. In the beginning, the design briefs will be fixed, and they will increasingly become less fixed. The students will slowly start to define the problem themselves, and be able to tackle a problem in their desired way, according to their interests.
A school that quickly catches onto change
-The school is quick to catch onto changes in architecture and technology and their context. To prepare students for the professional field that is always changing, the school should also be flexible and able to adapt to new needs and trends.
A school that helps students develop community
-Contact with students and teachers, as well as companies/organisations, is crucial for the development of a sense of community within the field of architecture. Studio culture will be the leading element for this. Furthermore, the school must organise and/or facilitate informal activities to bring students closer together.
A school that stimulates multidisciplinary work
-The field of architecture is an interdisciplinary one. The architect needs to be able to communicate with urbanists, building physicists, structural designers, real estate specialists and developers. Students can experience this in multidisciplinary studios as well
A school that is skeptical, aware of social matters, and user-friendly
-Students need to learn to question everything, as well as understand social dynamics. They need to be able to tackle ethical and social problems, and apply user-sensitive design.
A school you can live close to
-In order to spark a sense of community, and for the ease and comfort of the students, they should be able to live close to their school.
A school that offers counseling to all students
-In order to support the students in their study and to help them orient in the large field of option within architecture, student counselling should be offered. Students can talk to a counsellor who will get to know them personally, and who can guide them through their education and give advice when needed.
A school that is interwoven into city life and other schools
-Students learn directly from the environment and are aware of local design challenged. Aside from that, people in the city can learn from and be involved in the school’s accomplishments.
Curriculum
The manifesto can be translated in a curriculum, in which the studio is the base of all learning and doing. The theoretical knowledge from the lectures, and the experiences and knowledge from the informal activities, as well as the development of skills, should be based in the studio. The studio is the learning place where students learn by applying. Through the years, the students will gradually apply more and more into the studio itself.
Ideal physical environment
Building
​
Studio in rooms – Studio on floors
The studio’s will not take place in closed off, separate rooms, but on floors that are accessible and transparent. This will promote studio culture and invite interaction with other students.
​
​
Location
​
Isolated outside the city - Campus outside of the city - Campus within the city – One separate building in the city – Multiple buildings scattered in the city
By thinking of different options for the location of the building, we were able to choose the one that is most suitable according to us. This is the campus within the city. Students learn directly from the environment and are aware of local design challenged in the city. People in the city can learn from and be involved in the school’s accomplishments, so it is an interplay of interactions. This campus hold different departments besides architecture, inviting interaction with other disciplines. Since the campus is in the city, students can live close to it, and there is also student housing on the campus itself.
.png)
Studio Floors
To further stimulate interaction, collaboration and cooperation, spaces for different disciplines, student’s workplaces and teacher’s offices should be open and interconnect. This can be achieved by having a big atrium in which floors are connected with stairs. In double floors, there can be open capsules that surround the atrium, giving more transparency and invitation to interaction.
Examples of the graduated architect
A degree in architecture can take you to all the ends of the world. Below, some examples are given of careers that the architect student can pursue. They are divided into careers in architecture, careers in art and design and careers outside of design. It should be noted that this list is not complete and there are more career paths to follow.
WORKING IN ARCHITECTURE
Urban designer/planner
Develop master plans, designing pedestrian friendly cities, parks, cherish the benefits of urban living and tackle problems such as urban heat stress and traffic congestion.
​
Landscape architect
Designing outdoor landscapes, including infrastructure, public areas, agriculture and forestry, tackling problems like climate change.
Structural designer
Structural designers often work for engineering, design or manufacturing firms, performing drafting duties for professionals such as architects and structural engineers. As a structural designer, you will be responsible for creating construction drawings based upon the needs of a specific project.
​
Building physicist
Combines building services engineering, applied physics, investigating the energy efficiency of old and new buildings, while keeping in mind acoustics, lighting, ventilation, and air moisture.
​
Restoration architect
Working on projects to conserve and restore (heritage) buildings, in the context of current needs.
Interior designer
Linking and organising the bigger scale to the smaller scale and daily use.
Research architect
Interwoven process of theorising and designing.
Real estate developer
Developing their projects from drawing board to building site, and being in charge of the entire construction project
Project manager
Organising different disciplines on the same project, making directly responding to critical situations.
BIM manager
Managing the entire building process, from sketch to usage and demolition, linking the presentation and application on the construction site, in which every moment can be intervened with.
​
Political architect
Argue for a specific structure for a city, working with municipalities and councils.
​
Activist
Contributing to communities in underdeveloped countries, teaching people how to build with their resources and skills
WORKING IN NEIGHBORING FIELDS
Artist
Architectural education can provide a different vision for your career. The graduation is not the final stage. Through artistry, you can explore the potentials.
​
Industrial Designer
Designing everyday use products used by the general public around the world. Industrial designers not only focus on the appearance of a product, but also on how it functions, is manufactured and ultimately the value and experience it provides for users.
