Grant, E J (2020) Mainstreaming environmental education for architects: The need for basic literacies. Buildings & Cities, 1(1), pp. 538-549. ISSN 2632-6655
Abstract
What are recent architectural graduates' perceptions about the level of knowledge required of interns entering architectural practice and the suitability of architectural education? Research is presented that examines recent alumni’s engagement with environmental sustainability while in school. Two aspects of their educational experience are surveyed: their readiness for sustainable design work and their familiarity with the benefits of reusing existing buildings. Recent alumni of the Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design were asked to explain the areas of practice for which they were best and least prepared, to identify additional educational topics they would have found useful, to name the key purposes and priorities of the discipline of architecture, and to articulate changes they wished to see in schools of architecture. The results point to a current pedagogy where the tacit and explicit knowledge that is critical to the adoption of sustainable approaches to design of new and retrofit structures is undervalued in architectural education. Suggestions from the literature and strategies to ameliorate this situation are presented. Practice relevance Two basic areas of literacy necessary for graduating architecture students are addressed. The first is readiness for environmentally sustainable work, which includes understanding building science concepts. Results of rating and open-ended survey questions indicate that many recent undergraduate alumni feel a sense of obligation to protect the natural environment through their design efforts, but do not claim facility with tangible means to achieve this goal in the design of buildings. The second is appreciation of the existing building fabric, which involves engaging a range of preservation and reuse strategies that preserve the embodied energy present in existing structures. Many alumni felt their education did not prepare them for renovation and reuse work that is often prevalent in their current practices. Architectural educators can take an active role to anticipate the changing needs of the profession and adjust their curricula to provide appropriate capabilities.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | architects; building science; education; energy; environmental literacy; environmental sustainability; zero carbon |
| Index terms: | embodied energy, environmental education, environmental sustainability, building science, suitability, design of building, architect, pedagogy, renovation, undergraduate, profession, architectural practice, survey, architectural education, mainstreaming, strategy, sustainable design, explicit knowledge |
| Subjects: | knowledge management, curriculum development, energy systems, environmental behaviour, curriculum design, institututions, business, engineering principles, profession, data collection methods, design criteria, design process, teaching methods, health safety and environment, building design, management, renovation and retrofit |
| Topics: | Design Practice, Education, Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Sustainability, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here