Toward the ideas of the New European Bauhaus: the application of the digital tools in the University curricula

Abstract

The education process in architecture and its allied disciplines represents the foundation for the future design of the built environment. However, in spite of the continuous upgrading of knowledge and experiences, it is often visible that there is a certain lack of awareness regarding the shifting focus of design pedagogy, especially in the university environment. Consequently, the new insights have become a necessity, promoting critical thinking and inquiry, creativity and innovation, research and investigation. Simultaneously, collaboration, civic engagement and technical competences have become highly valued and promoted as the preferable qualities of contemporary design-related pedagogy. The project-oriented approach, applied during the master course Sustainable City conducted at the University of Belgrade - Faculty of Architecture, represents one of the examples of the preferred improvements, adjusted to the recently promoted concept of the New European Bauhaus Paper. The curriculum supports students` work, while the final outcome represents the so-called Civil Initiative Project Proposal, targeting different, up-to-date competitions and publicly announced calls. Due to the technological upgrading which allows the use of the online teaching tools, the end results are uploaded into the Teams platform, creating the Civil Initiative Project Proposal Catalog. This specific database provides the possibility for the active involvement in the planning practice, gathering the ideas, knowledge and experiences which might be used in different situations, solving the problems of urban communities.