Role of Architectural Schools’ Trends in Enhancing Identity of Architecture Between Local and International: The Department of Architecture at Baghdad University and Universities of Technology as case studies

Abstract

Abstract The architectural schools’ trends are essentially important on the life of the architectural designer, especially in the early years of graduation, as its effects appear in his/her designs since the period of study in those schools until after graduation, and contribute to the identification of architecture. This research seeks to highlight the importance of the academic identity of architectural schools in enhancing the identity of architecture associated with space and time in the era of globalization, through the nature of curricula, courses and teaching staff trends of a core substance representing the vision, mission and goals of the educational institution, which is reflected in the products of students and the qualifications of graduates within the professional practice. The research adopted the descriptive analytical approach of the previous studies and theses in identifying the various aspects for academic architectural identity. The research, therefore, investigates these aspects in the local reality through the Department of Architecture, University of Baghdad (DAUB), and the Department of Architecture, University of Technology (DAUT), as a model for architectural schools in Iraq. The research hypothesis is that the Academic Identity in any architectural department is determined by the degree of convergence/conformity of its courses and the teaching staff trends in it and the products of students with the vision, mission and goals set by that department that linked to the peculiarity of the architectural reality and its relationship to both place and time. The research found that the courses and the educational trends of the teaching staff of DAUB and DAUT were in line with the requirements of the department and the college, which gives the educational identity of both departments and matches with the vision, mission and goals of the department. The graduation projects for the fifth stage students in DAUB weren’t in line with the vision, mission and goals of the department, with a weakness of the existence of an academic architectural identity of architecture students compatible with the vision, mission and goals of the department. While most of the graduation projects of (DAUT) were in line with the vision, mission and goals of the department in the field of adopting contemporary architecture and the use of modern graphic techniques, but they miscarried in achieving a balance between the aesthetic, functional and performance aspects. The research recommends the essential increase of the courses in (DAUB) with subjects focusing on local, Arab and Islamic identity. Additionally, the focus of (DAUT) on increasing courses in the field of modern technologies in building materials and construction and architectural graphic.