Rethinking the Gap between Architectural Knowledge and Its Application by Students (Relying on the Embodiment)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Instructor, Department of art & architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Payame Noor University, Yazd, Iran- Ph.D. in Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

3 Professor, Department of architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

One of the issues in architectural education is the gap between knowledge and its application in the design practice by students. So far, this issue has been addressed from different approaches in many research studies and some solutions have been proposed. However, the issue persists and architectural education continues to grapple with it. This research attempted to rethink this issue from a different approach. The approach is based on the embodied cognition. The basics of embodied cognition clarify the role of human body in the cognition. Cognition means perception of the environment. In this paper, we collected these basics from the written resources. The resources that studied are based on the Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of perception. He showed that the human body is both subject and an activist in the environment. He emphasized that the interaction between body and environment is the most important agent in perception. Therfore, the research methodology is logical argumentation. The methodology is underlying on the phenomenology of perception and embodied cognition. Also, some part of the methodology is experiment. In the experiment, we selected naive architecture students from Payame Noor University of Iran, who participated in the “understanding and presenting of environment” course in their first semester. Some of the exercises in the lesson were body-based practice. We surveyed all the exercises of the students and compared them with the basics of the research. The results show that one of the reasons for the gap between the knowledge and its application in the design practice is that the cognitive role of student body in the architectural training is not taken into account. Then, if the architectural knowledge and design practice were both based on the embodied cognition, the cognitive, actionable, and representative role of the student's body, the gap between knowledge and its application in the design practice will be reduce. Finally, the student body has a basic role in the architectural knowledge and design. In the body-based practices, we showed what and how the practice can help the student’s body to become active in the training. However, the training and body practice is not the same as some sports, but the practices that can help students to understand the environment and present their understanding. We present some of these practices and students' responses to them. We showed that the name of that practice is embodied experience and it is helpful for architectural students. Then, we proposed other embodied experiences to have an embodied architectural education and training: the same as geometry understanding by showing the Pahlevani and Zoorkhaneh rituals. The rituals take place in the geometric spaces and all actions are based on that geometry. The other one is understanding the structure by doing the bridge movement in bodybuilding sport. It helps students to understand the bridge structure and bearing forces by bridge building.

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References

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Journal of Architecture and Urban Planning
Volume 16, Issue 40
September 2023
Pages 27-44

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