An Assessment of Critical Thinking Skills based Architectural Project Course in Terms of Student's Outputs

Abstract

There is a judgment and interrogation deed in the origin of the word of criticism. This interrogation is a process that could occur by asking questions, by establishing empathy. Critical thinking requires thinking a lot of things at the same time. Therefore, to see that only the positive or negative aspects of a thing might not be enough. Important point is to see both aspects at the same time, be able to make transition between them and at this time is to find a “new” one. Being with a critical approach to the design process in architectural education is thought to include a loop that keeps the process alive, to make dynamic training process. Constantly, rapidly opening of different subject to be discussed nowadays, adopt to this speed and nor using the existing data rethinking in multiple environments may be realized with critical thinking skills. In Karabuk University Safranbolu Fethi Toker Fine Arts and Design Faculty Department of Architecture, 2011-2012 academic term, fall semester, ARCH305 Architectural Project 5's term project includes varies exercises with the aim of to boast the students’ this skills. Mentioned with varies exercises emphasized that students could make criticize for familiar situations, could look to them by interrogating. There was a competition whose subject was criticized of housing estate organized by TMMOB Chamber of Architects Ankara Office. The competition subject was decided the main project subject of the semester. At the end of the process a student in this class won a prize. Target of this study is to discuss the importance of critical thinking skills in architectural education with supporting term project. In this way both architectural educations will be rethinking and to discuss how to approach can be found a “new” one in architectural education nowadays.