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A frank discussion on a commentary based on Seshan Design's post in a Facebook Group. They highlighted on systemic problems where "the burden of education has quietly shifted from academia to practice", and later gave comments on the problems specifically: the lack of fundamental skills on:

1. Drawing clearly

2. Understanding how buildings put together

3. Accuracy

4. Coordination

5. Accountability

I discussed what happens (happened) and why it is a systemic problem in schools of architecture in Malaysia.

© 2026 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.

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We explain further in depth on the dialogic studio critique methods to explain how we can transform architecture education. In Part 2B, we delve into:

Common Dialogic Critique Methods

1. Round-Table or Harkness Method
2. Peer Crits (Structured Peer Feedback)
3. Group Crits or Panel Discussions with Student Involvement
4. Formative Desk Crits as True Dialogue
5. Narrative-Based Dialogic Design (NDD)
6. Hybrid or Alternative Formats

Plus the benefits and implementation tips.

© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.

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Dialogic studio critique methods shift traditional architecture design studios from 'hierarchical, tutor-dominated feedback' (often called "desk crits" or juries) to collaborative, multi-voiced conversations. These approaches, inspired by Donald Schön's "reflection-in-action," Mikhail Bakhtin's polyphony, and Vygotsky's socio-constructivist pedagogy, emphasize mutual dialogue where students actively participate, question, and co-construct knowledge. This fosters deeper comprehension, reduces power imbalances, encourages inquiry, and aligns with ideals of human flourishing and exemplary character (junzi). Traditional critiques can feel adversarial, ambiguous, or judgmental, stifling creativity and student voice. Dialogic methods address this by prioritizing process-oriented, iterative feedback over summative assessment.

Continuing the discussion on the purpose of architecture education, we introduce the 'key principles in dialogue critiques' first in this episode (Part 2A) to explain how we can transform architecture education.

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We frequently speak of students as "products" or "graduates"—metrics to be optimized for Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia (LAM) Part I and II exemptions, high QS subject rankings, graduate employability rates, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). But where is the student's voice?

Do aspiring architects truly seek personal and societal transformation through design, or have they, too, been captured by the logic of credentials—chasing accreditation compliance, technical proficiency, and industry-ready skills over creative risk-taking and ethical reflection?

I referred to an Opinion piece by Dr Syed Alwee Alsagoff's in Star Newspaper dated 28 December 2025 entitled "The Year We Forgot to Ask". I expanded to discuss as an introduction to conversation that we need to discuss on the purpose of architecture education, inspired from this article, in this podcast episode.

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We dive into the conversation on "reforms in architecture education" to understand further how education affects the profession in a profound way. The principles from Mark Alan Hewitt's 2020 reforms explained in arch daily —emphasizing embodied cognition through hand drawing, physical model-making, haptic engagement, and sensory-rich practices—can absolutely be integrated into both the ARB Competency Outcomes Framework and the RIBA Themes and Values framework. Both are deliberately outcomes-based and flexible, allowing schools to innovate in how they deliver competencies without prescribing specific methods. This openness creates space for embodied approaches as effective pedagogical tools to meet required outcomes.

Link here: https://www.archdaily.com/941809/12-ways-to-reform-architectural-education

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Another “unfiltered” critic argues that architecture education is the root cause of the profession being undervalued and widely misunderstood. The defense of the profession, we contend, must begin in academia, where the core problem lies in situating architecture schools to comply with—and be dictated by—non-architects who neither understand nor uphold the profession’s essential competencies. This external oversight has diluted the foundational truths of architecture, eroding its rigor and distinct identity over time.

By allowing administrators, accrediting bodies, and university structures dominated by non-practitioners to shape curricula and priorities, schools inadvertently prioritize bureaucratic compliance, interdisciplinary trends, and measurable outcomes over the deep, tacit knowledge and creative judgment that define architectural expertise. This shift not only weakens the training of future architects but also sends a broader signal to society that architecture is a generic design discipline rather than a profound synthesis of art, science, ethics, and cultural responsibility—further contributing to its undervaluation in the public and professional spheres.

Part 2 will be about the "reforms in architecture education".

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This podcast episode is a one-off reaction piece to the discussion on "What makes a good studio master?" It refers to the Malaysian Architecture Education context and the premise from the problem of bureaucracy.

The assertion here argues that formal qualifications (PhD, Part 3 registration, 5+ years industry/teaching experience) proposed by the Malaysian Board of Architects (LAM - Malay Acronym) are irrelevant for design studio masters, who need to have both talents in teaching, as well as being a good designer.

True effectiveness lies in three key roles—coach (tracking progress), consultant (critical feedback), and expert (specialized input)—which can be filled by one person or a team. Everyone guiding students should be considered a “master” in the traditional sense. Core duties include structuring the semester program, facilitating crits, moderating discussions, synthesizing feedback, and ensuring fair assessment while encouraging students to own their ideas—never imposing solutions via tutor sketches. Some experienced critics would draw out for the students, which means they don't know how to teach.

The rigid credential requirements are bureaucratic shortcuts that exclude talented teachers and practitioners, stifle innovation, and regress architectural education. Prioritizing actual teaching ability, collaboration, and facilitation over box-ticking is essential.

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Architecture education and the problems of competent graduates have been discussed elsewhere in Talk Architecture podcast, but this topic shows how much things have changed in architecture education and how it affected the curriculum.

So, this morning I asked Grok: Do you think that more and more architecture education and the ranking system serves the developer’s agenda than society’s needs?

Grok says: Yes, absolutely — and the trend has been accelerating dramatically over the past 15–20 years. Architecture education and especially the global ranking systems now function more as a pipeline for producing compliant, brand-friendly designers who serve the real-estate/finance/development industry than as institutions serving society’s actual spatial, social, ecological, or cultural needs.

The main points are:

1. Ranking systems are explicitly designed around “employer reputation” and “academic reputation” — and the employers who matter are the big corporate firms
2. The curriculum has been financialised
3. Debt + prestige hierarchy forces graduates into the developer machine
4. “Sustainability” has been fully co-opted into developer marketing
5. The proof is in the built environment

The thought occurred to do this episode when I read another piece in LinkedIn on a global survey that reveals the future of architectural education. It suggests the way architects need to be, quote "a civic leader, cultural mediator, facilitator, and interdisciplinary collaborator", thus making me concerned for the profession. Yes, you can be all that but not on the expense of fully equipping architecture graduates to be confident of working in the industry, hence what need to happen in the design thesis curriculum and learning experience, as I have discussed in earlier episodes.

© 2025 Talk Architecture, Author: Naziaty Mohd Yaacob.

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