IN-PERSON: Learning. Life. Work

Abstract

This paper highlights some significance outcomes in Architecture Design Studio and Architecture Thesis from School of Architecture and Design (SoA+D), at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thailand. In the recent years, our school has been implementing the concept of ‘Work-Integrated Learning’ (WIL) and ‘Problem-based learning’ into the core teaching and learning practices. We attempt to put forth the continuum of academic realm and real work in the fourth-year architecture design studios, and as well as the final year of architectural thesis. In doing so, we adopted the concept ‘Urban Classroom’ as main tools with the ‘Lab-based integration’, as well as applying the Business Model Canvas for more comprehensive architectural and urban design proposals/investigations. The final architectural design proposals not only provide architectural and urban solutions, but also contribute to the society, and at the same time building up the student’s awareness of the real-world problems. Over the past five years, our architecture studios and our research lab seek to appropriate architectural and urban programming based on the engagement with the residents and various stakeholders to come up with suitable design alternatives and possibilities. As a result, it could be said that some of the students were more aware of such challenging contexts and conditions, and some of them even continued to explore further in their final year theses. Thus, this also feeds back into our architectural education and design pedagogy and demand us to rethink and reframe our ways of teaching and learning in this complex world.