(A)mending Architecture Education in the Climate Emergency: a focus on values and cultures

Abstract

Research on architecture education in the climate emergency is heavily action focused: while there is a vast body of research around sustainability knowledge and an increasing amount of research on teaching methodology and pedagogy, there is a limited amount of research focusing on the values and cultures that architecture education operates through and promotes, and their connection to unsustainable professional practices. Drawing from interdisciplinary scholarly debates, this paper explores broader societal value systems which have formed the foundations of unsustainable values and cultures in architecture, and mirrors them against the key values, cultures and pedagogies of the architectural design studio. The Modernist ideals of rationalism, logic and positivism have justified the separation of humans and nature and have validated the exploitation andoppression of nature and vulnerable communities for profit and the accumulation of capital. In architecture education, this worldview has promoted transmissive approaches to learning, forming hierarchical and exclusive cultures around theacquisition of skills and knowledge. Instead, architecture education should transition towards a holistic worldview that does not separate humans from nature, but instead highlights the interconnectedness and interdependence of all life without overlooking the responsibilities that only humans can carry out incaring for the environment. Drawing from the field of environmental education, the approach we suggest promotes critical thinking and reflection with collaborative and inclusive learning cultures fostering mutual dialogue and critical attitudes.