Technology and Architectural Education: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

The development of materials and technologies available for construction always had affected architecture and architectural education either directly or indirectly. Furthermore, these new developments cannot be thought apart from the changes in the socio cultural and economic structure of the societies. It was both the availability of the pozzolana during the Roman period that lead to construction of imposing structures but also it was the Roman culture that created a need for the construction of these structures. During the modem era it took some time for the architects of the time to accept and use the new technologies and materials available as representatives of the new age. It required not only the availability of these new materials and technologies but also acceptance of them by the society. During the contemporary period, the development of material and construction technologies coupled with developments in software engineering are providing the means to create the language of new architecture, while at the same time altering the experiential dimension of architecture. Today, architecture and more significantly architectural education are facing a new challenge that needs to be solved: the emphasis on the surreal over the real experience of spaces. In this paper, the interrelations of material and technological developments and architecture is examined in a historical perspective hoping to bring forth some of the critical dimensions related to the discipline of architecture and architectural education. The aim is to highlight the positive and negative opportunities that are presented with contemporary material and technological developments for architecture in general and architectural education in particular.