INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FIRST TERM

EXPERIENCE OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN EDUCATION

zlem Kandemir (PhD). Anadolu University, Architecture and Design Faculty,
Department of Architecture, Eskiehir Turkey

1. Introduction
Architecture studio governs a visual/spatial realm. The tools used to conceptualize
and produce architectural forms depend on visual communication to translate spatial
forms.
In architectural education it is important for students to have sufficient fundamental
visual/spatial thinking and designing skills. So visual and spatial learning is a key
mechanism in the creative nature of the design studio.
Courses addressing and enhancing these skills and fundamental information about
architectural production in the preliminary stages of architectural education are
important. In Anadolu Universitys Department of Architecture the course takes place
in the first semester of four year (eight semester) long education.
2. General Outlook On Architectural Design Studios
As a place of creative doings, the architectural design studio does not fit easily
within the tradition of inquiry and empirical discovery, let alone the processes of
examination that obtain in other disciplines within the academy, such as law or
medicine (Mewburn 2010).
Based on the learning by doing philosophy (Schn, 1983, 1987) the design studio is
broadly accepted as an indispensible part of design part of design education. In a
studio environment, students work together to benefit from exposure to many ideas
and a wide range of information from peers and tutors. (Waks, 1999; Shih, Hu, Chen,
2006).
In general, as Lukman, Inrahin and Utaberta stated (2001) design studio is meant to
provide students with expertise and knowledge necessary in order to produce
innovative, creative and competent design solutions.
2. Introduction to architectural design I studio contents
The Introduction to Architectural Design studio is the focal point of architectural
education especially for the first term-first year in The Architecture Department of
The Anadolu University.
While the core of the architecture education is the architectural design studio in
Anadolu University, Department of Architecture; the first architectural design studio
is located in the curriculum in the third semester. As the terms semester progressed;
the complexity and contexts of the design problems are shifts and broaden. Because
this studio structure, first year of architectural education in the department have an
importance as a introduction to architecture, design, space etc. to design concepts,
and learning proper skills to handle them. Thus Introduction to Architectural Design
studio aims to prepare students to latter phases of architectural education; focuses on
teaching/giving students tools used to conceptualize and produce architectural forms
depend on visual communication to translate spatial forms.
The course is given by Assoc.Prof.Dr. Berna STN, Res.Assist.Dr. zlem
Kandemir, M.Sc. Glah Doan, B.S. zge Gven Ulusoy to sixty-eight students.
Because the students come from a formal, analytical and passive learning
environment and higher education exam systems in Turkey, one of the main goals of
the studio becomes to erase the preconceived incorrect ideas about architecture,
design and role of architect/designer.
While changing and adapting to be more flexible, active, creative setting and learning;
we mainly aim for students to learn to look their environment with knowing eyes,
assessing situations and facts, evaluating the needs of the design problems then
appraise them accordingly. In order to achieve these goals, we plan the first term
curriculum as a series of exercises, supported by seminars. The syllabus, which can be
seen on below on Table 1, had been applied in the duration of 15 weeks, 2013-2014
Fall Semester. A number of exercises performed, seminars given, juries and
arguments-discussions held in groups and as individuals.
The exercises that are performed are:
1. Urban Exploration Map
2. Dream Boxes
3. Dream Scenes
4. Personal Cubes
5. The Habitat; will be discussed below.
The seminars given by studio tutors are:
Introduction To Concepts Of Architectural Design; Process, Program-Design-
Use, Anthropometric Dimensions, User Needs, Interactions Between Human
And Environment by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Berna stn.
Abstraction Concept And Architecture by Res. Assist. Dr. zlem Kandemir.
Form structure materials by Msc.Glah Doan.
General Introduction To Housing Concept by zge Gven Ulusoy.
Table 1 Course syllabus and content according to weeks through semester
SYLLABUS - CONTENT
WEEK Introduction to concepts of architectural space and definitions
1
WEEK URBAN EXPLORATION MAP
2 (presentation of dream boxes exercise)
WEEK URBAN EXPLORATION MAP SUBMISSION
3 DREAM BOXES STUDIO WORK
WEEK Eid of sacrifices holiday
3
WEEK Anthropometric dimensions, user needs, interaction between human and environment
4 DREAM BOXES STUDIO WORK
WEEK Republic Day holiday (29 October)
5
WEEK 1st mid-terms
6 DREAM BOXES SUBMISSION
WEEK SEMINAR: Architectural design process, program-design-use, anthropometric
7 dimensions, user needs, interactions between human and environment
BERNA STN
DREAM SCENES STUDIO WORK
WEEK Architectural design process, program-design-use, anthropometric dimensions, user
8 needs, interactions between human and environment
SEMINAR: Abstraction concept
ZLEM KANDEMIR
DREAM SCENES STUDIO WORK & SUBMISSION
WEEK Architectural design process, program-design-use and structure
9 SEMINAR: Form structure materials
GLAH DOAN
PRESENTATION OF HABITAT EXERCISE
PRESENTATION OF THE PERSONAL CUBE EXERCISE
WEEK Architectural design process, program-design-use and structure, general understanding
10 of properties of physical environment factors SEMINAR: general SEMINAR:
Introduction to housing concept
ZGE ULUSOY
THE PERSONAL CUBE EXERCISE SUBMISSION
HABITAT EXERCISE STUDIO WORK (AS IN GROUPS WITH TUTORS)
WEEK 2nd mid-terms
11
 WEEK Architectural design process, program-design-use and structure, general understanding
12 of properties of physical environment factors
HABITAT EXERCISE STUDIO WORK (AS IN GROUPS WITH TUTORS)
WEEK Architectural design process, program-design-use and structure, general understanding
13 of properties of physical environment factors
HABITAT EXERCISE STUDIO WORK (AS IN GROUPS WITH TUTORS)
WEEK Architectural design process, program-design-use and structure, general understanding
14 of properties of physical environment factors
HABITAT EXERCISE STUDIO WORK (AS IN GROUPS WITH TUTORS)
WEEK Finals submissions JURY
15 SUBMISSION OF HABITAT EXERCISE
First exercise
The first exercise was Urban Exploration Map; the aim was looking to urban life,
environment and people as urban patterns, fabric, space and its habitants. Leading a
basic path from a map to discover the components of urban space, on which trying to
find the elements that defines, differentiates and identifies it.
The assignment consisted of, following given two different routes (Fig.2, 4) for try
to define focal points (square, buildingsetc.) by both material and immaterial
architectural elements then document them either by taking photos or drawing or
making a movie of it. In addition to this mapping there was a simple scavenger hunt
(Fig. 3, 5) like: finding the place or the buildings from the given focused detail
photographs that are taken from the buildings on the paths. Time given for this
exercise was one week.
Below there can be seen the exercise brief given to students. While the brief defines
the aim and the expectations of the exercise, additional pamphlets that shows the
maps of the routes and clues for the scavenger hunt.

