Architectural education is under pressure to meet the demands of an evolving construction industry and to cater to the increasingly varied career destinations of graduates. How should architectural education respond to these professional challenges? How can students be better prepared for professional practice? These questions are the focus of this book, which brings together contributions from a wide range of authors, from both the UK and the USA, working in the fields of architectural education, architectural practice and educational research.

Narratives of Architectural Education provides an overview of life as an architecture student, detailing how a layperson may develop an architectural identity. This book proposes becoming an architect as a personal narrative of professional development structured around various stages and challenges associated with identity transformation. Using a case study of aspiring architects along multiple time points of their professional education, Thompson investigates the occupational identity of architects; how individuals construct a sense of themselves as future architects and position themselves within the architectural community. This book provides previously unexamined insights into not just the academic development of an architect, but also the holistic and experiential aspects of architectural education. It would be ideal for those in the educational field of architecture, to include students, educators, interns, and mentors.

Case Study Strategies for Architects and Designers explains methods in evidence-based design, also called practice-based research, to show you the value of research to your designs. Topics covered pertain to data collection and analysis techniques, including surveys, interviews, fieldwork, participatory design, occupancy evaluations, and memory sketching. Integrative data evaluation, theoretical sampling, triangulation, pattern matching logic, and analytical generalization are also discussed. Global research precedents, exercises, further reading, section summaries, sidebars, more than 30 black and white images and tables will help you conduct empirical inquiries in real-life contexts.

Learning by Building challenges today’s architects and students to experience the energy and creativity of construction. Based on the example of famous architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier, who considered construction an integral part of the design process, "design-build" is standard practice in growing numbers of today’s architecture firms. Architect and professor William J. Carpenter explores ways to integrate construction into architectural education, bridging the gap between theory and practice—between designing and building. Mr. Carpenter traces the history of construction in architectural education, from medieval times, to Jefferson’s Monticello, to the German Bauhaus. He cites twentieth-century artists such as Richard Serra and Donald Judd, whose work is generated by the process of making; like the artist, "the architect should be immersed in the potential of construction." Ten in-depth case studies of schools that have incorporated design-build into their curriculum illustrate how construction studios help future architects learn real-life pragmatics and collaboration. Through text and photographs, Mr. Carpenter recounts the diverse experiences of high-profile schools such as Cranbrook and Yale University, providing models for other schools that wish to include design-build in their curriculums. Mr. Carpenter also gives a helpful outline of the practical details involved in design-build, such as team issues, legal issues, and built applications of the process. Learning by Building is a wake-up call to architects and students alike to immerse themselves in the process of architecture—to rediscover, or witness for the first time, the excitement of building.