Formulating the Theoretical Framework and Transdisciplinary Structural Model for the Post-COVID Architectural Design Studio in the Digital Era (With an Examination of the Challenges and Opportunities of the COVID-19 Pandemic)
Keywords:
Architectural Design Workshop, Covid-19 Pandemic, Interdisciplinary Approach, Information and Communication Technology, Online LearningAbstract
The formulation of innovative approaches has consistently been a central concern for educational planners, and given the pivotal role of the design studio in architectural education, this study aims to enhance learning processes in the architectural design studio by developing a theoretical framework and a new hybrid structural model (online/on-site). The present research adopts a fundamental theoretical purpose grounded in deductive reasoning and documentary studies. The methodological position of the study corresponds to descriptive post-event research as well as content analysis within a causal-comparative research design. Through a review of the literature focusing on the exploration of opportunities and challenges arising from the COVID-19 period—resulting from the integration of online instruction with traditional architectural education—and the feedback of these developments on universities, faculty members, and students, the study seeks to answer two key research questions: What are the contemporary challenges and opportunities of the design studio? and How might the global COVID-19 pandemic affect the structural configuration of the architectural design studio in the digital age? Subsequently, through the review of prior research, three educational approaches grounded in optimization of adaptation and flexibility, networking, and discovery were selected. These three approaches were integrated into the conceptual model and aligned with the three conventional structural configurations of the architectural design studio (non-online traditional models). Further, by employing parameters from information and communication technologies, a transdisciplinary approach, and ultimately the use of the 2030 LEGO Educational Model—with emphasis on online learning, transdisciplinary orientation, and self-regulation—a new hybrid theoretical and structural model was developed to enhance learning activities in contemporary architectural design studios.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Omid Dezhdar (Author); Sara ZarnegarzadeShirazi
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