Elementary – Designing where Architects Learn

Elementary – Designing where Architects Learn

PREMISE
Architecture is widely agreed to be one of the most grueling academic courses, entailing hours worth of design assignments, model making, practical and theory subjects, and mandatory internships. Architectural education is a complex, non-conventional process and its creative demands must be supported by an understanding of art, science, psychology, mathematics, and engineering. However, are our institutions equipped with the means to handle such a complex scope of the study?

Despite the elaborate program, there clearly exists a large gap between education and the practice of architecture. The dated methods used in architectural education do not reflect the real challenges a fresh graduate would face in the field. In essence, what if an architecture institute could embody these details in and of itself? Become a manifestation of the “see and learn” principle?

CHALLENGE
Challenge is to design an Architecture School that is the very embodiment of the study it professes. The school should not be just an institution for architecture but also function as a laboratory for architecture, where students are fully engaged while learning. A dedicated facility can open up an avenue for a school of architecture to have its own unique identity, to put on display what it preaches, and with spaces specifically designed keeping in mind the multifarious requirements of the students in this course.