Reinterpreting Bauhaus Pedagogy in the 21st-Century Design Education: Cultivating Experimental Learning and the Development of Active Minds in the First-Year Studio

Authors : Çiğdem Yılman Altürk, Zeynep Uludağ, Zeynep Çiğdem Uysal Ürey, Rabia Çiğdem Çavdar, Arda İlayda Sağlam Aktan

Pages : 699-715

View : 95 | Download : 247

Publication Date : 2025-12-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” – Plutarch Enabling learners who think actively and engage with experimental approaches, rather than those who simply follow predetermined instructions, constitutes a fundamental prerequisite of design education. By its very nature, the act of designing entails a cognitive leap that requires designers to develop their own methods and approaches in open-ended problem situations. This article discusses why the educational model of the Bauhaus School should be revisited in the context of first-year architectural design education, emphasizing its experiential, active and process-oriented pedagogy. Bauhaus introduced a holistic educational model that prioritizes a form of learning initiated through direct engagement and practical experimentation. Its pedagogy was grounded in the ambition to cultivate a new kind of individual capable of assuming an active role within the emerging industrial production system, using design as the central mediating tool toward this objective. Through this emphasis on design, Bauhaus positioned itself as an epistemological project built upon the conviction that learning by doing and kinaesthetic ways of knowing are essential foundations for the modes of learning required in the 21st century. This cognitive and experiential dimension continues to define how design education should evolve today. Revisiting the Bauhaus educational approach today provides an opportunity to reconsider how experiential learning can contribute to architectural education in an age increasingly dominated by digital tools and virtual design environments. As architectural pedagogy continues to evolve within digital contexts, a critical question arises: Does the renewed interest in Bauhaus represent a reaction against the dominance of the digital, or does it reflect a search for what has been lost in the realm of experiential, hands-on learning within the digital age? Posing answers for this question, this article ultimately argues that rediscovering the Bauhaus ethos in this context offers a pathway to reconnect architectural education with the creative, experiential, and reflective roots of design.
Keywords : Mimarlık Eğitimi, Temel Tasarım, Bauhaus, 21. Yüzyıl

ORIGINAL ARTICLE URL