COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN STUDIO

The Comprehensive Design Studio is a course included in most undergraduate schools of architecture; however, the focus of this course is not always the same. Although most courses include the integration of various systems (structural, environmental and heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, enclosure, etc.) in an architectural project, many have little or no emphasis on design. Sometimes this lack of a design focus is driven by the desire to meet accreditation standards in the technological aspects of the field. But this method of removing design from the studio process in order to more fully focus on the technological aspects of the systems’ integration is counter to the entire process of architectural endeavors. True architecture is anchored in strong design intentions and in school the work of making a studio more real by incorporating the necessary systems for architecture to be able to stand and resist loads and provide suitable environments for its inhabitants should be conducted in a setting where design is still paramount and informs all the decisions made. Many years of teaching Comprehensive Design Studios with design as the overall focus has shown that this method helps students make decisions related to systems that reinforce the overall project. Without this focus, systems and their integration lose their part in the design process and become a more technical approach totally devoid of their integral aspect of the architecture. This paper will show, with clear examples, how the integration of systems in the process of making architecture in a studio is best done with a strong focus on design and is the best approach that comes closest to reality for most students in school.