Adapting sustainability and energy efficiency principles to architectural education: A conceptual model proposal for the design studio sequence

Abstract

Architectural education is the first step into the professional career of an architect. It has strong connections with the profession itself regarding the technological trends and the needs of the society. Therefore, emerging challenges and developments in the world of architecture like environmental problems and sustainability issues need to be addressed by the educational programs of architecture. In addition to this, sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Program of United Nations puts an important responsibility on the shoulders of architectural educators. SDG includes both architectural and educational goals such as quality education, affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action. Accordingly, architectural education needs to be formed in a way to respond to the requirements of the contemporary global society. Design studio is the heart and core of architectural education. It is the place where all the theoretical and technical knowledge and skills gained in other courses become useful for the students to come up with design ideas and products. Additionally, design studios are not isolated environments. They form a series of courses by the consecutive repetition throughout the continuum of architectural education. Thus, they need to be treated as a developing sequence. Therefore, it is very important and valuable that the structure of the design studio sequence is improved and updated with suitable revisions towards emerging needs of the profession and society like the adaptation of sustainability principles, to reflect the dynamic character of architectural education itself. This paper presents a conceptual model proposal for the design studio sequence for the adaptation of sustainability principles to architectural education.