Exercise I: Urban Exploration Map

Goal: to learn about the city of Eskiehir, the urban layers, the transformation on the
urban patterns and environment, to observe the dynamics of the city and document
them.
1. Definition of environment
a. Temperature / wind
b. Illumination /light
c. Scent / what is the smell of the environment? Is it pleasant
d. Sound / what do you hear? Is loud?
2. Observation of time?
Make an estimate about the time of the buildings that you see, try to rationalize it.
3. How does the circulation in the pinned points have been made?
Bicycle, pedestrians, cars etc are the much parked carsat what time?
4. Are the green areas/parks around?
a. What about greenery/plants/flora?
b. Who uses those areastheir ages? And animals etc according to time
5. What are functions of the buildings on selected pinpoints, nodes? What can
you say about the patterns, or according to is there a pattern?
Tell us these stuff with sound recordings, videos, photographs, sketches.
Points/nodes: route 1:train station/ Eti Park/ Adalar/ Halk Bank/ Tepeba
Municipality/ ukurar/ Emek Otel- Old intercity Bus Terminal
Route 2: National Bank/ Garanti Bank/ Taba/ Hamamyolu-Scaksular/ Deliklita
Ave./ Alaaddin Park/ Odunpazar

Figure 1. Urban Exploration Map exercise brief given to students.

 Figure 2. Urban exploration map exercise route 1 maps.

Figure 3. Urban exploration map exercise, route 1 scavenger hunt clues.

Figure 4. Urban exploration map exercise route 2 maps.

Figure 5. Urban exploration map exercise, route 2 scavenger hunt clues.

The outputs of the exercise was:
We have achieved our goals on observing spaces founding nodes and its
characteristics; but they havent able to document their findings in an architectural
communicative way. Students were,
Wrote their observations as: what are people doing, building conditions and
functions, scent of the space, sounds, crowds
Taken photographs
Found the puzzle pieces
 But there were few sketches and few video recordings

Figure 6. Examples from the U.E.M. exercise, student works.

