A sentiment for Architecture. Towards a new didactic for the aesthetic judgement in architectural education
Promotors: Nathalie Vallet, Erik Wieërs
The research deals with the education of the aesthetic judgement during the dialogue in the design studio. Aesthetic values occupy a central position in design studio education. It is aesthetic judgment which allows us to make the best decisions during the design process in a specific design situation involving numerous constraints and uncertainties, conforming to the aesthetic values of the culture of the design studio, or broader, of the architectural community. Aesthetic education enables students to interpret in the first place the culture to which they want to belong and, on the other hand, to act within this culture. However, in an educational environment, dealing pedagogically with aesthetic values is not evident. The aesthetic judgment is a practical skill that cannot taught explicitly.
The research consists of two parts. The theoretical part examines the theoretical background of aesthetic judgement and looks into teaching methods and learning strategies for its education. In the empirical part, these theoretical insights are used to investigate the dialogue between the teacher and the student in the design studio in order to detect moments in which the student‘s aesthetic judgement is actually being developed, and to reveal tools and techniques for its effective education and training. These findings form the base for a pedagogy of the aesthetic judgement, as an educational process of becoming and belonging.