Design-build workshops in architectural education. A case study; adobe bus stop in northern cyprus

Abstract

The design-build workshops became a significant pedagogical tool to expand student learning experiences in practice environment. The aims of the workshop are to apply teory-practice and design-build as whole process, to understand design, building techniques, material and to improve student practical skills.The workshop was organised by Istanbul Medipol University, the school of fine arts, design and architecture in the education year of 2015-2016. After the second semester twenty first-year students, four lecturers from architecture and interior architecture programmes worked in the design-build teams.At first a research seminar was organised to develop a clearer understanding of the project objectives such as the need of project for community of Northern Cyprus, the usage of adobe which is a traditional building material of region, sustainable design, resource conservation etc. The design opportunities from ideas to building were explored with the second seminar and the team developed the design project for construction. Before construction a local specialist made another seminar to explore the material of adobe, features, techniques etc.The workshop was an example in which students design and built an adobe bus stop. Besides understanding of design, adobe as building material and the all process another important feature of our design-build workshop was the exploration of sustainable design which includes cultural and historic preservation.Thus, the paper will have all of the details regarding to the design-build workshop the predesign, design, build process and student approaches on learning outcomes.