The European Association for Architectural Education regularly co-organizes and supports events and projects in partnership with fellow institutions and member schools. They reach beyond the geographical boundaries of our individual institutional settings, addressing all educators, architects, researchers and administrators who engage themselves for high quality architectural education. Joint publishings presents a selection of volumes produced as a result of these partnerships.
European Association for Architectural Education
The Role of International Experiences in Architectural Education: Research Reflections from Thailand
In an era defined by unprecedented connectivity and cultural exchange, the role of international travel in shaping architectural pedagogy stands as an unequivocal cornerstone of transformative learning. This autoethnographic paper offers a unique perspective on the impact of self-directed and student-led international research experiences on the mind of the young designer. This paper describes the outcomes of two distinct international student-research experiences in Thailand during the Summer of 2023. As national identities become blurred and architectural challenges become increasingly global in scope, students desire an enriching curriculum that addresses diverse built environments, traditions, and perspectives. International travel provides a unique opportunity for the next generation of designers to grow academically, professionally, and personally. In the summer of 2023, two architecture students from the same university embarked on separate research experiences in Thailand. Graduate student, Elijah, explored vernacular masonry construction methods, building upon his work in a previous design studio focused on masonry construction and rural housing in tropical climates. The observational method of research allowed for a connection with Thai people and culture that helped inform their architectural conventions. Undergraduate student, Amelia, worked on an interdisciplinary team funded by the National Science Foundation to study agricultural land use change in Eastern Thailand using remote sensing techniques. By engaging in international research, these profound experiences transcend the confines of the classroom enhancing student skills of adaptability, cross-cultural fluency, and a deep understanding of the nuanced aspects of different cultures. This underscores the significance of international travel, which is not just important but essential for the advancement of future architects and designers. The field of architectural pedagogy serves as a foundational platform through which the integration of international research can elev
Bridging Cultures: Explorations, Collisions + Considerations of Indigeneity & Design
This research project addresses a long-standing issue in contemporary Environmental design education and practice: the exclusion of Indigenous perspectives in all educational processes, principles, and policies. This one-year research initiative collaborated with three Indigenous Knowledge Keepers as guides and mentors and aimed at integrating indigenous ways of seeing and knowing into curricula and pedagogy within the fields of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape. The initiative was funded by an Indigenous Engagement Grant from the University of Calgary and spanned two consecutive semesters, involving multiple studios and courses, where instructors had the flexibility and support to align their course content with the overarching Indigenous research theme. Roundtable discussions and workshops, led by Indigenous leaders, played a pivotal role in the project. These workshops served various purposes throughout the academic year, including introducing Indigenous Culture, providing design critiques, offering reflections, and allowing for open question sessions. Key to this endeavor's success was the creation of a welcoming and respectful environment. The research recognized the need to treat Western Design and Indigenous cultures as distinct, running in parallel, with the establishment of an ethical space as a secure and safe bridge between them. In bringing Design and Indigenous realms into juxtaposition, and at times collision, the research leaders needed to be supportive and diligent around risks & vulnerabilities, while cultivating opportunities and opening doors to discovery. Despite the participants’ initial lack of awareness about Indigenous ways, the guidance of Indigenous mentors, coupled with facilitation by research leaders and participant motivation, led to significant progress in design work that incorporated, respected, and celebrated Indigenous knowledge. This paper narrates the educational journey of this initiative and outlines valuable lessons that promise to positively impact the design education and practice of tomorrow.
05. INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
Copyright (c) 2026 EAAE Joint Publishings
The Design and Fabrication of the Bleachery Heritage Project
his paper outlines the design and fabrication of a cultural heritage landscape project located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The project involves the transformation of an existing median into a commemorative linear park, located on the former site of Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company. Through an overview of the design methods and processes, this paper explores the importance of combined knowledge and methods from generally siloed topics of community engagement, construction technology, and digital fabrication.
Hybridity in Architectural Design: Past, Present, and into the Unknown
he aim of this paper is to verify and describe the hybridity between European modern architecture and American traditional architecture in mid-twentieth-century American college towns as expressed in residences built there by faculty members of NAAB-accredited architecture programs. Based on shape grammar as a computational design methodology, a comprehensive analysis is presented to reveal a hybridity phenomenon that though unique has broader implications for our understanding of architectural production.
Robotic Concrete 3D Printing Continuous Toolpath Planning: From Single Curve to Voxel-Based Systems for Design-to-Production of Urban Furnitures
This paper discusses the development of integrated design-to-production frameworks for Robotic Concrete 3D Printing (RC3DP) of context-specific urban furniture projects. The study focuses on two main objectives: developing computational methods for continuous toolpath planning of bespoke components and examining integrated frameworks to make design-to-production systems more socio-environmentally inclusive and tailored to specific contexts. Following an introduction to outline the key challenges of continuous robotic concrete 3D printing, the paper is organized into two sets of case studies. The first set explores curved-based continuous 3D printing for surface-based design strategies, and the second set investigates voxel-based approaches for volumetric design 3D printing. Curve-based projects consisted of three case studies. The first case uses an AI-enabled generative system to translate a porous, cellular structure to a continuous toolpath with variable heights. The second case study is based on a workflow using a controlled reaction-diffusion algorithm as a generative strategy to create continuous infill for complex geometries. The third project focuses on growing larger than the size of the production setup by testing the assembly of multiple printed components, all produced with continuous toolpaths. The workflows and projects are developed as an integral part of a graduate-level digital design and fabrication course focusing on inclusive automation and robotic concrete 3D printing. Therefore, in addition to sharing the details of the developed computational design to production methodologies, the paper discusses the research findings from pedagogical lenses. Building on these cases, the investigation advances to the development of a generative system centered on voxels, employing a tetrahedron structure. This volumetric approach simultaneously produces external surface tectonics and internal infill through a seamless toolpath. The paper concludes by presenting sets of guidelines and future directions for both the introduced curve and voxel-based approaches in Robotic Concrete 3D printing, emphasizing the early integration of computational and fabrication intelligence into the design process.
(Pre)casting Architectural Concrete: Search for a Design Guide for Techniques, Resources, and Advancements of Architectural Precast Concrete
The integration of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) has revolutionized the fabrication of custom architectural components, particularly in the realm of custom architectural precast concrete. This paper delves into the multifaceted world of architectural precast concrete, by doing three things. First, it identifies the manufacturing variables for architectural precast. These include but are not limited to mix design, manufacturing processes, shipping and erection considerations, mold materials and configurations, and the role of CNC equipment in mold making. Second, it lists case studies of prominent architecture projects that make notable use of architectural precast concrete. The case studies include the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (MuCEM), and The Broad. Third, this paper provides a narrative-style literature review of book publications that feature architectural precast. The goal of this paper is to create the framework for a published guide for architects that demonstrates what is possible when designing with architectural precast. With over 175 examples gathered from various sources spanning the last two decades, this paper offers a comprehensive overview of the design and fabrication of custom architectural precast concrete elements.
Verification of the Energy Attributes of a Biochromic Facade through Real-time Measurements
Microalgae facades can significantly impact a building's energy consumption and carbon neutrality. This particular facade achieves this effect through various mechanisms, including dynamic shading efficacy, winter solar gain, dynamic visual light transmission, carbon sequestration through photosynthesis, and the transfer of produced oxygen to indoor space. While numerous smart facades have been introduced in the contemporary era, the imperative to attain zero-carbon buildings has intensified the quest for nature based, sustainable solutions characterized by minimal carbon production and real time carbon sink throughout their life cycles. This paper aims to assess the potential for reducing building energy consumption by examining the influence of microalgae facades on Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) and Visual Light Transmission (VLT). The research employs a combination of experimental and simulation approaches to facilitate comprehensive result comparisons. Microalgae façade samples were prepared at four distinct cell densities (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) to examine the density's impact on SHGC and VLT. Furthermore, the study undertakes a comparative analysis of energy consumption of a reference building and a microalgae building across diverse climates. This comparison is conducted using conventional glazing according to ASHRAE 90.1 and microalgae facades with varying cell densities, contributing to a nuanced understanding of their respective energy efficiency implications. The results indicate that cell density and thickness of microalgae facades can play a key role in SHGC and VLT. Therefore, microalgae can act as a façade with dynamic U-value and VLT depending on different climate zones. The results indicate that almost in all climates integrating microalgae façade can reduce the energy consumption by 4% to 12%.
American Squalor: A Case Study in Combating Low- Quality Housing Construction
Located in Northwest Arkansas, the City of Fayetteville is experiencing rapid population growth, resulting in increased housing development in denser urban areas. Often this housing is characterized by inappropriate materials, faulty design and construction practices, and lack of consideration for building lifespan or performance. These factors lead to rapid degradation of new construction, rendering new units incapable of addressing long-term housing demands. This paper provides context for Northwest Arkansas’ current housing demands and impacts of attempts to respond to this demand with new supply. It presents a Case Study, couched in this context, of a regionally common building in typology (multi-unit housing) and structure (pre-engineered light wood framing), and it identifies the units’ design, construction, and material flaws that led to its degradation. Further, it documents the implementation of a solution that addresses immediate deficiencies while proposing broader application of lasting, sustainable material applications. The production and consumption of low-quality, if efficient, materials systems for lagging housing supply is a consistent narrative thread through US history. That said, the current urgency of the housing crisis is uniquely exacerbated by the paired exigencies of population growth and climate change. More than ever, solutions are needed that efficiently meet demand while ameliorating the pressures wrought by a changing climate and swelling population.
