Construction design and sustainability in architecture: Integrating environmental education in the architectural studies

Abstract

Based on the modern interpretation of architectural education at university level, architectural design is developed within the multidisciplinary nature of the area, at various levels of analysis, at all scales of the project. The present paper underlines the necessity of integrating technology courses with design and sustainability issues. In clarifying this, the respective pedagogical approach, followed at the Department of Architecture of the University of Cyprus, in the courses of construction in timber, reinforced concrete and steel, as well as in the main architectural design coursework with emphasis in technology, is discussed. As regards the building technology component within the architectural education, the application of the respective technical knowledge, obtained through lectures and exercises, in a design project is of major importance. The design project is organized within a studio or micro-studio, and becomes the major assignment of each respective construction course. A necessary component for a successfully-integrated design is the iterative realization of an architectural aim, the design vision that binds every element of the design of different scales together. In this way, construction design substitutes the merely more empirical act of “architectural design” throughout the integration process. The sustainability component of the designs in the studio or micro-studio refers to the bioclimatic, construction and energy-efficient design. The investigation and application of all aforementioned aspects ensures the comprehensive environmental approach in the creation of the built-up spaces, underlying at the same time, the importance of integrated design in the studio or micro-studio.