Abstract

Background and Aim: Design methodology is a fundamental domain in architectural education, as it shapes the way future architects think, perceive problems, and generate design responses. Among contemporary pedagogical approaches, Design Thinking has gained increasing attention due to its emphasis on human-centered problem solving, experiential learning, and iterative reflection. One of the most influential Design Thinking frameworks is the D.School model, developed in 2004 by Hasso Plattner and institutionalized at Stanford University as a core teaching method. This model structures the design process into five interconnected stages: empathy, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing. Rather than functioning as a rigid linear procedure, the D.School model encourages continuous feedback, reflection, and reinterpretation throughout the design process.
In architectural education, the integration of such models is particularly relevant when addressing value-based design approaches, including contextual and environmentally responsive architecture. Context-oriented (or contextualist) architecture emphasizes respect for the natural environment, sensitivity to site conditions, and minimal destructive intervention. Among its core principles, respect for nature and the preservation of existing natural elements—such as trees and green spaces—play a crucial role. However, despite the acknowledged importance of these values, students often overlook environmental considerations during the early stages of architectural design, focusing instead on formal, functional, or technical aspects.
Accordingly, the present study aims to examine the application of the D.School Design Thinking model as a pedagogical framework for guiding the architectural design process toward a contextual and nature-respectful approach. The central hypothesis of the research is that the integration of the D.School model into architectural design education can foster a sense of respect for nature among architecture students. More specifically, the study investigates whether the structured stages of the D.School model can sensitize students to environmental values and encourage the preservation and active integration of natural elements within architectural design projects.
Methodology: This research adopts a qualitative approach and is conducted using an action research methodology, as the researchers are directly involved in the educational process being studied. From the perspective of research objectives, the study is applied in nature, aiming to improve and evaluate an instructional strategy within an actual educational setting. The research context is the course “Architectural Design 3,” offered in the third semester of the Master’s program in Architecture at Jondi-Shapour University of Technology, Dezful.
The statistical population of the study consists of ten master’s-level architecture students enrolled in this course. The selected design studio focuses on the design of a mid-rise residential apartment complex with an emphasis on contextual architectural principles. The D.School model was deliberately integrated into the studio’s teaching structure and design assignments, guiding students through the five stages of empathy, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing.
Data were collected through multiple qualitative methods, including library and literature studies, systematic observation of the design process, analysis of students’ design documents, drawings, and visual materials, and examination of project reports and final submissions. The collected data were analyzed using a descriptive–analytical approach within the framework of action research, allowing for continuous reflection on teaching practices and student outcomes throughout the semester.
Findings: The findings indicate that the application of the D.School model significantly influenced students’ design approaches and priorities. At the initial stages of the design process, most students showed limited sensitivity toward the preservation of existing trees and natural elements on the project site. However, as they progressed through the stages of the D.School model—particularly during the empathy and problem definition phases—students gradually developed a deeper understanding of the site’s environmental characteristics and the value of existing green elements.
By the ideation, prototyping, and testing stages, this shift in perspective became evident in their design proposals. The majority of students not only preserved the existing trees on the site but also actively incorporated green elements into both public and private spaces of their residential projects. Analysis of the final designs shows that green spaces were prioritized in public areas such as entrances, lobbies, courtyards, rooftops, and shared circulation spaces. These areas exhibited the highest concentration of natural elements, reflecting a collective understanding of public space as a key interface between architecture and nature.
In private residential spaces, including kitchens, living rooms, reception areas, bedrooms, and terraces, students also employed various green elements, though with a more controlled and selective approach. The use of planters, green walls, balconies with vegetation, and visual connections to outdoor greenery demonstrates that respect for nature extended beyond the building’s external form and into its interior spatial organization. This distinction suggests that students tended to express environmental values more strongly in communal and semi-public zones, while still acknowledging their importance in private living spaces.
Overall, the findings reveal that students’ engagement with the D.School model led to a noticeable transformation in their design thinking. Respect for nature evolved from a secondary or decorative consideration into an integral design value, influencing spatial organization, site planning, and architectural detailing.
The results of this study confirm the research hypothesis, demonstrating that the use of the D.School Design Thinking model in architectural education can effectively foster a sense of respect for nature among architecture students. By structuring the design process through iterative stages of empathy, definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing, the model provides a pedagogical framework that encourages students to recognize environmental values as an essential component of architectural design.
Rather than imposing predefined solutions, the D.School model facilitates experiential learning and reflective thinking, enabling students to internalize contextual and environmental principles through practice. As evidenced by the students’ design outcomes, this approach supports the integration of green spaces and the preservation of natural elements in both public and private architectural spaces.
The findings suggest that the D.School model can serve as an effective process-oriented framework for teaching contextual architecture and environmental responsibility in design studios. While the results are limited to a specific educational setting and a single academic term, they offer valuable insights into the potential of Design Thinking models to enhance value-based learning in architectural education. Future studies may expand this research across multiple semesters and academic levels to further examine the long-term impact of such pedagogical approaches