Listen without prejudice: The design studio as a discursive environment (or) Helping students learn in architecture education

Learning how to learn is an essential part of architectural education, but relies on the confluence of a number of elements: effective teaching, knowledge construction, and active engagement with new knowledge in the design studio. It is here that collaboration between learners and educators is fostered, through socialization processes embedded in this discursive environment. Challenges in ensuring constructive engagement are twofold: for students, coming into architectural education means having to adopt new learning approaches, and adapt to teaching methods and styles they were previously unaware of; while also having to engage with instructors, whose approach to teaching are at times ritualized, making use of methods and techniques largely derived from prior experiences as students. This can create an environment that runs counter to the discursive learning environment that we believe the studio to be, and hindering effective learning. How then can architectural education help students develop valuable learning skills, as a core element architectural education? This paper takes the position that listen to students and appreciating their needs is fundamental in aiding their transition into and through architectural education. Listening without prejudice, not being judgemental, and opening ourselves as instructors to further learning forms a key element in helping student learn. Appreciating that any discursive engagement is two-way, therefore allowing the voice of students to emerge is crucial in building not only their confidence, but generating dialogue as a core element of collaboration and sharing. The paper discusses activities undertaken in a school of architecture in East Africa, formulated to allow for discourse in a context where such engagements are not traditionally part of education; a challenge for architectural education whose signature pedagogical approach is premised on the ability to have open discussions. These activities were geared to improve interactions within the design studio, not only between students and instructors, but amongst students, helping dispelling some of the myths embedded in architectural education, and uncloaking the black box of architectural education for instructors and students alike, and improving the quality of teaching and learning in the process

Books and Reviews

A review by Mark R. O. Olweny of Fugitive Archives: A Sourcebook for Centering Africa in Histories of Architecture edited by Claire Lubell and Rafico Ruiz (2023) and a review by Immaculata Abba of Architecture and Politics in Nigeria: The Study of a Late Twentieth-century Enlightenment-inspired Modernism at Abuja, 1900-2016, Nnamdi Elleh (2020)

Architectural Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Investigation into Pedagogical Positions and Knowledge Frameworks

Formal architectural education in sub-Saharan Africa has been taught since the 1920s: initially in South Africa, and later in Kenya and Nigeria during the 1950s. The first postcolonial schools were opened in Ghana and Sudan also during the 1950s, and initiated discourse on the nature of architectural education for a postcolonial Africa. Notwithstanding, the origins of architectural education as an imposed reality across the region have had an unwavering impact on the current state of education. With increased focus on the state of architectural education globally, the need to tell the story of sub- Saharan Africa has never been more urgent, often obscured by discourse from other parts of the world, but significant in relation to growing discourse on decolonise and transform of education. This paper engages with the discourse on architectural education within the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Derived from a wider study of architectural education undertaken across the region, the paper provides an insight into pedagogical positions and knowledge frameworks that have defined (and to an extent continue to define) how architectural education is perceived, and how it is undertaken. The paper investigates historic and contemporary discourse on architectural education that transcends the ages; a source of heated debate today, growing out of the recognition that architecture is a socio-cultural phenomenon. The few cases presented may yet destabilise the status quo and the traditional hierarchies within architectural education, they however are testament to a growing penchant for change, acknowledging alternative knowledge’s and breaking from the hegemony of in historicised educational approaches

Introducing sustainability into an architectural curriculum in East Africa

Purpose This paper seeks to reflect on the transition of a school of architecture to incorporate sustainability principles as a core part of its undergraduate (Part I) programme. The paper offers a brief overview of the processes undertaken and outcomes of this to an integrated problem-based learning approach and with sustainability at its core changing both knowledge content and pedagogical approaches. Design/methodology/approach Reflecting on the transition to a sustainability-based curriculum, this paper makes use of a mixed methods approach incorporating a review of literature on sustainability in architectural education, pedagogical approaches and epistemology, as well as educational issues in sub-Saharan Africa. The main study made use of an ethnographic approach, including document analysis, interviews, observations and one-on-one informal interactions with students, faculty and alumni. Findings While the transition to a sustainability-based curriculum was achieved, with integrated studio courses at second- and third-year levels, this did not come without challenges. Divided opinions of formal education, linked to preconceived ideas of what constituted architectural education led to some resistance from students and professionals. Nevertheless, the programme serves as testament to what is achievable and provides some lessons to schools seeking to transition programmes in the future. Practical implications The paper contributes to discourses on sustainability in architectural education, examining the transition taken by an architectural programme to incorporate sustainability as a core part of its curriculum. The outcomes of this process provide advice that could be useful to schools of architecture seeking to integrate sustainability into their programmes. Originality/value As the first architecture programme in East Africa to integrate sustainability principles into its programme, this study provides an insight into the processes, experiences and outcomes of this transition. This reflective engagement highlights value of an enabling environment in any transitional process

