An Experimentation and Proposal For Addressing the Preparatory Stage of Graduation Project in faculties of architecture

Abstract

This is a practical experiment that tries to tackle the traditional pedagogical challenge that has long mystified instructors of architectural design, namely: the approach to addressing the preparatory stage of Graduation Projects GP in architectural schools (Syria).

Teachers and schools generally differ in the emphasis given to the final graduation project both in credit, labor allocation and how both affect the student's final GPA. This is mostly true in the case of Syrian colleges of architecture. Two main problems could be identified here: the lack of sufficient time to carry out the GP subject (a single semester) and more importantly the lack of a clear structured conception of an operative cognitive model for introducing and approaching this problem.

Out of these identified problem matters, (especially the two points stressed above,) and after presenting a diagnostic analysis of both, a practical solution is synthesized in the form of an implemented experiment that has been tested for several years now.  The proposed experiment confronts the two indicated problems directly. On the one hand, it discusses temporally introducing a new relaxed timeframe for preparation, supervision and implementation; and structurally it lays out a cognitive major matrix that has been tested for several years in the design studio. On the other hand, a constellation of minor matrixes are introduced in a form of subtle hints and recommendations to further strengthen the major matrix and make it more practical, applicable and designer-friendly.