e-Fiade: Exploring the Field of Interaction in Architectural Education

Architecture as an education needs to strengthen its knowledge-transfer infrastructure and breed an interactive flexible learning environment to absorb ever-changing needs and objectives of the professional/research sides of the field of architecture, and find ways to steer the poles of the knowledge triangle (research/education/profession) to enhance the innovation potential of European educational and research system in terms of handling the transformation of the built environment.

The architectural design education programs have the potential to steer the poles of the knowledge triangle within the two key fields of interaction at their core curricula. The final architectural design studio, mainly known as diploma project, as an “in-between” educational/professional life, is the place, where the knowledge triangle is at stake with the joint of work of teachers coming from research, academic and professional fields. Internships/training periods/summer practices are the inaugural place for the students to face the professional field of architecture.

The main objective of project is to first explore and then innovate the paths followed by the in-between mediation activities occurring in the field of interactions (methods, processes, and execution), in this way to enhance architectural education programs that (1) pursue the works of EAAE-UIA workgroup and UIA/UNESCO education commission; (2) are compatible with EU directives and 2011 EU modernisation agenda by respecting local and regional qualities.

The project will produce four seminal intellectual outputs:

(1,2) Mapping and analysis of existing diploma studio tracks and internship models in the European departments of architecture based on the knowledge, skills, and competences defined by EU directive 2013/55.

(3,4) Alternative paths for diploma studios and curricular internships that respect the synthesis of the major challenges of our era affecting the profession and the emerging ‘hybrid, trans-disciplinary’ professional areas of the 21st century both in local and international context.

The project brings together all the knowledge fields of the discipline and accommodates diverse formal and informal teaching, learning, training environments. These activities create a platform to share/experience/exchange architectural educational practices and academic expertise. This implies a potential for quality improvements and innovation excellence.

The dissemination will happen through semi-annual project reports and the intellectual outputs to representatives of most European schools of architecture at the EAAE Annual Conference. All written and design studio material, as well as major lectures will be published open source at the project and EAAE website.

Erasmus+ KA2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices