Abstract

The present article investigates “the role of influences of other architects’ works” as a learning tool in order to improve the creativity of the architecture students. Firstly, the definition of creativity is discussed and then the view points of creativity in the sphere of architecture follows. Secondly, a model is presented on the need of the presence of creativity in the deep layers of a creative architectural work. In the presented model, the need of the element of creativity, at least in three major phases in the deep layers of an architectural work, will be explained. Afterwards, the concern of “influences of other architects’ works” is discussed by considering two main states of conscious and subconscious forms and then the article concludes that unlike the orthodox view point of some architecture teachers who believe that “influences of other architects’ works” blocks the innovative architectural ideas, it can play a major role in at least two stages of the presented model of creativity and increases the possibility of reaching creative solutions by the architecture students. As a supplementary, and to clarify the point that the treatment of teachers for the so-called influences has to change as students’ cognitions of architectural works change, the concept of “cognition” itself will be discussed. It must be mentioned that in some cases, the author has made use of polls containing the views of both the teacher and the student about the case study. These polls were answered by 10 architecture teachers of Tehran University and Shiraz University of Iran who had a broad experience in teaching the architecture material and also 40 students who were recently graduated from the colleges.

Keywords

Creativity, Architecture Education, Precedent Based Design, Cognition

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Jul 7th, 12:00 AM

Inspiring from the Works of Other Architects in Reinforcing Students’ Creativity

The present article investigates “the role of influences of other architects’ works” as a learning tool in order to improve the creativity of the architecture students. Firstly, the definition of creativity is discussed and then the view points of creativity in the sphere of architecture follows. Secondly, a model is presented on the need of the presence of creativity in the deep layers of a creative architectural work. In the presented model, the need of the element of creativity, at least in three major phases in the deep layers of an architectural work, will be explained. Afterwards, the concern of “influences of other architects’ works” is discussed by considering two main states of conscious and subconscious forms and then the article concludes that unlike the orthodox view point of some architecture teachers who believe that “influences of other architects’ works” blocks the innovative architectural ideas, it can play a major role in at least two stages of the presented model of creativity and increases the possibility of reaching creative solutions by the architecture students. As a supplementary, and to clarify the point that the treatment of teachers for the so-called influences has to change as students’ cognitions of architectural works change, the concept of “cognition” itself will be discussed. It must be mentioned that in some cases, the author has made use of polls containing the views of both the teacher and the student about the case study. These polls were answered by 10 architecture teachers of Tehran University and Shiraz University of Iran who had a broad experience in teaching the architecture material and also 40 students who were recently graduated from the colleges.

 

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