Studying of precedents in architectural design : a critical analysis of selected theories

Abstract

Architectural education today places a certain emphasis on the specialized research on 'precedents'. According to a certain school of thought. creativity is considered a process largely due to the workings of the subconscious, lessons from precedents may be a very conscious act to feed the mind in the hope of fruitful stimulation of the imagination. Yet there are those who reject the merit of such a process and who even consider it a means to baised and unintuitive solutions. Although commendable and innovative designs are seen among students and practitioners alike, it was observed that many of the students were either copying the magazines unquestionably, or were generally at a loss, unable to recognize the purposes and goals of their explorations. Students and practitioners alike are seen being misguided in their use of precedents, thus in some instance ending up with imitative designs.