INTELLIGENCE- BASED DESIGN: A SUSTAINABLEFOUNDATION FOR
WORLDWIDEARCHITECTURALEDUCATION
Nikos A. Salingaros & Kenneth G. Masden II
Arc hne t-IJAR, Inte rna tio na l Jo urna l o f Arc hite c tura l Re se a rc h
C o p yrig ht © 2007 Arc hne t-IJAR, Vo lume 2 - Issue 1 - Marc h 2008 - (129-188)
129
Abstract
Arc hite c tura l the o ry a s c urre ntly ta ug ht in mo de rn
unive rsitie s thro ug ho ut the wo rld no lo ng e r p ro vide s
a p la usib le b a sis fo r the disc ip line a nd p ra c tic e o f
a rc hite c ture . Stude nts studying within this mo de l a re
le ft to the ir o wn inve ntio ns if the y ho pe to g ain an
a rc hite c tura l de g re e . Fo rc e d to fo rmula te a b o dy o f
wo rk c o nstra ine d b y the p a ra dig m o f c o nte mp o ra ry
de sig n, stude nts le a rn to c o p y fa shio na b le ima g e s
witho ut unde rsta nding the irg e o me try; o rsimp ly inve nt
fo rms tha t lo o k a s if the y p o sse ss a c o nte mp o ra ry se nse
o f arc hite c ture . By the ir ve ry nature , suc h fo rms are
irre le va nt to huma n ne e ds a nd se nsib ilitie s. Co ntra ry
to wha t stude nts a re le d to b e lie ve , this p ra c tic e do e s
no t p ro vide a b ro a de r b a se fo r c re a tivity, b ut inste a d
e ffe c tive ly re stric ts c ho ic e s to a ve ry na rro w de sig n
vo c a b ula ry. Mo st a rc hite c tura l institutio ns c o ntinue
to p ro p a g a te a c urric ula r mo de l tha t ha s susta ine d
the ir p a rtic ula r ide a ls a nd ide o lo g ie s fo r de c a de s.
While many innovative didac tic mate rials and ide as
fo r re vising the a rc hite c tura l c urric ulum a re a va ila b le
to da y, the y a re o fte n o ve rlo o ke d o r ig no re d. If
imp le me nte d, the se ne w ide a s c o uld dra stic a lly
imp ro ve the e duc a tio na l mo de l, a llo wing stude nts
the wo rld o ve r to p a rtic ip a te in a le a rning e xp e rie nc e
sp e c ific to the ir imme dia te a nd lo c a l c o nte xt. By
re -situa ting the e duc a tio n o f a n a rc hite c t in mo re
p ra c tic a l a nd c o nte xtua l te rms, we e mp ha size
c o mp o ne nts o f b uilding de sig n tha t re la te dire c tly to
huma n e xiste nc e , huma n p e rc e p tio n, a nd the
human value s and be lie fs that have fo r mille nnia
se rve d to e stab lish c ulture and ide ntity. A ne w mo de l
o f le a rning is de ve lo p e d he re fo r stude nts wa nting
to ma ke re a l a rc hite c ture , a nd fo r e duc a to rs a nd
p ra c titio ne rs tha t se e k the sa me . The fo llo wing
p ro p o sa l is p re dic a te d o n the kno wle dg e o f huma n
inte ra c tio n with the p hysic a l wo rld a nd the ne c e ssity
o f c o rp o re a l e ng a g e me nt with the b uilt e nviro nme nt.
Furthe rmo re , o ur mo de l re -institute s value s in the
p ra c tic e a nd e duc a tio n o f a rc hite c ts, va lue s tha t
o nc e sp ra ng fo rth na tura lly fro m lo c a l c ulture s a nd
traditio ns thro ugho ut the wo rld, but whic h have in
re c e nt de c a de s b e e n usurp e d b y the influe nc e o f
g lo b a l c a p ita l.
Keywords
Arc hite c tura l e d uc a tio n; a rc hite c tura l p ra c tic e ;
a rc hite c tura l the o ry; b io p hilia , b io p hilic d e sig n;
d e sig n stud io ; huma n q ua lity; ne w te a c hing mo d e l;
p e d a g o g y; susta ina b le a rc hite c ture .