Circular Immersive Parametric Design Workflow for Innovative Materials
There is sufficient evidence that the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Virtual Reality (VR) in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) education environments is desirable and beneficial. This study introduces a workflow for circular immersive parametric design (CIPaDe). The proposed CIPaDe, BIM-into- VR-based workflow is expected to improve students’ learning performance, provide an environment similar to real- world, increase the visualization of models on a larger scale, and enhance their creativity. The CIPaDe Workflow includes stages of 1) material selection for non-loadbearing elements 2) geometry exploration and VR sessions 3) life cycle assessments (LCA). Secondary materials for LCA were selected from declared products on the Embodied Carbon Construction Calculator (EC3) Tool. The goal was to arrive at a design with minimal embodied carbon and energy. The intersections of material choices for innovation and sustainability provides the opportunity to test its impact through embodied energy investigations and operational energy impacts. Emerging designs are the basis for comparisons between recycling and virgin materials. The results show that the novel workflow utilizes BIM and VR to promote circularity and provide environmental benefits.
Phygital Fabrication and the Evolution of Traditional Handicraft
This paper untangles the emerging need for a critical understanding of phygital design and phygital material by exploring its most definitive qualities in the context of a quasi-autonomous collaboration between human agency and the computer, here explored through the digital reinterpretation of traditional handicrafts belonging to the ethnic Chinese minority Bai from the northwestern province of Yunnan. A phygital fabrication workflow challenges experience-based standardized fabrication techniques by creating atypical results from a constant exchange between physical fabrication and digital simulation, consciously acknowledging the contributions of the machine. It suggests, moreover, a new way to inherit indigenous design as a deliberate collaboration with non- human agencies, reflects the anxiety of designers seeking new positions around digital design tools, and describes a workflow not wholly defined but nonetheless integral to contemporary design practice.
The Energy Storage Capability of Building Rainscreen Cladding Panels Integrated with Photovoltaic and Reversible Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
This study forms an integral part of an ongoing doctoral project aimed at developing and assessing building skin solutions intended for use as distributed energy sources. Photovoltaics (PV) have become extensively employed and integrated into buildings to harvest solar radiation and produce electricity. However, a notable challenge with photovoltaics lies in their intermittent nature, which leads to an unreliable and unstable energy supply. As more photovoltaics are introduced to the grid, the "duck effect" emerges, exacerbating the difference between maximum and minimum energy supply in a day, posing a threat to power infrastructure stability. Addressing these issues, one strategy involves the use of batteries, although they are constrained by scalability and degradation concerns. A promising alternative for energy storage in buildings is the Reversible Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (RPEMFC), which, despite being used in power facilities, has not seen widespread adoption in buildings. Our objective is to design building components that can seamlessly integrate a reversible fuel cell with photovoltaics, creating a self-sufficient system capable of providing renewable energy for the building. This paper presents three significant contributions: (a) The proposal of a building cladding panel with the capability to harvest solar energy, convert it into hydrogen for storage, and subsequently utilize the stored hydrogen to generate electricity. (b) Conceptualization of the building system and an illustration of its functionality within a building context. (c) Execution of simulations using Matlab/Simulink to assess the capability of hydrogen production and storage. The simulations were conducted in two distinct locations, namely Phoenix, Arizona, and Chicago, Illinois. The study suggests that optimal outcomes are not achieved in the hottest weather conditions; specifically, the highest hydrogen production occurred in winter due to larger zenith angles hitting vertical building facades and lower temperatures being conducive to PV-RPEMFC performance.
