Classroom And Site Integration: Utilizing Site Documentation And Classroom Assignments To Make Connections Between Theory And Practice

The late Italian master builder Luigi Nervi said “A good architect is someone capable of seeing the main problems of a design, capable of examining with serenity the various possible solutions, and who finally has a thorough grasp of the technical means necessary to accomplish his project.” Ernest L. Boyer and Lee D. Mitgang, in their report Building Community: A New Future for Architecture Education and Practice, stress that the education of the architect must be integrative and include the technical knowledge to which Nervi refers. A picture says a thousands words. A video provides, through moving images, an understanding of the process as well as words. Seeing the actual construction through site visits provides first hand experience and memory retention through seeing the actual process, hearing dialogue and providing opportunities to develop direct relationships between theory and practice. Relating construction theory and practice to students, especially during the early years, is a challenging task. Classroom materials, including site photographs and video, can help but not as effectively as having students experience, through direct observation, the actual materials, methods and practice of construction.