Conti, Andrea
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Design studios are changing. The Covid-19 pandemic was just an acceleration in reconsidering both spaces and practices of design education. Structural shifts had already occurred in the past with the implementation of digital tools, the internet, or, more recently, with the use of artificial intelligence as a design aid. Despite this, many scholars continue to view the design studio as a fixed model rooted in European and North American traditions, with its own studio culture, which is essential for training designers. Little critical inquiry has been devoted to discussing the history of the design studio and its culture. Gaining a historical perspective is crucial for understanding how design education, through its settings, practices, and representations, evolved around the idea of the design studio. Analyzing the role of these settings, practices, and representations in shaping studio culture is the goal of this thesis.
The thesis provides a diachronic study of design education in key institutions— the École des Beaux-Arts, Arts and Crafts schools, the Bauhaus, and NorthAmerican design programs. It examines how the interplay of spatial environments and social dynamics of design education evolved between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. By analyzing histories of studio life, the thesis explores how spaces, tools, social interactions, and training practices have influenced contemporary teaching methods in design education. The conclusion shows that studio culture could be understood as something fixed. At the same time, it argues that it should also be understood as a living construct, continuously shaped and challenged by social, technological, and institutional change. This thesis aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on studio culture. Examining design education settings, practices, and representations, it offers a historical perspective on their cultural significance while fostering a more reflexive approach to emerging pedagogical challenges.
Keywords
studio culture; design studio; design education; architectural education; practices; studio settings; studio myths; design pedagogy
Published in
Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae
2026, number: 2026:5
Publisher: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Pedagogy
Design
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.54612/a.1a3bcuthkr
- ISBN: 978-91-8124-202-7
- eISBN: 978-91-8124-222-5
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/144943