IN-PERSON Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

With diminishing resources globally, architects have an increasing responsibility to value and care for existing heritage and connected urban ecosystems, thus graduates require the skills to engage with structures and sites within complex urban environments. Though traditionally considered a specialism, architectural conservation offers values that are increasingly relevant for design thinking in architectural training. This paper forms part of a PhD study which examines creative ways in which architectural conservation values can be embedded within the undergraduate curriculum, to inform a more responsive practice in rapidly changing urban conditions. Student participation in a collaborative heritage mapping process can enhance observation skills and facilitate a meaningful interrogation of place. Critical evaluation is a necessary competence for understanding and assessing historic urban environments, and in the context of communication and informed decision making. This paper will focus particularly on the theory surrounding Reflective Practice, and its role in fostering critical evaluation and collaborative learning in a design context. The research will include findings from a workshop in which students were asked to reflect specifically on their engagement with the diverse heritage of their sites, and how this impacted their design thinking. Drawing from ‘assessment as learning’ theory, students were encouraged to evaluate their design responses, observations and learning, and that of their peers, while considering community engagement and wider interpretations of heritage. This research is part of the ‘Building Change’ project, a collaborative endeavour across the six schools of architecture in Ireland to rethink approaches to architectural pedagogy in response to the climate emergency.