​
Game or animation designer
A very common trend is the designing the physical space within a game and this is a very suitable job for an architect.
Fantasy/sentimental/eclectic architecture designer
Designing fantasy-like buildings or areas like haunted houses, theme parks and reconstructing old buildings for historical events.
3D Visualization Artist/graphic designer
creating high-quality 3D renderings, creating branding content, including images, brochures, posters and typography, for high-end residential and commercial projects.
WORKING ‘OUTSIDE OF PRACTICE’
​
Any kind of consultant
Knowledge in your field can open up opportunities for you to consult others about.
​
PR and Communications Specialist
Helping architects communicate with professors, investors, clients, city officials and contractors
​
Teacher/professor
Many practising architects also teach on the side
​
Writer
Becoming a writer or journalist can be a great way to utilize an architectural education; we learn to articulate ourselves using (mostly) descriptive language and rhetoric, in order to communicate our complex projects to teachers and critics.
Photographer
Photography concerns itself more with the aesthetic, with the object and the composition in that unique moment, within that specific frame.
Politician
Architectural space is a tool for politics. On all scales architecture offers platform for action and reaction.
​
(Urban) entrepreneur
Actively participate in innovating and developing communities and influence their socio-ecological aspects
​
Philanthropist
Proposing architectural space to promote the welfare of others.
About Us
A school of one’s own
​
This website was built as a result of the work done in the International Architectural Design Studio (IADS) as part of the eFiade project (Exploring the Field of Architectural Design Education). This eight-day workshop brought together teachers and students of the five of the partner universities. From each university at about five students were able to attend the workshop. Students were mixed into groups of one person of each university. Each group had the challenge of designing the ideal architectural school, including its curriculum and physical environment. The groups are free to choose they way they present their final ideas. In our case, we decided to build a website to show everyone what we think the ideal school of architecture should be like.
​
More information about the project and workshop can be found on http://www.efiade.org/
​
Our team
​
Our team consists of six students from the different universities, guided by a professor and an assistant. You can meet them here.
MIA ROTH ÄŒERINA
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Architecture, Zagreb, Croatia
Croatian architect and associate professor at the Department of Architectural Design at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb. Her primary interests in both professional, teaching and research practices are educational buildings, spaces for achieving social standards, public space and architectural education.
She is engaged in activities directed at raising spatial culture and initiatives aimed at promoting various levels of architectural education – from early built environment education
to exploring new modalities in higher architectural education. Since 2016 she has been serving as vice-dean of international relations and art at her Faculty, during which time she has extensively worked on involving the school in the pinnacle of relevant architectural education discussions and initiated collaborations with European schools resulting in workshops, parallel studios and lectures.
DORA KARAMATIĆ
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Architecture, Zagreb, Croatia
Being a master's student taught me that school curricula aren’t enough to build yourself and your future. Working as a student assistant makes you more understanding, meet different people, travel, explore the variety of professions, work in different fields to help you to become an architect you want to be. The most important thing is to always try, even if you fail, you will succeed.
LARISA CISIC
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Architecture, Zagreb, Croatia
Working as a research assistant on e-FIADE – Exploring the Field of Interaction in Architectural Design Education project and as an architect in practice. Passionate about experiments in architecture and revealing its healing potential. Focused on design of public buildings, public spaces and theory of architecture. Learns by doing and travelling the world.
SARAH AL KAISSI
Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
I am a last year’s bachelor’s student from Eindhoven, most interested in urban design and planning and landscape design. I am passionate about solutions for the impact of globalisation and climate change. At my university, I am the chairwoman and public relations commissoner of the study association for urbanism. We organize informal education events, such as lectures, field trips, and workshops that are related to urbanism. I strongly believe that informal learning is one of the most important elements of architectural education.
GONÇALO CARVALHO
Universidade Lusófona, Lisbon, Portugal
I am a last year’s master's student in architecture, at the University ULHT - University Lusófona of Humanities and Technologies. At the moment I am responsible for the laboratory of model making in the same university, something I have great interest in. Architecture is life, and as a portugues, whenever I can, I put bread and wine to the mix. When it is possible I like to relax and be lazy, but when it is time to work I am a working machine.
MELEK KILINÇ
Mimar Sinan University,Istanbul,Turkey
I am a Phd student Architectural Design Issues Programme at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and working as a research assistant at the same university. I am interested architectural records (especially drawing and drawing tools) and translation process between the records and effects on architectural design process.
TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara, Turkey
My name is Åžeyma and I am a first year master’s student at TOBB University of Economics and Technology. I am also a student assistant at the same school. I am currently curious about the future of architecture and new technologies that can help us get there. I believe scepticism and questioning is highly important to train qualified architects.
TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara, Turkey
I am a master student at TOBB ETU and also a student assistant. I am interested in industrial heritage sites and their transformation. Especially studying the current status of idle industrial sites attracts my attention. The most important thing is to smile and live for moment. Let’s have fun!