Urban Architecture Studio
Studio of Urban Architecture is offered in the Department of Architecture in the form of Architecture Design 3 in the master’s degree program. This idea of the studio has a history of around 30 years. The theoretical section of the studio is developed or revised in each semester.
In the design process, the development and explanation of theoretical concepts which were first introduced in the “Architectural Design 1” course at the bachelor’s level were further pursued in the “Architectural Design 3” course at the master’s level. This course, titled Studio of Urban Architecture, has been offered since 2006. In this studio, in addition to having the individual responsibility of developing and advancing their architectural projects, students are also required to actively participate in creating a large-scale project as part of a group which includes all their classmates.
Background: Teaching method in Architectural Design 1
The approach presented here is based on the “Engagement Theory”. It is derived from practical experiences gained during educational activities. This theory aims to engage students’ mental and physical activities through creative processes, problem solving, logical thinking, decision making, and evaluation. Architecture is not a solo activity, but rather a collective effort. It occurs in an integrated manner, and the result is ultimately a reflection in a team effort. Any architectural activity, regardless of the location in the world, is related to other work in various ways. Constructing even the tiniest urban pixel (home) involves us in simultaneous interaction with the street, region, city, and so on, forming an inevitable connection. Creating an architectural piece, whether small or large, involves working within a much larger team, as architecture derives its significance from texture, theme, and environment, without which it would not exist.
In this exercise, each student had to select a portion of land from the neighborhood complex and begin their activity. The gradual formation of personal projects among the students led to the following outcomes:
The definition of the entire neighborhood complex as the larger project to be completed by the group of students.
Encouragement of instructors to emphasize the importance and necessity of considering the environment and neighbors.
The construction of a maquette of the entire site of the complex, which was gradually developed and finished through the efforts of each student.
The instructors also referred to some of the existing issues and notes in the complex, which further contributed to the students’ understanding of the goals of the project. Additionally, the instructors continued to encourage the students to observe and solve the existing issues presented in the site, which was deemed to be an integral part of achieving the desired objectives.
Practical & Theoretical Approaches of the Studio
In this studio, participants are periodically classified into different groups based on the needs of the project. Study groups include historical, geographical, social, cultural, economic, master plan, landscape, and ecological studies. There are also roaming and mapping groups for documentation and, lastly, shared groups for the advancement of the design process. Decisions regarding the progress of the work, management, assessment, and guidance of the project are also made through group discussions. Participants in this studio make decisions together and collectively regarding the progress of group activities while also being responsible for judging and guiding individual projects.
Students, after gathering and analyzing site issues and producing a master plan, begin designing their individual architectural projects. The evaluation and guidance of individual projects continues to take place within the framework of group sessions. The projects of individual students must be a suitable response to the master plan and collective project vision. The combination of individual student projects creates an overall project on a large scale.
