Re-thinking Architecture Education: Conceptualising Curriculum Through the Lens of 21st Century Graduate Attributes

Abstract

There has been a paradigm shift in architecture education to embrace the 21st century attributes for graduates. While attributes such as problem solving, critical and creative thinking, interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, and technological as well as global awareness have been central to the curriculum design in architectural education, this paper posits the need to critically examine the emerging 21st century attributes, and how they can be embedded into architecture education. In recent years, it is clear that these attributes have been designed and executed into design and other-related student projects through either extra-curricular platforms or at modular level, however there is a lack of exploration of these attributes as structured and intentional design at curriculum level. Using design research in education as the methodology for study, this paper explores the design thinking for architecture education that embraces these attributes. This paper justifies and argues for the need to re-think architectural education in relation to these attributes and offers a conceptual thinking, framework and principles for curriculum design.