Integrated Design Process in Problem-Based Learning: Integrated Design Process in PBL

This article reports and reflects on the learning achievements and the educational experiences in connection with the first years of the curriculum in Architecture at Aalborg University’s Civil Engineer Education in Architecture & Design. In the article I will focus on the learning activity and the method that are developed during the semester when working with an Integrated Design Process combining architecture, design, functional aspects, energy consumption, indoor environment, technology, and construction. I will emphasize the importance of working with different tools in the design process, e.g. the computer as a tool for designing and optimising the building. I will also consider the dilemma of the Integrated Design Process in Problem Based Learning that emerges when the number of courses in the learning model, as is often the case, clashes with the demand for time and scope for reflection which the students need in order to concentrate, mobilize creativity and find the personal design language which is a precondition for making good architecture. 1. THE NEW PROFILE IN ARCHITECTURE Our intention with the curriculum in Architecture was to focus upon the ability to integrate knowledge from engineering and architecture in order to solve the often very complicated problems connected to the design of buildings. According to the provisions for the Architecture curriculum at Architecture & Design at Aalborg University, the main objective is: “To educate graduates who are able to work independently and professionally at the highest level with the architectural and technical design of buildings, and who have a thorough knowledge of project planning and project management in connecting with building projects”. [Kiib] As can be seen from this quotation of the objective, the graduates must through the learning process achieve competencies in design, functionality and aesthetics as well as competencies in technical solutions. This implies – besides a critical, analytical, theoretical, functional and technical approach to the subject – that the students must perform a practical synthesis, i.e. a concrete presentation of a real sketch plan for a building e.g. an office building, residential buildings or institutions. The process is conducted as an integrated process of creation and design, in which a building with a number of qualities find their form. By using the Integrated Design Process the professional knowledge of architecture and engineering is integrated and optimised. The engineering programs at Aalborg University are based on PBL which is the basic educational model of Aalborg University. But in order to create the professional profile/scope which we expect of our graduates, to enable them to cope with technical and aesthetical problems, focus on the creative element, see new opportunities, make innovative solutions – a product or a building – new elements have to be added to the PBL model. Artistic learning, the creation of ideas, and an ability to see new possibilities and be creative become just as important parameters as the ability to identify problems and suggest a rational solution. 1 Member of the Academic Architect Association “Integrated Design Process in PBL” by Knudstrup, Mary-Ann. article in The Aalborg PBL Model, red. Annette Kolmoes, Flemming K. Fink, and Lone Krogh. Aalborg University Press 2004. Denmark. 2 Therefore, the curriculum has to be deliberately organized in such a way that the pedagogical and learning objectives are achieved within the core subjects of the curriculum. During one of the semesters at the master level of the Architecture curriculum’s the students produce an energy and climate optimised building as their main project. The objective is described in the study guide for the semester [Knudstrup]. “At the end of the semester the student shall be able to: • analyse the aesthetic, technical and functional problems of the building and through various proposals (synthesis) prepare a building plan with high aesthetic, technical and functional qualities. • use general theories and principles concerning the design of the building and integrate these in the proposed solution, including solutions based on technologies concerning ecology, energy and indoor environment in the design and construction of the building. • produce and present the project graphically, in writing and orally – as importance is attached to both the project report and the presentation in drawings and model. • make a presentation of the office building using a CAD tool.” In order to achieve the objective, the project programme is arranged so as to give the students an understanding of the problems connected to an integrated development of the design, the aesthetics, the technical and environmental aspects of the building, and to further develop the student’s ability to integrate architectural and technical design in the building. It is therefore very important that the two professional subject areas, engineering and architecture, are both introduced at the beginning of the semester, so that the students conceive them as equal parameters in the Integrated Design Process that follows. 2. THE CURRICULUM IN ARCHITECTURE As mentioned above, the project programme focus on the design of a new office building. The geographical site is chosen in an area, which is currently going to be rehabilitated or developed in order to make the project as realistic as possible and to achieve momentum in the work process. The project must be adapted to the architectural context of the area, and relate to the future wishes for development of the area according to the urban development plan. The architecture of the building and its’ position on the site may also substantially influence the solutions and choices with regard to resource consumption, outdoor environment, energy consumption and indoor environment. Besides, in this project special attention is attached to the integration of passive energy technology systems. The internal functionality and the architectural volumes must be consistent, so that all of the future resident’s demands for functionality and logistics of the building are considered in the best way possible. The construction of the building must be clarified. 2.1. The Integrated Design Process as a method in the PBL process The project is conducted as group work. The students work their way through the phases of the project, which are at first described in short terms and later in more details. During the various phases of the “Integrated Design Process in PBL” by Knudstrup, Mary-Ann. article in The Aalborg PBL Model, red. Annette Kolmoes, Flemming K. Fink, and Lone Krogh. Aalborg University Press 2004. Denmark. 3 project the students are taught by architects and by engineers, so that the professional approach of both architects and engineers is ensured. An open-minded commitment from both groups is very important in order to achieve a successful integration of the two professions, or else it will give no meaning to bring the two professions together. For this semester I developed the model described below. In this model the traditional architecture and engineering disciplines are split into different components, and some of the components from engineering are combined with the architecture components into a new method. This is what I call the Integrated Design Process. The Integrated Design Process is a synthesis of the pedagogical method (PBL), the students’ personal learning efforts, and the professional learning components from architecture and selected components from engineering. The Integrated Design Process intertwined in the PBL process. Problem formulation / project idea Analysis Phase Analysis of site, urban development plans, company profile, chart of functions, principles of energy consumption, indoor environment and construction. Aim and programme. Sketching Phase Through the sketching process architectural ideas are linked to principles of construction, energy consumption and indoor environment as well as the functional demands to the new building Synthesis Phase Architectural and functional qualities, the construction and demands for energy consumption and indoor environment flow together, and more qualities may be added. A new building has been created Presentation Phase The final project is presented in a report, drawings, a cardboard model and IT-visualisation. 1 Teaching staff from the Department of Architecture & Design, 2 Teaching staff from the Department of Building Technology and Structural Engineering. “Integrated Design Process in PBL” by Knudstrup, Mary-Ann. article in The Aalborg PBL Model, red. Annette Kolmoes, Flemming K. Fink, and Lone Krogh. Aalborg University Press 2004. Denmark. 4 2.2. Project phases in the Integrated Design Process In the following the various project phases will be described in details to give you an insight into these phases and into the Integrated Design Process. Fig. 1 shows the design process map. The process is, in fact, a much more complex mental process, so this map is a simplification of the design process. However it illustrates the various phases and the main loops connected to the process. Fig. 1. The design process map. Problem formulation or project idea The first step of the project work is description of the problem or the project idea. The purpose of the project here is to establish energy and climate optimised office building at proximately 3000 m with a number of specific properties. The Analysis Phase encompass an analysis of all the information that has to be procured before the group is ready to begin the sketching process, e.g. information about the site, the architecture of the neighbourhood, topography, vegetation, sun, light and shadow, predominant wind direction, access to and size of the area and neighbouring buildings. The group should also consider demands coming from regional plans, municipality plans and local plans which state a numbe