Sketchbook as an architectural design instrument of the cognitive creation process for the quality of place

Abstract

The paper explores possibilities for using sketchbook in architect’s education as an architectural design instrument for the cognitive creation processes for the production of quality of place. We strongly believe that for the architect’s education and future professional work, unconscious mental cognitive processes could be best captured by freehand drawing and sketching, beside conscious cognitive mental activities of perception, thinking, understanding, judgment and reasoning. This paper presents possibilities and results of new designed and tested teaching concepts and methods for the architectural design based on the course Sketchbook – Drawn Thoughts which form the part of the curriculum at the Master level of studies at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Architecture. As famous architects refer to sketches as the beginnings for the development and formulation of conceptions of architectural design, freehand drawings represent materialization of visual mental images and visions based both on rational thinking and on the impressions influenced by other human senses such as hearing, relaxing and sensing. Five mentors tested their respective different methods on students using sketchbook as an architectural design instrument, each one revealing different, yet interesting outcomes that led to conclusions of variety of outputs which might be useful for the cognitive creation processes within the architect’s education processes. We will show these methods and their application on student’s work and the results originated from such an approach. At the end of the paper, based on our research, we will set conclusions and recommendations both for the architect’s education processes and practice of creation of place as the profession’s ultimate goal.