Manufactured Homes: Accessibility, Resilience, and Enhanced Quality of Life in Three Extreme Climates
This paper asks what can we learn from homeowner modifications of manufactured homes about addressing resilience, accommodation, energy savings, occupation, and flexibility? The authors identify retrofits which decrease heating and/or cooling requirements; provide long term accessibility as owner’s age; plan resilience in the face of extreme weather; and enhance quality of life aligned with local culture. Three rural extreme climates in Louisiana, Arizona, and Colorado provide data on a wide range of solutions tailored to the particularities of climate conditions. The resulting assessment identifies categories of modifications and retrofits and associated typologies, for example homes on piers, unconditioned porch or carport additions, conditioned additions, envelope modifications, and changes to provide ADA accessibility. Quantified assessment through energy and structural modeling evaluates the effectiveness of the homeowner designed retrofits observed in Louisiana, Arizona, and Colorado. The results of assessment reveal that homeowners decreased EUI through simple passive methods adapted from agricultural, aquacultural, and industrial architecture. Energy modeling simulation on case studies for observed retrofit roof assemblies showed up to a 28% decrease in EUI in Louisiana, and 58% decrease in EUI in Arizona. These same retrofits produce large exterior covered occupiable spaces which provide an extended period of thermal comfort by over 20%. While the paper primarily focuses upon assessment of heating/cooling mitigation through roof assembly retrofit, it also discusses: structural changes through the addition of piers, super structure, and lifting systems along with accessibility and circulation changes, all due to accommodation of FEMA base flood height elevation in Louisiana; window retrofits, window shading, and understory/crawlspace protection and skirting to both provide resilience during climatic events, but also to mitigate heat transfer in manufactured homes in Arizona and Colorado; and heating/cooling source retrofits and augmentation in all three locations.
Advancing Transitional Shelter Provision Through Innovative Structural Solutions
he overarching goal of this study is to equip researchers and developers in the structural and associated sectors with the information they need to prioritize, in the creation of suitable and effective aid for emergency housing that can keep up with the projected future increase in demand. Using the grounded theory method and a series of case studies, the paper presents a compiled list of user-reported structural problems, the difficulties authorities have had in resolving those problems, and some ideal solutions, derived from the theoretical coding. The emergency shelter requirements in this study highlight the need for an economic (cost-effective), lightweight, reusable (especially if transitional), easily and efficiently manufacturable, constructable (with few in-situ installation inputs) and transportable housing solutions. Based on the structural requirements identified and acknowledged, a spectrum of innovative structural approaches, including modular and adaptable systems, site- specific designs, hybrid materials, and sustainable construction techniques have been proposed as to facilitate the development of new shelter designs and to support and enhance the usability of existing designs. These approaches emphasize the integration of advanced materials, computational tools, and resilient design principles to create shelters that are not only robust and safe but also environmentally conscious and culturally sensitive. Finally, the paper summarizes the key concerns in terms of sustainability and structural aspects of proposed designs and concludes with recommendations and suggestions to enhance the applicability of such designs, based on emergency requirements and shelter deployability. This article catalyses transformative change in the field of emergency shelter provision serving as the base for confrontation on alternative designs and materials and will support further studies on the structural and architectural design and organization of emergency shelter provisions.
Introducing Bamboo as a Building Material in Architecture Education of Aspiring Young Building Designers for Sustainable Community Development
To address global challenges like climate change, pollution, and social inequality, we must broaden our thinking and train the next generation of leaders—young students. Introducing bamboo as a building material through architecture education is one way to explore its potential and promote sustainable practices. This paper focuses on the role of architectural education in teaching aspiring students about bamboo materials for sustainable community development, through a participatory bamboo installation project. In this initiative, a group of students worked in five teams, each consisting of five members, to design structures using bamboo—a sustainable, indigenous material. Over time, their designs evolved during review sessions, from simple to complex, and from basic forms to more creative, student-generated structures. They moved from small-scale models to larger ones, eventually constructing a real-scale structure. These hands-on, interactive exercises fostered great enthusiasm among the students and professors, moving beyond theoretical learning. Workshops, talks, and presentations were held to explore the stability of skeletal systems in creative ways. The newly built models, featuring different joists, knots, weaving patterns, and construction techniques, allowed the students to test their theoretical ideas. The tactile qualities and construction potential of bamboo and other locally available materials became evident, highlighting their practicality. This study also aims to identify gaps in research on bamboo as a sustainable material for community development. While bamboo has been explored in some areas, it remains underinvestigated in others. By considering bamboo as an eco-friendly building material, this project aligns with the low-carbon movement and encourages young leaders to adopt sustainable practices. The practical experience provided a deeper understanding of these issues than theoretical lectures ever could, making the students and instructors more aware and knowledgeable about bamboo's potential for sustainable architecture.
