Area should be experienced, not simply calculated. This task invites students to physically experience areas and the spatial relationships between them, as well as their own community.

De-a Arhitectura Association, a Romanian cultural organization made up of architects and teachers, develops and promotes architecture and built environment education for children and young people, in order to raise awareness and provide knowledge about the values of architecture, design, and urban planning. Its educational programs take place in…

The Professional Master's in Work Management for the Quality of the Built Environment, MPGTQAC has existed at the Universidade Santa Úrsula, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, since the beginning of 2015. The body is one of the substantive elements of the course. It emerges as an elective discipline. The purpose of this communication is to refine the…

Designing and building homes is normally the responsibility of a professionally trained workforce. So a lot of people are skeptical about the idea of a team of high school students taking on those tasks. Would a young, untrained group of students be able to undertake and successfully complete the construction of an entire home, from start to…

Recent theoretical and technological developments redefine the discipline of architecture substantially. Current day approaches in design pedagogy focus on personal and bodily experiences of the "subject" and the need for investigating new ways and methods to enhance awareness of spatial experiences is inevitable. In order to establish a heuristic…

As the drafting instructor at Tri-County Career Center (TCCC) in Nelsonville, Ohio, the author is proud and pleased to give students real-life drafting experiences that apply learned theory. One of the best experiences his students have had involves taking part in building a custom home. Another is producing authentic house plans. The author also…

For architecture students, a laboratory is seen as the most natural and productive way of learning about building construction. An introductory construction course at MIT is described that includes lectures, assigned readings, homework exercises, field trips to construction sites, and a weekly laboratory for hands-on experience. (MLW)

Students at Qinghua University in China participate in real project design tasks. Thesis design in conjunction with real projects helps students to understand step-by-step the whole process of design work and the role of a qualified architect. A housing design course is included in the curriculum. (MLW)

A first year building project of students of Yale School of Architecture is discussed. The program provides an opportunity for students to focus on a real client's aspirations and needs, as they are learning design skills. Client interaction is seen as a crucial aspect of architectural practice. (MLW)

Student volunteers at Utah State University's outdoor program designed, built, and carried a yurt 4 miles into the backcountry. A yurt is a traditional Mongolian structure, circular, with a lattice wall covered by material. Rafters slope upward to a top ring, on which sits a skylight. The outdoor program wanted to expand its offerings, and to do…

The Engineering Technology Academy (ETA) program at Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, Vermont, offers benefits beyond the conventional high school learning experience. In September, at the beginning of the program, students learn the traditional skills of using tools, line weights and lettering. Once they develop these basic skills, students…

At the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center in Providence, Rhode Island, a committee of educators and community members developed a new program and house plan that reinforces building relationships, doing group and individual projects, having individual space, and connecting to the world. Learning Through Internships activities are…

The academic world is seen as remote from day-to-day reality. A practicing architect's experiences teaching architecture students at the Saint-Luc School in Brussels are described, in which role playing was used to bring reality to the classroom. (MLW)

Describes a project in which third and fourth graders in a special education writing skills class learned how to design a house and make blueprints. Discusses the project's beneficial effects on student writing and public speaking skills, vocabulary, telephone skills, and effective peer interaction. (SV)