Pedagogy of aesthetics : a study of three architectural design studios

Venustas (beauty) in the architectural field is one of the qualities of architecture along with firmitas (firmness) and utilitas (utility). Given that pursuing beauty is one of the roles of an architect/designer, aesthetics, the discussion of beauty, cannot be excluded from architectural education. However, it is rare to find scholarly discussions that include aesthetic education and theory to explain the process of how students obtain knowledge of the aesthetics of architecture. This dissertation explores the pedagogy of aesthetic education in architectural design studios using a grounded theory approach. Based on a multicase study of three outstanding instructors' studios in three different schools, their 40 students and 3 administrators using observations, interviews and document reviews, a theoretical framework of “a process of aesthetic education in the architectural studio” is proposed. Finally, recommendations and implications for design educators are presented.