Breaking the Renovation Cycle: Learning from Architectures of the Past for Low-Metabolism Building Design Today
The paper develops new knowledge of patterns of building material consumption in renovation and adaptation cycles, to design new buildings to have a lower future material use in their use-stage. By comparing component lifespans and environmental impacts of material uses in the life of three cases in Copenhagen, Denmark, certain architectural characteristics were found to influence the levels of material use and sequences of change. The cases were: a preindustrial case (*1755) with multiple transformations of use, an industrialised case (*1972) and a control case (*1958) from right before industrialised building practices intensified in Denmark. Change patterns, material uses, and environmental impacts differed significantly across the three cases from preindustrial to industrialised building cultures. In the qualitative interpretation of the quantified material changes, the paper challenged Duffy and Brand’s models of “Shearing Layers of Change” and Design-for-Disassembly frameworks with a design principle focused on the relationships of component types and their “hierarchy of alterability”. This principle could be used in the design of new buildings and in transformation projects to meet shifting user needs while lowering the use-stage consumption of materials over a period of 200+years of use and adaptation.
Augmented Reality Driven Design and Fabrication of Shading Devices
The issue of sun exposure in urban settings in relation to placemaking is being studied by city planners and architects. Placemaking, which is both a physical and psychological concept, takes into account the severity of outdoor conditions and how people perceive what is considered normal, as these factors can affect the usage of space. However, many urban spaces still need to be equipped to handle increasing temperatures and broader placemaking needs. This paper proposes an augmented reality-driven design process that utilizes mobile devices to generate shading structures accessible to non-experts. The generative algorithms simplify the creation of design iterations and use material simulation to develop shading devices based on looped surfaces. Moreover, incorporating AR into the fabrication process simplifies construction, making it more accessible and engaging for a diverse range of participants. The research presents an accessible design approach and a fabrication methodology suitable for non-construction professionals, which can be applied in various contexts to provide shade with minimal infrastructural demands. This study contributes to the expanding discourse on the use of AR in architectural design and fabrication, with a particular focus on shading. The envisaged accessible and engaging approach will promote wider community involvement in shaping urban spaces, offering viable solutions to rising temperatures in urban environments.
Curved-crease Cardboard Origami: A Framework for Modular Deployable Cardboard Structures
This paper explores the use of curved-creased Origami to create complex architectural forms from corrugated cardboard. Curved-creasing blends folding and bending through curvilinear creases, transforming flat sheets into load-bearing 3D structures. While this technique has been applied to materials like paper, aluminum, and plywood, its potential with cardboard remained unexplored. The study used digital simulations, physical prototyping, and mock-up assemblies to test ten design templates, focusing on minimizing cuts, avoiding wrinkles, and ensuring structural stability. While simulations predicted stress points, physical prototypes revealed that cardboard naturally releases stress through wrinkles along its corrugation channels. To address this, researchers introduced supplementary and stress-releasing fold lines, controlling deformation while enhancing the material’s aesthetic qualities. Findings demonstrate that curved-creased Origami can expand the architectural potential of cardboard, offering a sustainable, low-carbon alternative for design applications.
Enhancing Rammed Earth’s Accessibility Through Novel Tectonic Machines: Developing and Testing a Rotational Tamper
In the realm of accessible building technologies, rammed earth construction is a low-skilled, low-cost process of making architecture that commonly employs material found on site. This ancient construction process, where a loose earthen material mix in formwork is compacted with simple tooling, results in walls that are sustainable, healthy for inhabitants, and high-performance. Rammed earth walls offer functional compressive strength, filter air, capture and release heat, transpire moisture, become more durable with age, and are resistant to fire and infestation. While anyone can skill-up to make rammed earth, the basic tooling and intensive labor involved can significantly tax and/or harm a builder’s body. This form of inaccessibility can be off-putting to would-be earth builders, people who may not possess or who cannot afford the requisite calorie-intensive physicality to construct with rammed earth. The research detailed in this paper starts with the observation that rammed earth construction is associated with a technological evolution filled with gaps. In the current spectrum of rammed earth tooling/machinery there is significant space for machine development – new tooling/machines that operate between hand-tamping (low tech), and industrial-scale robotics and/or rammed earth “printing” (high tech). With the goal of making rammed earth architecture more accessible by specifically addressing the requisite physical labor, a series of prototypical machines – Rotational Tampers – were developed and fabricated at 1:1 scale. These machines were tested in producing rammed earth walls and/or test samples for compaction, while monitoring the machine-user’s heart rate as means of measuring expended energy in relation to tamping. In developing the machines, the researcher prioritizes simplifying the Rotational Tamper (easy to fabricate, assemble, and maintain), its operation (easy to set up, intuitive to operate, and easy to disassemble), and its effectiveness (producing quality rammed earth with less effort). Ultimately, the resultant Rotational Tamper(s) will be freely available as open-source plans/instructions.
