Practice-based Design Education: The Arup Design School Programme

Abstract

Some design firms develop their own internal educational programmes to strengthen employee skills in areas relevant tothe firm’s plans and aspirations. International multidisciplinary design firm Arup has developed a programme of‘design schools’ for younger staff, intended to strengthen the firm’s design culture. The schools are very broad in conceptand execution, and based loosely on the traditional university ‘studio’ method of design teaching. This paper describes theprogramme, reviews available evidence regarding need and value, and considers possibilities for further study to developthe programme