Spatial sensibility in architectural education

Spatial perception is a vital skill for architects. Architectural pedagogy methods naturally focus on its development, but they rely heavily on abstract notions and exercises. In most schools, thinking in, of and with space - is a geometrically arid, grid-dependent affair. But spaces aren't necessarily places - defined by experiences, memories, individual and collective meanings. Spatial intelligence should be complemented by spatial sensibility, and both should be equally important in architectural education. This paper represents a case study of cultivating these skills in architecture students, through studio projects designed to raise their receptivity to the context and socio-cultural dimensions of the site. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.