We saw all aspects of the process right down to discussing and arguing things out as a group. The entire project gives students the opportunity to not only deal directly with all the elements of architectural design, but also the actual results of their thinking process. Throughout the primal shelter project, students are engaged in thinking, writing, drawing, and talking about their architectural process. THE SITE Students must first gather information about the site before beginning the building design. I've had so many good teachers say that the best way to learn is to hear it, see it, then write it down.
Writing gets the eye, ear, and hand working together.
Trying to involve as many of the senses helps students to remember what they're learning. The next step is to produce a topographic drawing and a model by working in teams consisting of a surveyor, recorder, and rod man. Back in the studio, students draw the topographic map, then build a three-dimensional base model for class reference. The discussion also includes analyzing the information in their journals including landscape, climate, geography, and their inter-relationships. The person will draw, I'll draw, so we're using the same language.