Students, architects, professionals: the Italian view of the AA model

While the responsibilities of city and land architects are rapidly changing, the faculties of architecture are becoming complicated machines to draw off students and rapidly turn them into professional architects. However, for some time now, being an architect does not mean simply solving problems or applying theories, it involves tackling artistically, rather than technically, new and therefore as yet uncoded, unique and often unclear problem areas (Schon, 1983). In an attempt to improve this new educational system, unlikely combinations of traditional professional knowledge and architectural culture are either adopted or rejected. The debate focuses on how to combine specialised knowledge and art, applied science and artistic skills, in order to promote a hands-on education. This paper provides a critical analysis of the studio teaching activities and structures that are found within London's Architectural Association and compares them to those found in the Italian university system. It outlines some of the key topics, methods and tools used to teach architecture at first year, intermediate and diploma levels within the school and uses a mapping technique to analyze the teaching and learning activities undertaken. The paper particularly explores the relationship between creative imagination and the teaching of technical and professional skills.