DIGITAL TECHNIQUES, DESIGN AND PRODUCTION IN ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION

During the previous decades architectural practice has been strongly influenced by the development and use of technology, and architects need to respond to the expanding technological capabilities rapidly becoming widely available. The cause of the slow uptake in architectural curricula in the context of digital technologies lies in the fact that technology is developing quickly while the education is slow to change, and needs more time to adapt to the new trends.

The aim of this paper is to propose the way of incorporating the benefits of technological developments as an integral part of the design process. In this paper we propose an adjustment of architectural education and analyze it through three main aspects: digital techniques, digital design and digital production.

Educational improvements in the area of digital techniques helps architects consider the natural and social influences during the design phase and integrates the results into the design process. In the area of digital design, educational improvements give architects the opportunity to consider a wide variety of ideas before adopting a final concept. Finally, educational improvements in the area of digital production give insights into the possibilities and workflows of recently developed industrial achievements. Architects can create more suitable design proposals if they are familiar with the advantages of the modern technology.

The integration of digital technologies into architectural education is analyzed and discussed. Examples of architectural designs that include digital techniques, design, and production are presented. These designs represent results created by students educated according to the guidelines described in the paper.