Sustainability and accreditation in architectural design education: The case of Anadolu university's department of architecture

Abstract

It is easy to understand that the idea of "sustainability" is quite related to "natural life" and "continuity" when its meaning and the underlying philosophy are considered. After the emergence of environmental problems was globalized as the common threat to the whole world, this concept has been a topic of discussion in many fields in today's world. Education as an important field of study shaping individuals' lives and thoughts is not an exception to this. Therefore, it is crucial to educate prospective architects by reconsidering and even integrating these new developments into education programs, since they will be the individuals designing future living spaces accordingly and contributing - directly or indirectly- to the attempts made to increase people's awareness in environmental issues. Since one of the objectives of architectural education should be to plant the seeds of a long-term vocational philosophy in the minds of learners, it is important to integrate this awareness by raising education as early as possible into undergraduate programs. In today's world, it is commonly acknowledged that the accreditation process positively contributes to the effective adoption of "sustainability" in architectural education since it plays an important role in developing and improving architectural design education policies. Anadolu University Department of Architecture is the first program in Turkey that was accredited, and it was even accredited twice. The current study examines the education program provided by Anadolu University Department of Architecture with regards to the current accreditation process applied and the way sustainability is reflected in this program. The current practices of Architectural Design Education will be examined with a holistic approach and with a particular focus on the following issues: evaluation criteria; the method used; the system to be developed, and sustainability. It is possible to furnish the architects of the future with vocational responsibilities and skills on a global scale during their higher education only by providing them with a successful and effective education program