Convergent didactic experiences on the configuration of architectural space and its materialisation in design practice

Abstract

This article analyzes the incorporation of design-thinking structures that articulate form, matter, and structure in architectural design teaching. This approach is based on the systematization of two convergent didactic experiences developed within the Architecture programme at the National University of the Northeast: Architecture II – Pedagogical Unit “B” and Form and Matter: Stereotomy and Tectonics. Both courses approach architectural design as an integrative, experimental, and reflective process in which knowledge is constructed through action, within a flipped classroom framework.

Adopting an exploratory-analytical qualitative methodology, the study surveyed the pedagogical devices used, the design strategies implemented, and the learning evidenced in students’ productions. The analysis was organized around five conceptual axes: project-based didactics as a situated practice; project research and reflection-in-action; form-matter-structure project logics; stereotomic and tectonic formative design processes; theory and practice as a unity in heuristic thinking.

The results show that the design of open-ended tasks, the use of physical models, critical analysis of architectural works, and experimentation with mono-materials foster a deep understanding of architectural space as the outcome of integrated design operations. Students develop analytical, procedural, and communicative skills, consolidating a critical, autonomous, and collaborative attitude within the design process.

It is concluded that the explicit incorporation of projective conceptual frameworks not only enhances the quality of learning but also transforms pedagogical practices towards more integrative, sensitive and contextualized approaches. This study provides operational insights for rethinking the teaching of design as the active production of architectural knowledge.