Author

Huishu Deng, Li Zhang*, Xiaoxi Cheng, Qixu Xie, Ziheng Wang

Affiliation

School of Architecture, Tsinghua University

Abstract

Based on years of studio teaching observation, the paper proposes an emerging studio teaching model integrating high-fidelity digital environments and ergonomic experiments. It focuses on three main pedagogical elements: scheme iteration, design decision-making, and information media. Firstly, the technological capabilities of rapid schematic prototyping and human-environment interaction support provided by real-time game engines, and their potential in providing high-fidelity architectural twins, are analysed. Case studies from design studios in the recent years have demonstrated the advantages of these technological capabilities in developing students' design iteration skills. Secondly, the working pattern of incorporating ergonomic experiments with high-fidelity twins, and its support for better informed design decisions are discussed. This can lead to a newer, more general way of adopting quantitative methods in design. Finally, a novel, third-person-navigation-based presentation style in crit sessions is introduced. This is a new way of giving more immersive, more powerful architectural presentations and can have many real-world use cases. The paper concludes that this emerging way of studio teaching opens two opportunities: 1) the students can have much better judgment on the supposed built space and much more precise predictions of user experiences of the space because of the high-fidelity twins; 2) the students can have more natural incorporation of quantitative methods in their design workflows because of the embedded ergonomic experiments. From these observations, it is possible to promote both aesthetic judgment and data processing skills at the same time in future studio teaching.

Publisher

World Architecture