"Material !Ndeed" Workshop Series as a Hyper-Focus Niche at the Intersection of Material Selection and Architectural Design Tools

Abstract

This study examines the "Material !ndeed" workshop series held during the summer semesters of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 at Özyeğin University's Faculty of Architecture and Design. This research assesses the efficacy of "hyper-focused learning," which prioritizes intensive study on a single topic, compared to "hypo-focused learning," which encompasses multiple topics within the same academic semester. The principal objective is to equip architecture undergraduate students with a comprehensive understanding of architectural sub-specialties through a hyper-focused learning approach. The workshops are designed to enhance students' research skills and ability to apply obtained knowledge to various design fields. The workshops offer a complementary learning experience that strengthens their knowledge generation and sharing skills with peer learning. The Material Indeed workshops are configured as a ten-day practice with the participation of fifteen to thirty students, focusing on systematic material selection methods, building components, elements, and conceptual design processes. The initial workshop served as a pilot study, while the second workshop was designed to facilitate the transfer of scientific knowledge to practical applications regarding pilot study results. During the second workshop, students commence seminars on building materials and representational tools, after which they undertake tasks to research and represent the various properties of building materials employed in exterior wall systems. They conduct tectonic analyses of built examples and develop 1/10 scale exterior wall models, synthesizing their findings into the design process. The workshop methodology is based on Kolb's learning process, which combines passive learning through seminars, active learning through research, and experiential learning through model-making. The study evaluates the impact of the workshops on design education, the hyper-focused learning approach, and the educational methods used. A questionnaire applied to participants led to the formulation of a discussion on the potential of hyper-focused learning, intending to improve the quality of design education.

Keywords

• Material
• Architectonic
• Design education
• Hyper-focused learning

Ethical Statement

The author stated that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article. This study was presented at the MITA 2024, The Future of Architectural Design Education Conference, 24-24 April 2024, at Ozyegin University Faculty of Architecture and Design.

Thanks

We want to thank the Özyeğin University Faculty of Architecture B-TECH Lab team who contributed to the design and execution of the Material !ndeed Workshop Series and all the students who participated and contributed to our workshop between 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 Summer Terms.

References

1. Anzai, Y., & Simon, H. A. (1979). The theory of learning by doing. Psychological Review, 86(2), 124-140. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.86.2.124
2. Banarjee, H. K., & Graaf, D. E. (1996). Problem-based Learning in Architecture: Problems of Integration of Technical Disciplines. European Journal of Engineering Education, 2, 185-195.
3. Çakmak, A., & Akıner, İ. (2021). The Place and Significance of Building Material in the Architecture Education Building Material in the Architecture Education Process. Journal of Urban Culture and Management, 14(43)(4), 1022-1032.
4. Cross, N. (2011). Design thinking: Understanding How Designers Think and Work. Berg.
5. Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education for the 60th anniversary edition. KAPPA DELTA PI.
6. Dewey, J. (1986). Experience and Education. Educational Forum, 5(3).
7. Eastman, C. (2001). New Directions in Design Cognition: Studies of Representation. In Design Knowing and Learning: Cognition in Design Education (pp. 147-198).
8. Fernandez, J. (2005). Material Selection. In Material Architecture (pp. 263-276). Taylor & Francis Group. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bilgi-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1016055.

9. Gür, B. F., & Yüncü, O. (2010). An Integrated Pedagogy for 1/1 Learning. Metu Journal of the Faculty of Architecture, 27(2), 83-94. https://doi.org/10.4305/METU.JFA.2010.2.5
10. Güzelçoban Mayuk, S., & Coşgun, N. (2020). 02_Learning by Doing in Architecture Education: Building Science Course Example. IJEAD International Journal of Education in Architecture and Design IJEAD International Journal of Education in Architecture and Design, 1(1), 2-15. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijeadhttps://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijead
11. Kolb, D. A., & Kolb, A. Y. (2013). Research on Validity and Educational Applications. Experience Based Learning Systems, 5, 0-233.
12. Kolb, D., & Fry, R. E. (1973). Toward Applied Theory of Experiental Learning (Issue 1). MIT Press.
13. Koyaz, M., & Altun, M. C. (2015). Comparison of Systematic Material Selection Tools that can be used in Building Elements Design. 2nd National Building Congress and Exhibition - Building Production, Utilization and Conservation Processes.
14. Reitmann, W. R., Shelly, M. W., & Bryan, G. L. (1964). Heuristic decision procedures, open constraints, and the structure of ill-defined problems (pp. 282-315). Jhon Wles and Sons.
15. Ricoeur, P. (1998). Hermeneutics & the Human Sciences (J. B. Thompson (ed.)). Cambridge University Press.
16. Roberts, J. W. (2012). Beyond Learning by Doing. In Beyond Learning by Doing. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203848081
17. Schön, D. A. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner : How Professionals Think in Action. Taylor & Francis Ltd.
18. Simon, H. A. (1973). The structure of ill structured problems. Artificial Intelligence, 4(3-4), 181-201. https://doi.org/10.1016/0004-3702(73)90011-8
19. Sweller, J., Van Merriënboer, J., & Paas, F. G. (1998). Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design. Educational Psychology Review, 10, 251-298.
20. UNESCO-UIA. (2017). UNESCO-UIA Charter for Architectural Education. International Union of Architects, 12. https://www.uia-architectes.org/webApi/uploads/ressourcefile/178/charter2017en.pdf