Pedagogical Approach for Additive Manufacturing of Molds to Produce Topological Interlocking Assemblies
With bespoke fabrication on one end and mass production on the other end of the fabrication spectrum, this paper focuses on custom repetitive manufacturing. It reviews the process and outcomes of a studio offered at Illinois School of Architecture. The objective of the studio was to enable students to design building components for assembly, followed by digital fabrication of the components. The pedagogical methodology employed a project-based learning (PBL) method in the first project, and a problem and project-based learning (PPBL) method for the second project. In the first project, students developed an understanding of precast elements as well as acquiring a set of skills in additive manufacturing (AM) and mold making by analyzing a built precast case study. In the second project, students were tasked with designing topological interlocking assemblies (TIA) while designing a reusable mold for casting the modules. Pedagogy encourages reflecting on past architectural projects by exploring the rationale and limitations of traditional production techniques, before rethinking design and production methods by using advanced building technologies. This manuscript explains the process and outcome of the second project. Among the challenges to be solved in the second project was 1- designing a block geometry with complex curvatures on all sides for mortarless assembly; 2- designing the assembly resulting from the design of the block and iterating while assessing the daylighting and structural performance of the assembly; 3- digital design and fabrication of a plastic mold for repeatable casting of the block geometry. The projects were assessed based on responding to these three challenges. The studio resulted in installations that were exhibited at the end- of semester showcasing students’ projects. The installations demonstrated a proof-of-concept for 3D printing plastics as a formwork for repeated casting of interlocking concrete blocks.
Designing Atmospheres: The Pedagogical Approach of Peter Zumthor
How can the design of atmospheres be taught? How can it avoid the vagueness and superficiality at times associated with this concept? This paper describes the pedagogical approach of an architect for whom atmosphere is a central concern: Peter Zumthor. While his architecture is well known, little has been written about his teaching at the Academy of Architecture – Università della Svizzera italiana (USI-ARC) between 1996 and 2007. The paper analyzes the documents of Zumthor’s teaching and highlights three aspects of designing atmospheres: analyzing and reproducing emotionally significant memories of atmospheres, documenting observed atmospheres, and imagining and building atmospheres. Lessons for the future of architectural pedagogy include: working with ‘real’ construction materials to develop an awareness of their sensory qualities, using personal memories and experiences as starting points for design, forming a clear intention for atmosphere and material qualities at the beginning of the design process, and designing atmospheres not merely as aesthetic experiences, but as backgrounds for social life.
Public Space Design enabled by Artificial Intelligence Generative Tools
This paper discusses the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the conceptual phases of the design of a public space. It raises the question of how AI tools can enhance the design process and how the integration of AI tools in a design process may affect the interactions between architects and clients. The investigation uses a collaborative project between academia and a major art institution to transform a vehicular street into a pedestrian event space supporting art and community programs. The methodology was framed around generative AI platforms, such as Dall-E 2, Midjourney, BlueWillowAI, DreamStudio, Lexica, and Stable Diffusion utilizing both text-to-image and image-to-image functionalities. The approach followed the reiterative process of developing design variations, evaluating outputs, identifying desired traits in imagery/designs, and exploring new possible designs based on desirability. The study demonstrated (1) accelerated idea formations in the early stages of the design process and (2) an enhanced ability to communicate with a broad audience.
The Profession and the Discipline: Some Thoughts on Healthcare Design Teaching in the USA
As healthcare design is gradually becoming a specialized area within architecture, many schools in the USA are proposing and implementing different curricular models. A comparison of these indicates non-agreement in the essential needs of these graduates. Additionally, the two professional credentialling agencies for healthcare designers also have dissimilar criteria. The questions thus are: what knowledge and skills do graduates interested in healthcare design need, what does the profession expect, and how can the academia be appropriate? This paper collects data from public domains of each organization. It analyzes the criteria of the credentialling agencies through content analysis of their examinations and compares the curriculum of six healthcare certificates in leading US schools. Additionally, it presents the results of an online survey of eighty-six healthcare design professionals that was conducted to understand the profession’s view of what skills and knowledge healthcare architects need. From these, the paper identifies common areas and maps out discrepancies. Of special interest, this paper discusses the duality between the inclusive characteristic of design and the exclusive nature of research, and how they can be understood and addressed in healthcare design teaching. It breaks down the various aspects of design and research and maps them to find actionable intersections for the benefit of educating healthcare designers.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Inclusivity: Methodological Innovations in Architectural Practice and Pedagogy
This paper explores interdisciplinary and inclusive methodologies in architectural education, addressing contemporary socio-technical challenges. It highlights the role of collaborative frameworks in fostering dynamic learning environments and innovative pedagogical strategies. By integrating Industry 5.0 methodologies and digital mapping, we examine their impact on design processes, material innovation, and urban discourse. Through co-production and computational design techniques, we showcase the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration in shaping future architects. Additionally, we discuss how these approaches enhance problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking skills essential for contemporary architectural practice. This study also investigates how emerging technologies in Industry 5.0 facilitate human-centered design, sustainability, and resilience in built environments. By leveraging digital tools, automation, and adaptive systems, architectural education can better prepare students for evolving industry demands. The paper presents practical case studies from our design studios, demonstrating the transformative potential of these methodologies. This study offers valuable insights for educators seeking to enhance inclusivity, adaptability, and innovation in architectural pedagogy.
Āina-based Design Solution for Indigenous Communities in Hawaii: a Pedagogy Approach
The objective of this endeavor is to develop, evaluate, and substantiate an integrative design methodology grounded in Āina, which is tailored to address the needs of indigenous populations in Hawai'i. This methodology is operationalized through a triad of courses at Chaminade University of Honolulu. These courses are designed to facilitate a collaborative learning environment that unites students, community stakeholders, and academics through hands-on design studios, mandatory thematic courses, and optional seminars. The practical application of this design approach is examined through two key initiatives: the refurbishment of the Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center and the conception of a modular shelter aimed at assisting the homeless and providing aid during disasters. The collaborative efforts are supported by a partnership between the Chaminade team, the Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Foundation, and the Institute of Human Services in Hawaii, with a focus on discerning and fulfilling the community's specific requirements.
Bridging Analog and Digital Realms: Fostering Sustainable Design Innovation Through Integrated Teaching Techniques
Digital simulation tools for environmental performance analysis are widely employed in architectural practices around the world. For this reason, teaching students how to use those tools is increasingly becoming an important part of the architect’s education and future employability. However, in architectural design, digital tools, providing fixed numerical outputs, have the potential to lead to design fixations, limiting the students’ capacity for innovative thinking by restricting their design actions. This study suggests that digital tools can be used not only as tools for complex computational analysis in the architect’s practice but also as pedagogical tools facilitating the integration of numerical simulation outputs in holistic design processes, enhancing the learner’s experience. The study further infers that one method to accomplish this is by incorporating digital tools into hands-on activities and experiments. To test the hypothesis, we designed and tested an experimental workshop. Action research was chosen as a methodology, enabling the researchers to participate in ongoing situations, influencing the events while simultaneously being able to measure the impact of their interventions. All activities followed Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory and Schenck & Cruickshank’s Co-constructed Developmental Teaching Theory. A set of digital and analog tools for simulating environmental performance was incorporated into the teaching and learning activities of the workshop. The juxtaposition of the different simulation capabilities of those tools aimed to provoke students to reflect and build a holistic understanding of the subtleties of simulation results. This article is the conclusion of the first workshop and summarizes the attempt to incorporate those tools into hands-on activities and experiments, encouraging students to test the boundaries of their design solutions on both quantitative and qualitative basis. The main discussion points are the methodology and methods employed in the first workshop and the agenda for improving the protocols for the next planned workshop.
Integrating the Autism Spectrum Disorder Student in the Architectural Studio Classroom
Higher education's student population is growing more diverse, incorporating neurodivergent individuals such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) students. Factors contributing to this trend include heightened awareness of learning differences, improved diagnostic processes for ASD, implementing enhanced individualized learning plans, and adopting more effective special education practices. Architectural education is no exception. The creative and collaborative framework fostered in architectural education, particularly in programs based on problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy, presents critical challenges and opportunities for ASD students. This work examines such challenges and opportunities by considering all stakeholders involved, i.e., ASD students, their colleagues, and instructors. Through literature review and interviews conducted at Aalborg University (an institution that uses PBL), this work maps ASD symptomatology, ASD students' needs, the opinion of a mentor of mentally impaired students, the challenges and ad-hoc strategies used overall in higher education in general and by architecture and design faculty. Additionally, the paper presents the results of a small experiment conducted with architecture students without ASD that exposed them to an aural environment that emulates ASD-related auditory hypersensitivity. The paper articulates the different collected information to reflect on PBL adequacy in teaching ASD in architecture programs, the effectiveness of current practices, the impact of environmental factors (e.g., space, aural environment) in this population, and outlines potential pedagogical strategies for this student population in an architectural studio setting.
