Digital design implications: a comparative study of architecture education curriculum and practices in leading architecture firms

Leading architectural firms in professional practice are expanding their range of design possibilities using digital design strategies. A digital design strategy enables architects to make informed decisions and better handle the interdisciplinary nature of the discipline, while dealing with various complexities, uncertainties and an infinite number of the potential solutions. One of the main responsibilities of architectural education is to educate students on the breadth of professional opportunities and career paths. Therefore, it is highly important to examine the sufficiency of available digital design courses in the architectural education curriculum. To achieve this, the study examines the curriculum of two architectural programs in the Middle East and compares the findings with award-winning architectural firms in international professional practice from a digital design perspective. In the first step, various cutting-edge technology-driven firms were investigated, then three award-winning firms were subsequently selected and studied using a deliberate review. Secondly, the curriculum of each architecture school was reviewed and the responsible instructors were interviewed through a qualitative method of in-depth interviews; the perceptions and suggestions of eight academic staff members from both schools (four each) were recorded to facilitate an assessment of the status of the integrated digital design methodologies in the architecture education of the intended schools. The findings indicate that the current structures of architecture education curricula cannot match the innovative challenges and social demands of architecture in the digital age. The importance of curriculum review, as well as different incorporation alternatives of the digital design applications, are also suggested.