Second exercise
Second exercise Dream Boxes aimed to define an event-incident, montage it in
three dimensions by scaling on defined boundaries. Without knowing what are they
documenting for, we asked the students to write down three scenes from their dreams.
Afterwards they built an integrated and montaged model in defined boundaries
(50x50x40cm) the Dream Box but without given scale. Duration of the exercise was
3 weeks. The brief (Fig. 7) given to students and examples (Fig.8-11) from the results
can be seen below.
 EXERCISE 2: DREAM BOXES
Goals: defining a stage / an event in an environment,
redefine and edit the environment and actions on given boundaries with three
dimension.
Problem: all week keep the record of your dreams, esp. the ones you remember or
effects you most.
Choose three of them
Define the space and place, the events and actors.
Who, where, when, what?
Tell us your dreams:
With proportion in a open box of 50x50x40cm.dimensions made of corrugated
board
You are a 5cm. figurine scale other actors according to you.
Materials:
can be different cardboards with different texture, cloths, ropes, threads,
different sticks etc
You have 3 weeks.

Figure 7. Dream Boxes exercise brief given to the students.

Figure 8. Dream Box exercise examples: the student walking on a tight rope, trying
to escape from burglars at home.

Figure 9. Dream Box exercise examples: the student is in a classroom not prepared
for an exam; in the second dream in a giants world as a tiny being.
 Figure 10. Dream Box exercise examples: student trying to escape from criminals
with her father, there was no timeframe -she couldnt decipher if its night or day.

Figure 11. Dream Box exercise examples: student was lost in a large storage area, on the
other face of the dream box she is deserted-lost on picnic area; on the third part she missing a
very important exam on school.
Output of the exercise: Students were generally successful and creative about scenes
and ways to represent them; some of the successful ones were able to the box as multi
faceted and dimensional object. But there was still some scaling and material
selecting problems. Nevertheless as the tutors, we also expected these problems to
happen. There has been general critique held. Tutors discussed the boxes with the
students in the studio, pointing out the spatial relations, materials and its properties,
abstraction techniques, and gave recommendations for further exercises.

Third exercise:
The third exercise was called The Dream Scene. The assignment was expected on
an architectural scale in which students exist as a flexible scaled puppet that has joints
and can stand-alone with the other actors of their dreams but also in a dwelling
environment. The aim was while learning the anatomical measurements and scaling,
making a basic introduction to creating an active structure and dealing with material
problems. The duration of the exercise was 2 weeks. The brief (Fig. 12) and results
(Fig. 13-14) can be seen below.
 EXERCISE 3 DREAM SCENE:
Goal: description of the actors and yourselves in a home environment with
architectural scale and in three dimensions.
Understanding anthropological dimensions and use of areas
In this dream scene the characters should be shown while they are eating,
resting-sleeping, cleaning and/or working.

You must be a figurine which is flexible (like having joints etc) able to stand on its
own, and on scale (1/10).

Scale: 1/10 base:50x70cm.

Material suggestions: cardboards-papers with different textures and thickness,
ropes, plastic and wooden sticks, fabrics.
Figure 12. Dream Scene exercise brief

(a)

(b) (c)
Figure 13. Dream Scene exercise examples: (a) study and billiards area, (b) bathroom
washing area, (c) bedroom of an architectural student.
Outputs
The exercise was a success as a introduction for understanding anthropometric
dimensions and the place of them design process and also by designing the puppet the
also thought on the nature of materials and use them on their design with scale in a
dwelling. But as can be seen from the examples, there are still some representation
techniques problems occurred.
Scaled puppets
Students submitted successful puppets, which can stand alone and flexible. They were
able to manipulate materials more and more in each exercise; observed and learned
anthropometric measurements and living settlements.
 Figure 14. Scaled puppets examples from the Dream Scene exercise.
Fourth Exercise
Fourth exercise - The Personal Cube was a weeklong assignment in which they
designed a 125m3 personal space to learn the standard measurements of the utilities
on a dwelling. The exercise programmed with an aim of reinforcing the information
learned through the previous exercises like use of space-anthropometric
measurementsetc. also the exercise as a transitional one to finalize the term by the
last exercise. The duration for the exercise was a week long.
Exercise 4 The Personal Cube
Apply your knowledge upon anthropometric and relational living area measurements
on a personal cube dwelling
For you.
Limits: 125m3
Figure 14. Personal Cube exercise brief given to students.

