ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION IN THE ERA OF IT REVOLUTION.REFLECTIONS ON THE ASSUMPTIONS OF ARCHITECTURE FOR SOCIETY OF KNOWLEDGE STUDY PROGRAMME IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE DISCIPLINE

KRZYSZTOF KOSZEWSKI

Architectural education in the era of IT revolution we are now witnessing brings both opportunities and challenges arising from the significant changes in the techniques available to architects and in the status of the discipline in a wider social, economic and cultural context. In this article, they are briefly shown on the example of the new english-language MSc programme titled Architecture for Society of Knowledge, taught at the Faculty of Architecture, Warsaw University of Technology. The programme focuses on the role of knowledge, as emphasized in the name of this specialty. The general assumptions of the programme are presented with emphasis on important relevant problems: the social context of the discipline with a special focus on the idea of society of knowledge, aspects of new IT tools available to architects, design methodology issues in teaching, including the perception of architectural design as knowledge-based. Particular attention is devoted to the need of conscious critical evaluation of the rapid changes in the discipline while still making the most of their potential.

Keywords: architectural education, society of knowledge, architect’s tools, Architecture for Society of Knowledge