Building the Fundamentals with a Plastic Water Bottle: A Methodology for Architectural Design Education

Abstract

During the semester-long Fundamentals of Design studio discussed in this paper, students were
introduced to principles of scale, spatial organization strategies, environmental responsibility,
and teamwork through an upcycling project that used the discarded plastic water bottle as a
building block. The outcome was a built spatial condition on campus that symbolized the need
to address plastic waste and was the product of student learning by doing. Active engagement
is at the core of the methodology for architectural design education presented in this paper,
which focuses on the application of various professional and design skills.