Figure 15. Personal Cube exercise models.

Output
Exercise was again discussed on the studio with the students and tutors. The notion of
space, relating it with user needs was starting to be more actively given place. Still
working on representation techniques and skills. Abstraction concepts were more
actively discussed and given thought.

Fifth Exercise
In the final exercise The Habitat, we aimed to direct students to research, think
and learn about the new terms and concepts; then, accordingly propose a habitat a
new geography, new environment and the dwellings. While the focus was on the
designed dwellings, we also equally worked on the concepts like abstraction,
elements, structure and environmental conceptual relations. Time given to
students for this exercise was 7 weeks. This exercise also differentiated from the
previous ones from work order, as group tutors have guided it. Every group was
average 12 students.
Final exercise: HABITAT DESIGN
You will decide geography, design area and its inhabitants
A NEW HOUSING
design is expected
Housing units limit is 250 m2
Format: scale 1/200 layout
plans, sections and elevations scale 1/50
model 1/100 and/or 1/50

Figure 16. The Habitat exercise brief given to students.

Figure 17. The Habitat exercise example from Assoc.Prof.Dr. Berna STN grup.
Student designed a hunting lodge on a non existing landscape which also designed by
himself, for a single occupant.
Figure 18. The Habitat exercise example from Res.Assist.Dr. zlem KANDEMR
zge ULUSOY grup. Student designed a single dwelling for post-apocalyptic world
and era. Additional to the dwelling all conditions-enviroment designed by the student.

Figure 19. The Habitat exercise example from Res.Assist.Dr. zlem KANDEMR
zge ULUSOY grup. Student designed a single dwelling for a botanist with its
greenhouse.

Outputs
Students were able to create a physical eviroment; and design a dwelling accordingly.
Most of them succesfully abstracted their designs and built their models. The concepts
like structure and deconstructing one, were attampted, which is can be counted as a
succes comparing the vision they have about space and design at the beginning of the
term was broaden. Hopefully will be carried progressingly through their architectural
education.
4. Conclusions:
During the 14-week term, as the instructors of the studio, our main goals were
to help student to observe learn from environment then deconstruct and reflect
abstract concepts and generalisations
 and later form implications of these concepts and construct their own ideas in
new situations
and experiment through their designs.
In the beginning of first year - first semester, students were not fully capable of
fundamental visual/spatial thinking and designing skills and it was moderately
difficult to make connections what is shown, thought, communicated and expected
from students. But this process gained momentum by each exercise, thus students
started more and more quickly grasp the design problems.
We started by looking to urban environment and space, to understand basic
architectural elements. Then moving into theoretical grounds and synthesizing them
into exercises on dwelling & housing concepts (which is also one of most difficult
architectural concept).
As mentioned above it is important for students to have sufficient fundamental
visual/spatial thinking and designing skills; thus giving courses addressing and
enhancing these skills and fundamental information about architectural production in
the preliminary stages of architectural education are important. As a way to learning
these skills, the Introduction to Architectural Design I studio introduces and guides
students through series of exercises, which are connected and carefully planned.
In the first semester of this two-term course, we focused housings/dwellings while on
second, the continuing studio (Introduction to Architectural Design II) second
semester; we focused on more spatial design problems on urban spaces.
References
Cuff, D. (1991) Architecture: The Story of Practice. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.
Lukman, N., Ibrahim, N., Utaberta, N., (2011). Learning in Architecture Design
Studio. UKM Teaching and Learning Congress 2011.
Mewburn, I., (2010) Lost in Translation: Reconsidering Reflective Practice and
Design Studio Pedagogy. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education. Vol II (4), 363-
379.
Schn, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think In Action.
Basic Books, New York.
Schn, D. (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner: Towards a New Design for
Teaching in the Professions. Jossey-Bas, San Francisco.
Shih, S. Hu Tsung-Pao H., Chen, C.-N. (2006) A Game Theory-Based Approach
to the Analysis of Cooperative Learining in Design Studios Design Studies 27 (2006)
711-722.
Waks, L.J. (1999) Reflective Practice in the Design Studio and Teacher Education.
Journal of Curriculum Studies Vol 31 No 3 pp 303-316.