The identification of sustainable design with the use of standards and commercially available components for energy efficiency has led architecture students to suddenly become more concerned and thirstier for existing know-how, rather than developing the ability to observe and generate their own solutions. Sustainability in architectural education cannot be limited to making students aware of environmental challenges and ready-made solutions, neither into limiting environmental impact on a purely numerical basis. We need instead to shape architectural practitioners able to use their creativity and imagination to shape new architectural paradigms re- harmonizing natural and built environment. Throughout the MSc program in Sustainable Architecture at NTNU, students rely on different kinds of software to optimize environmental performance and minimize environmental impact of their projects. Teaching experience show that an extensive use of simulation software risk anyway of simplistically reducing complexity behind sustainability to a discreet number of parameters. Question is therefore how results provided by advanced simulation tools can be combined with a holistic understanding of the process. The Climate Hub-LAB, developed thanks to the support of the AVIT program at NTNU, aims at providing students an integrated studio where flow of information coming from different machines and tools, can be collected, and more effectively translated in efficient architectural design concepts on the basis of hands-on experiences. In this paper we will reflect on the the use of digital tools and their role for supporting the development of hands-on activities fostering creativity and imagination.
Architectural Writing Laboratory: A Design Learning Experiment
Writing is a spatial act - exploring different writing modes may unveil new modes of architectural thinking. When contextualised within the architectural framework, writing takes on a transformative role, capable of opening up possibilities for non-visual relationships and interconnected networks, thereby inviting critical inquiry and discourse. In architectural schools, where the design studio is the central focus, this area usually remains less explored, particularly in undergraduate programmes. However, practising architectural writing brings opportunities to students; for instance, they are introduced to and become familiar with spatial thinking in a literary space where their typically visual preconceptions do not operate. Pursuing this perspective, this paper explores how effectively using writing as a design tool can uncover new and unconventional perspectives on architecture and proposes architectural writing as an interdisciplinary learning tool for guiding future architects and architectural design researchers. These issues are examined through an in-depth study of pedagogical objectives and outcomes of the Architectural Speaking and Writing course, a mandatory subject for third-year undergraduate students. The course is structured as a writing laboratory that closely examines forms of architectural writing as primary instruments for finding a critical voice, engaging in critical dialogue, and communicating with the wider public. Through introducing the design of the course structure and analysing the writing exercises, this paper addresses the crucial role that diverse mediums and methods of expression play for students to connect their internal narratives with external realities in architectural education while altering the dominant position of the educator towards a facilitator.
Material Knowledge and Digital Thinking: Reflections on Research-based Teaching
Digital tools have become a part of most architectural education worldwide. Today, digital tools include much more than just drawing and modeling software. Every aspect of architectural design and development is digitized, and the component and construction industries are increasingly implementing digitization and automation. As such, digital knowledge and literacy in and around the architectural process are vast and constantly changing. While architectural education can include courses and implementations of certain digital tools, it seems impossible to teach all aspects of digital possibilities within the limited timespan of academic education. A strategy and didactic approach to the digital tool can guide the position of the educational institution and structure the ambition and intention of how digital competencies are brought to the students. Focused work on the digital curriculum at Aarhus School of Architecture led to a framework for digital teaching throughout the bachelor's and master's programs. A series of material- and research-based workshops for 2nd-year students were developed within that framework. This paper discusses the content of these specific hands-on digital courses regarding their intention and ambition as components in architectural education
An Explorative Tracing Of Peer Learning Dynamics In A PBL-Oriented Design Engineering Education
Facilitating deep, sustainable, and long-term learning is not a trivial matter. It is a core challenge in the educational processes aiming at sculpting the profiles of future designers with ability to take part in tackling the pluriverse crisis of climate, biological and social aspects we are facing as a collective. In this context, the paper aims to provide a rich situational insight into peer learning dynamics of a problem-based learning (PBL) architectural education in Aalborg at the Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology (CREATE). We specifically focus on the concept of peer learning within design education that tackles design issues, which are typically referred to as 'wicked' matter of complex proportions that needs addressing on a cross-disciplinary level. Previous research discusses the processes of designing as both linear and situational combining the tasks of analysis, problem formulation, solution, and evaluation showing how working analytically and design-oriented at the same time remains a focal core of the educational process of training designers. However, working in smaller groups addressing wicked design problems introduces also matters of collaboration, decision-making and communication as important skill sets. To contribute insights, the main research question is the following: "How can the didactical practice of peer learning in groups in architectural education contribute to address wicked design problems? Furthermore, what are the potentials and challenges of group work in the process of design?" The paper outlines firstly the state-of-the-art and theoretical foundations. Secondly, empirical material from teaching at CREATE including firsthand insights into design processes is presented. Finally, the paper concludes with a critical discussion on the didactic potential of peer learning in a design education.