An Introduction to Design Studio Experience: The Process, Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

This paper explores design education in studio settings and presents insights from a design studio based on parametric design thinking. The first-year design studios are essential parts of the architectural education. In these studios, design decisions are taken on a more abstract level, there are less constraints, and the exercises are designed to explore the potentials of design, within the framework of various scales, ranging from human to building, and then to urban. The Introduction to Design course is constructed with interconnected exercises based on concepts such as modularity, the parameters of the human body and spatial perception. The first exercise is designing an architectural structure through parametric thinking. The second exercise is about exploring the design potentials of cube modules with each other, with a rule-based design approach. To better understand the importance of ergonomics in design, the third exercise focuses on the concept of movement through the human body. The aim of the fourth exercise is to study a physical environment and to investigate spatial perception in the built environment. The main aim of this design studio is to teach design with parametric design thinking while focusing on improving the cognitive skills of the students. An Introduction to Design studio experience that is formulated according to these features is described in this study.