EMBEDDING URBAN DESIGN VALUES IN AN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIO

The global sustainability mandate has meant that built environment professionals are increasingly engaged with efforts to create a thriving future. Within the Arab Gulf, the discussion on sustainability has expanded to include urban design values of place-making, public realm and well-being. However, despite the inclusion of urban design as a course in architectural curricula, most students continue to demonstrate a heightened focus on the design object with relatively lesser regard to its role in place-making and creation of sustainable environments. This paper documents the experience of a mid-level architectural design studio in Abu Dhabi, wherein specific efforts were taken to embed urban design thinking within the design studio through site selection, development of design brief and other aspects of the design process, adopted towards this aim. Patterns in student responses, practical teaching strategies, student designs and post-course reflections are also discussed with a view to optimize the outcomes of studio teaching.