Architecture Schools Are Broken – But A Renaissance Is On Its Way
Can we fix architectural education?
This article is based on our latest YouTube video, which can be viewed here:
Introduction
Architecture schools are fundamentally flawed. Instead of teaching students how to create beautiful buildings and spaces that resonate with most people, they emphasize novelty and experimentation. However, a renaissance is emerging. A few pioneering universities have started to revive the lost arts of building, and their students are producing stunning designs. My journey to the US to explore these developments revealed both the promising changes and the persistent issues in architectural education. Let’s delve into how architecture school has evolved, the problems with current teaching methods, and how we can fix architectural education for future generations.
The Broken System of Modern Architecture Schools
From a young age, I aspired to create beautiful, lively places. Urban Planning in Amsterdam and Urbanism in Delft seemed like the perfect paths. However, I quickly realized that the education I craved no longer existed. Modern architecture schools now focus on designing buildings with modern materials, experimenting with form and shape, and creating innovative concepts for the 21st century. They emphasize sustainability and inclusion, but traditional skills such as ornamentation, classical proportions, and façade composition are dismissed as outdated and unnecessary.
Most students accept this modernist approach without question. However, some, like myself, arrive with different ideas about architecture, hoping to learn the ‘old’ design skills. Unfortunately, these skills are no longer taught.
The Shift in Architectural Education
Historically, architectural education was practical and skill-based. Julien Guadet’s “Elements and Theory of Architecture,” for example, is filled with concrete, useful knowledge on designing buildings, from plumbing layouts to creating foundations and walls. Up until the 1930s, students were trained to understand buildings, construction, and materials thoroughly. They became proficient draftsmen and artists, skilled in sketching, watercoloring, and proportion.
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However, after the 1930s, the rise of modernist figures like Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Mies van der Rohe transformed architectural education. They rejected ornamentation and traditional methods, advocating for a new approach that favored simplicity and modern materials. When they emigrated to the USA, they brought these ideas to prestigious universities, replacing traditional teaching methods with their modernist vision. By the 1970s, modernism had become the dominant architectural philosophy worldwide.
The Problems with Modern Architectural Education
Misguided Priorities
Modern architecture education focuses heavily on experimentation and innovation, often at the expense of fundamental skills. Students spend excessive time trying out new ideas rather than mastering basic architectural principles. This lack of foundational training leads to stress and insecurity among students, who feel unprepared to tackle real-world challenges.
Modernist Monoculture
Architecture schools often promote a narrow, rigid view of architecture, leading to a form of intellectual ‘brainwashing.’ Professors, who themselves were educated in the same system, rarely expose students to alternative architectural philosophies. This creates an environment where non-modernist ideas are marginalized, and students who prefer traditional design feel isolated and misunderstood.
Pretentious Pseudo-science
Modern architectural education strives to appear scientific but often relies on vague, unprovable theories. Students use nebulous language to justify their designs, which may not resonate with real-world needs. A genuine interest in empirical knowledge and practical design principles is often lacking.
The Ivory Tower Mentality
Architectural schools frequently ignore the preferences of ordinary people and other disciplines. Despite pressing issues like pollution, inequality, and the housing crisis, schools continue to focus on abstract concepts rather than practical, livable designs. Polls show that 75% of people prefer traditional architecture, yet this is rarely discussed in architecture schools.
The Messiah Complex
While addressing global problems is crucial, architecture alone cannot solve every issue. Modernist approaches often prioritize technical performance over human-centric design. A building can be carbon-neutral yet still be demolished after a few decades because people dislike it. True sustainability requires creating places people love and want to preserve.
Hypocrisy
Architecture schools claim to celebrate diversity and inclusion, but often fail to support students interested in traditional design. They favor a universal, modernist architecture over local, indigenous traditions, and frequently teach how to create buildings that do not stand the test of time.
The Renaissance in Architectural Education
Thankfully, a renaissance is on the horizon. Schools like the Notre Dame School of Architecture are reviving traditional architectural skills. Notre Dame teaches drafting, rendering, and material understanding, producing graduates who are highly sought after by employers. Similarly, the Catholic University of America, Benedictine College, Utah Valley University, and the Miami School of Architecture are offering programs that emphasize classical and traditional design.
In Europe, options are limited but growing. Kingston University in London and NTNU in Trondheim, Norway, are beginning to incorporate traditional architecture into their curricula. Summer schools and part-time courses across the globe are also contributing to this revival.
Solutions for Architectural Education
To fix architectural education, universities should:
• Prioritize real design skills over fleeting trends.
• Conduct in-depth precedent studies to understand buildings comprehensively.
• Offer diverse architectural viewpoints to foster true intellectual diversity.
• Encourage humility and a service-oriented approach to design.
• Focus on long-term sustainability rather than short-term certifications.
• Promote empirical research and understanding of public preferences.
• Emphasize the importance of beauty in architecture.
Implementing these changes would require an overhaul of the education system, but even introducing a minor or master track focused on traditional design could attract many interested students.
Advice for Students
If you’re frustrated with your architectural education, you’re not alone. Connect with like-minded peers through online communities and study groups. Advocate for more useful design skills at your university, and explore self-study resources to supplement your education. Remember, you are the future of architecture, and your passion for beautiful, functional design can change the world.
You can find information on how to contribute on this page:
https://theaestheticcity.com/resources/youtube/architecture-education/
Conclusion
The future of architecture lies in rediscovering the lost arts of building. By sharing this content and starting discussions with peers and professors, we can drive change in architectural education. Let’s embrace a renaissance in architecture and create places that people love for generations to come.
As somebody who attends *the* proto-modernist architecture school in America, I couldn’t agree more. I’d love to actually speak about this with you one day once I’m more established.