How is basic design taught to architecture students?

Answer 1

Basic design is the first design exercise for the fresh minds from schools. Architectural institutions teach this subject more in a practical way. Starting from lines and patterns to mountboard and matchstick modelling. This should be the stage where students can think out of box. Once the get into architectural design their ability to think out of box diminishes. Some architectural colleges insist the students to do conventional things and not allowing the students to explore. Basic design is the subject to explore right from the begining. "Only if there is a need, there will be an innovative invention", So students themselves has to create the need by committing to produce minumum three options for a design exercise. Suriya ---- Its better that I add my answer here, rather than editing it, as I think this would be a major change: Rajesh Advani:Here it goes: In Basic Design (BD. henceforth) subject, there has been lot of talk about BD principles (like, balance, alignment, repetetion, symmetry etc.) and BD elements (like lines, points, shapes etc.). Subject has been compartmentalized and not much efforts were taken to relate it to other subjects in Architecture. Yes, recently the change in curriculum and teaching methodology in many institutes in India, saw some positive changes in BD teaching and learning. I personally always felt that, BD is the first encounter of students with design. Students came from the usual RUT system and different backgrounds, for years together they only saw and believed 2+2=4. So major role of BD teachers was to "open up students' mind" for new ideas and introduce them to something called "subjectivity". BD, essentially comprised of "sketching, visualizing, representing and compositional skills". before the exercise goes to students, its very necessary that faculty forsees some of the results and prepares himself for the discussion accordingly. let's not forget that "nothing can go wrong in basic design", everything can just improve and be better.

BD, this subject shall not be results oriented always, much stress shall also be given to process of composition and designing. Any exercise is just the medium of developing various skills in students, so nature and type of exercise hardly matters.

BD, as a subject can be directly related to architecture, its not difficult at all. But, do we really need to relate it to architecture at foundation years? i think, no. we don't need to start talking about architecture and basics of design right from first day. Students, once they have understood the existence of "subjectivity", its importance in design and analyzing the design, they can be exposed to architectural design.