Child’s Play: a pedagogical model for the first semester of architecture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5821/jida.2025.13690Keywords:
embodied knowledge, experiential learning, children’s play, architectural education, community validationAbstract
The paper presents Childhood Games, a pedagogical model for the first semester of architecture that seeks to overcome traditional propaedeutic teaching, usually based on abstract exercises disconnected from bodily experience. The model draws on embodied and situated pedagogies, activating creativity through intuition by means of memory, collective construction, and full-scale verification. The methodology consists of three phases: memory-game (autobiographical evocation through drawing and narrative), built-game (collective construction of a 1:1 play structure validated by the community), and project-game (individual projection). The experience, involving 30 students over five months, was evaluated using the Experiential Learning Survey (ELS). Results show a high overall assessment (α=0.97), reinforced by observing children’s interaction with the constructed works. Some groups highlighted usefulness and future projection, while others emphasized process and personal reflection. This exploratory study shows that the model fosters the early activation of architectural thinking through sensitive, collective, and verifiable experiences.
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