Developing Construction Knowledge and Technical Representation Through Experiential Learning in Architectural Education: A Pedagogical Approach Using 3D-Printed Building Kits

Abstract

Construction courses in architectural education aim to help students understand the relationships between building systems and enable them to express this knowledge through technical representations. However, observations conducted in the Department of Architecture at Yeditepe University indicate that students experience difficulties in translating three dimensional building assemblies into two-dimensional technical representations, particularly through section drawings. In response, an experience-based pedagogical approach has been developed within the scope of construction courses through an action research methodology. Based on Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, the study is conducted through the use of reconfigurable building kits produced with 3D printing. This paper focuses on the methodological framework developed for the evaluation of section drawings within this ongoing research. In the study, section drawing is approached as a practice that makes students’ relational thinking processes regarding building systems visible, and a multi-layered evaluation approach integrating process-based, representational, and conceptual data is proposed.