Phenomenology for architectural design exercises: the case study of "Integrated Seminar on Housing"

Abstract

Inspired by arguments about joining theory and practice both in design research and educational design programmes, this text aims to explore a phenomenological approach based upon five steps method in the framework of an exercise for engineering-architecture students from the University of Leuven in Belgium. Our case study is the “Integrated Seminar on Housing” taught in the first year of the programme studies. This text argues that a more explicit integration of phenomenological awareness with technical methodologies can contribute to the development of students’ skills to recognise and design architectural quality.