Architecture is concerned with the design and construction of buildings in their social, technical and environmental contexts. The advent of the 21st century has witnessed globalization, urban growth, new materials and techniques, information technology and climate change at an unprecedented rate. The four C’s of education, viz., creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication are especially relevant to architectural education when laying a foundation for lifelong learning for students. Architectural education also needs to be viewed in the context of an ongoing paradigm shift in the field of higher education shift to a learnercentric approach where the student is an active participant in the learning processes. The challenge lies in designing new approaches to prepare students to be creative, innovative, and responsible shapers of our built environment.
The main aims of the program are as follows:
- To establish a foundation for lifelong learning
- To empower learning by doing. The Design studio is considered both a course and a place of study at the heart of an academic environment fostering design thinking that is analytical as well as creative.
- To apply current educational theories that see learning as a process wherein the learner constructs or builds new concepts, focusing on learner-centric education rather than teachercentric education.
- To transform the role of teacher to that of a facilitator, guide and mentor and not merely a transmitter of information
- To encourage diverse learning styles, so that every student discovers the learning style best suited to the person.
