VIRTUAL Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

The architectural studio, both as a place and pedagogical approach, is central to architectural education. However, studio projects are often abstract, theoretical, and removed from real-life contexts. These ‘fictional’ projects typically focus on the student as individual designer, neglecting the realities and inter-disciplinary nature of architectural practice, technological executability of a design, and the needs of the community. Over the past two decades there has been a significant international shift toward integrating real-life, hands-on projects into architectural pedagogy. Many of these projects are also inter-disciplinary and address social responsibility and sustainability. Research shows that students highly value the experiences and prefer collaborating in these spaces rather than working individually on traditional studio projects. In architectural education research and literature, these out-of-studio, real-life, hands-on projects are mostly defined as live or design-build projects, though other definitions exist. However, the terms “design-build” or “live projects” can refer to different methodologies and outcomes depending on the context. While broad frameworks have been put forward and key characteristics have been explored, clear typologies remain undefined. This research seeks to create a conceptual framework for categorising out-of-studio, real-life, hands-on educational architectural projects. Using a systematic literature review, the research aims to establish typologies that can guide academic studios interested in moving beyond traditional studio-based learning. The goal is to provide a practical, research-driven framework for integrating meaningful and impactful projects into the architectural curriculum.