Interface between architecture & urban design in architectural education

Abstract

This article explores the interface between architecture and urban design and questions the relevance and limits of so called 'urban design' knowledge being imparted to architectural students at the Department of Architecture and Planning at NED University of Engineering and Technology (DAP NED-UET) and the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVSAA) Karachi. It also analyses the impact of these courses on professional practice through contribution in Pakistani society by architects who graduated from schools where an urban design studio was offered as part of the Architecture Curriculum. The results of the research highlight that architects trained from schools offering urban design studios as compared to foreign qualified architects and architects from schools that do not offer such a course tend to cater to a very small percentage of the population and are restricted in their practice by engaging only in main stream architecture. Comparatively having studied urban design studio architects tend to understand the urban dynamics of the city better and fit in alternative practices such as development sectors and academia with a drift towards urban research. The decision as to in which semester the urban design studio should be placed is vital because undergoing an urban design studio for a whole semester just before the thesis semester tends to make students rustic on design as they start focusing more on urban research, trends analysis and urban potentials identification rather then architectural design exploration.