COLLABORATIVE AND PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION: EXAMPLE OF SILESIA BROWNFIELDS CASE STUDY

Introduction:
Architecture is mostly associated with individulal work and individual achievements. Each great architect ("Archi-Star”) and his works act as a model to be admired and followed. This phenomenon reflects also in the process of architectural education. According to stereotyped opinion students prefer to create things independently than to work in group.
However, my personal experience as an academic professor and teacher, leads me to conclusion that teamwork, based on problems to be solved (PBL), is a very fruitfull method in a process of architectural education and professional development. It leads to spectacular effects and finally is highly appreciated by students and tutors.
This paper presents one of students’ project  realised in a framework of my authors’ seminar „Designing in Cultural Context”, that I have conducted at Masters Course at Faculty of Architecture, Silesian University of Technology since 2008.

Problem-based Learning-method in use:
PBL practises collective work in order to solve different tasks. The method leads to excellent achievements in preparational research, analysis, evaluation, conclusions, project guidelines, etc.
Students work together from „team building” phase to the final effects.
They work step by step:
- preparing a stucture, schedule of the task and research questions
- collecting data: archives, survey, work „in situ”, urban sketching
- elaborating data: study, alalysis, selection, synthesis
- conclusions: discussion, recommendations, final presentation

Brownfields in Silesia: Comparative Analysis and Creative Ideas”- case study:
Upper Silesia is a southern region of Poland, that is rich in historical post-industrial structures and areas. Some of them are revitalised and adapted to a new function but most are still neglected or partly destroyed.

The research questions were:
- What are the main factors in the process of revitalisation?
- How to learn from already accomplished and well done examples?
Final conclusions of study confirmed that effectiveness and success of revitalisation process base on three factors: -economical, -social, -spatial, and each of them should be rooted in local culture and identity.

PBL - final achievements:
PBL achievements could be devided into:
- scientifical & essential (collected data base and recomendations for further projects)
- methodological & practical (development of teamwork competences, summarizing assesment and feedback)

(Project duration: February - May 2015)