Rethinking Architectural Education

In the article Architecture’s Public by Giancarlo De Carlo, the author discusses the “revolt and the frustration of the school of architecture” following World War II with the goal of reshaping the curriculum by being more welcoming of “new ideas” in the attempt to reshape architectural education in universities. Though the operation was considered a failure, it helped students change their outlook on education and the overall purpose of their training and social role as architects. It can be very easy to blame architectural education for our lack of preparedness for the “real world,” but it is important to remember that the goal of our education is to teach us how to think and ideate; the rest all comes down to practice. In other words, you can teach anyone how to draw and use technology, but our education’s real purpose is to teach us how to design. All we have left to learn after graduation is how to combine our knowledge with the technology and tools that we have yet to master.