No. 4 (2013): Teaching through Design

Guest Editors: Paulo Providência, Gonçalo Canto Moniz

Despite of what the name may lead one to believe, Architectural Design Studio teaching and learning is not a practical application (project) of a previous theory (architecture). It moves in a complex field that calls for implicit knowledge, personal experience, critical conscience, reflection-in-action, or operative synthesis, the Architectural Design Studio is a discipline of synthesis that resorts to social sciences, and as arts and humanities, or sciences and technologies, to build a transforming narrative argument. Albeit showing, a strong practical approach, its main goal is a theoretical construction of architecture. However, its theoretical efficacy is dependent upon its practical and instructive materialization.
The main purpose of the Colloquium Teaching through Design was to debate the paths that have been scaned by the first and second study cycles of the Master in Architecture and anticipate the improvement of Design Studio education taking account of the following aspects: a) to identify design methods and experiences on design studio in Schools of Architecture; b) to define the role and contents of each design studio in bachelor, as well as master courses; c) to identify conceptual frameworks of design studio to establish learning outcome targets for each stage; d) to reflect on programmatic contents of architecture first and second level courses, their articulation and continuity whether for professional life or as third level programmes.