Students’ views of the architectural design review: The design crit in East Africa

The design studio and the associated design review can be regarded as the signature pedagogy of architectural education, where students garner the essence of what it means to be an architect. Here, novices are transformed into architects through the acquisition of architectural cultural capital. This paper investigates the design review in East African schools of architecture from a student’s perspective, garnered from focus group discussions carried out in five schools of architecture, and corroborated through observations. Findings indicate challenges in the design review, vis-à-vis the broader goals and objectives of architectural education. However, it did uncover attempts at change, via a ‘back seat instructor approach’, for example, breaking down the stereotype of the design review as a hostile environment for students. The paper concludes with a few recommendations to help recast this signature pedagogical approach as a truly discursive environment

Socialisation in architectural education: a view from East Africa

Purpose Concern for the state of architectural education in East Africa was a catalyst for this exploration of socialisation, which sought to understand socialisation and its influence on educational outcomes in the region. Socialisation within architectural education has long been known to influence how students acquire important aspects of the profession, building both values and a cultural ethos in the process. An appreciation of these processes in the context of East Africa adds to the wider understanding of the implicit curriculum in architectural education. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach An ethnographic study was undertaken in five architecture schools across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, making use of a mixed method approach incorporating document analysis, a questionnaire study, participant observations and focus group discussions as the data gathering instruments. Focus group discussions, as the primary data gathering method, acknowledged the social context of the study, with data gathered from multiple sites across the region. Findings As an integral component of architectural education, socialisation was evident at all stages of the educational process. Within the educational realm, contrasting expectations of students and instructors were evident, leading to conflicts that influenced the values acquired by students. This was seen in attitudes towards contemporary architectural issues within architectural education, and suggests that socialisation can at times have pronounced negative consequences. Originality/value The wider study represents the first comprehensive review of architectural education in the context of East Africa, and contributes to the global appreciation of the influence of socialisation on educational outcomes

Investigating the processes of socialisation in architectural education: through experiences in East Africa

This thesis investigates socialisation in architectural education in East Africa. It was hypothesised that socialisation formed an integral part of professional education,through which students acquired undocumented, but nonetheless important aspects of the profession, building both values, and a cultural ethos in the process. Socialisation in the context of architectural education, thus takes on added significance, given the longevity of the educational process, as well as the close association between faculty and students. The outcomes of the educational process thus evoked questions of the transformative nature of the process, and how this was effected. Undertaken as an ethnographic study, the research investigated elements of socialisation within five established architecture schools across East Africa. Framed in the context of a learnscape of architectural education, the study examined influences on architectural education in three key areas: Pre-socialisation; Institutional socialisation; and, educational socialisation. A mixed method approach was used, addressing the contextual diversity presented by the setting of East Africa. The mixed method approach made use of document analysis, a questionnaire study, focus group discussions, and participant observations, as data gathering instruments. The variety of methods, along with the multitude of study sites, ensured data triangulation as a key element in validation of the findings. The study revealed socialisation as being an important and integral component of architectural education, existing at all stages of the educational process. Prior to entry into architectural education, pre-socialisation served to inform student ideas and values related to the profession, often based on uninformed perspectives. Institutional influence, presented a traditional educational approach, creating culture shock for incoming students through a misalignment of values between students and architectural education. The contrasting expectations of student and faculty,and the attendant influence on socialisation, were overtly evident in the educational realm. This was highlighted by approaches to contemporary issues in architectural education, and the nature of educational activities within the schools. Through this research, socialisation was found to be an integral part of architectural education. Far from being a mere puzzling phenomenon, ignored and taken for granted,socialisation forms a fundamental part of architectural education, which forms a critical part of the education of architects

Evaluating assumptions of scales for subjective assessment of thermal environments – Do laypersons perceive them the way, we researchers believe?

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