A theoretical framework of design critiquing in architecture studios

While critiquing is generally recognized as an essential pedagogical tool in architecture design studios, no systematic attempt has been made to develop a descriptive theory that can account for the complexity of critiquing. Various studies exist that describe the design studio, but many of these provide fragmentary descriptions of critiquing. In this paper, through a review of publications that are concerned with the architecture design studio as well as other areas of design, we identify a basic set of factors that enable us to articulate the variables that affect the practice of critiquing in design studios. Based on these factors, we then propose a conceptual framework that allows studio instructors to systematically plan and examine their critiquing practice. ► We collect and examine all fragmentary descriptions of design critiquing by reviewing various studies and publications. ► We identify and articulate key factors of design critiquing. ► We propose a conceptual framework that allows studio teachers to systematically think about their own critiquing practice. ► We develop a tool to account for the complexity of critiquing. ► This work provides us with a means to plan and improve our critiquing strategies.