Prof. Arch.

Paolo Bulletti
Via B. Latini 22, Firenze 50133, Italy

TEACHING STATEMENT

Reflections on strategies to improve the teaching

in Architectural Design Studio at Undergraduate level

The Design Studio Approach: Learning Design in Architecture Education

Traditionally, the practice of architectural design is learned through a project-

based "studio" approach.
The Design Studio is thus the core course in architectural education.
In studio, students explore and express ideas, generate and evaluate alternatives,
and ultimately make decisions and take action.
In studio, students become architects applying the knowledge about buildings,
learning and practicing the design process or method and experiencing a
collaborative working environment.

Given the natural increasing of complexity in the teaching of Architecture, I think

we can synthesize an interactive strategy in the curriculum of a 3-year program
with three types of learning:
> learning about design, through the development of cultural and technical
knowledge.
> learning to design, through the development and application of skills in a
methodological frame focused to link ideation with meaning-making processes.
> learning to become an architect, a transformative pedagogy in which the
identity of the person (the student, aspiring architect) and the abilities acquired
become the "tools" to express talents and potentials with the aim of finding an
original place in the contemporary professional architectural market.

To foster diversity is the strategy to encourage innovation and creative thinking,

which are the foundation of our profession.
I see three pillars to support the learning path.

Construction

In the field of Architecture, the real innovation is represented by the continuous

development of new technologies and applications of materials and product.
In the work of an architect, today, both the iconic and the technical components
are determined by the innovations introduced in the construction industry. Last
but not least the BIM software.

Learning to be an architect means to know and learn to apply the results of

scientific research on materials into new concept of housing, offices and
commercial buildings.

Smart buildings will be networked in smart cities; buildings will change in ways
that no one can predict.

Changings in the construction industry will drive the need of new skills for
architects. In this light, within a Design studio, they should also be treated topics
such as the use of 3D printers with which houses are built in 4 days, Resilient
Housing and Flooding, seismic issues and wooden structures, modular
construction which can deliver quality and speed.
Environmental diversity should be taken into consideration to reflect on the
history and future of comfort, both as an idea and a material reality. Not only
passive / active ventilation and air conditioning systems but also the quality of
open urban spaces.

Each phase in architectural design requires a clear and concise presentation

between the architect and the client or the contractor. The ability to communicate
design solutions to another person across the world and increase the
effectiveness of collaboration and cooperation will be key in advanced
architectural education.

Architecture practices of the future will probably be paperless.

Augmented reality is always more used in the real estate business.

Cultivate talents

Educate the students to be the architects of the future. Affirm the role of the
architect as a fulcrum between Science and Humanities, between Engineering
and Philosophy, between Project management and life styles. Calls on
Universities to see bigger schemes.

The design studio is the place where learning to work in teams without
prejudicing their creativity and leadership, understanding that the emergence of
their skills and talents will contribute to the creation of the Value Stream of a
project.

Fostering rebel talent. The pressure to conform, typical of the young generations,
can have a negative impact on the on the ability to innovate. There are benefits to
encourage “constructive nonconformity” both for the students, who may develop
an authentic selves, even at a workplace, and for the University that become
interesting and attractive for talented personalities.

Today young people do not want to be salaried employees. They like have their
own little practice, they are adaptable, share platforms and co-work in fancy
spaces.
They have to be pushed to be entrepreneurial.
Biological diversity enriches the eco-systems. The Design Studio is a micro eco-
system, a community that grows sharing knowledge and where the development
of personality is key to making technological innovation real and at the service of
people.

Provide meaningful contents

Teaching and learning methods in a Design studio should provide the students
with the tools to learn how to carry out and evaluate their work at every stage of
the design process.
Two good approaches are represented by Critical thinking, in the early years, and
Design thinking in later years.

It is important the teaching of design methodologies to face, with progressivity,

the complexity of the construction of buildings and responsive urban spaces.
There is the need to operate a mental shift from the traditional Plan of Work -
from inception to completion - to a wider and contemporary approach - from
Vision to Post-occupancy - where thinking skills and digital abilities converge in
ecologically driven solutions.

To be educated as an architect means to be able to face complex situations at

different scales.

Human-centred design always starts with building empathy with the people you
are looking to serve.

Discover Architecture by learning how building work. We have to make sure we

do not forget the basics when focusing on the future of Architectural education.

January 2019