Learning Frontiers- Beyond Frontiers

What is the value of ideas and design research-led, architectural design studio pedagogy and culture to industry and associated stakeholders and vice-versa? Can design studios simultaneously act as a platform for ideas-led speculative design research whilst contributing to the practical ambitions and aspirations of industry partners? As a case study, this paper will reflect and unpack the value of design studio pedagogy and culture to industry on a series of industry partnered and research-led design studios I led in partnership with the RMIT School of Education as clients, RMIT Property Services and Professor Vivian Mitsogianni titled ‘Learning Frontiers: RMIT Urban High School’ project. The design studios consistently navigated and negotiated between the difficult terrain of the speculative objectives and methodologies of the studio and the practical brief of the client. Partners and stakeholders were encouraged to look beyond individual projects but instead, target specific and consistently emerging ideas and propositions within the studio. Outcomes are not perfect – the studio championed speculative proposals to test and seek out new possibilities. How do you strategically oscillate between the speculative and the real? As educators, how do you facilitate highly experimental propositions to reframe the possibilities for the real? More importantly, how do you project beyond studio borders; contributing to a larger research agenda and industry expectations?