Architectural Education in Transition: From Prescribed Models to Open Learning Environments

Guest speech at the international symposium  “New Grounding of Architectural Thinking:at the Münster School of Architecture Symposium,  Münster School of Architecture, October 11–12, 2024.

In today’s globalised world, material, cultural, and social conditions are increasingly unstable and rapidly changing, reshaping both the scope of architecture and the role of architects. The global exchange of ideas, materials, and technologies blurs boundaries—between disciplines and professions; between private and domestic spheres; and between physical and digital spaces, cultures, and places.

Consequently, architectural education can no longer rely solely on established canons embedded in rigid curricula. Instead, it must prepare students to engage with a world that is fluid, complex, and interconnected. This requires a shift in emphasis—from the acquisition of a fixed body of disciplinary knowledge toward the development of practical skills and adaptive modes of thinking.

These principles of architectural education are exemplified in the work carried out in the SDR course over more than twenty years.