An investigation on approaches and processes of Design-Build method in architectural education

The making procedures is a neglected aspect of architectural education in many schools and curricula. To address this neglect, some architectural schools around the world use the Design-Build method in teaching architectural design. This method aims to integrate research, design and construction. The questions of the present study have been compiled after a review of the literature, identifying and studying the resources related to more than thirty Design-Build courses in architecture schools around the world. A semi-structured interview method has been used to answer the questions of this research, with sixteen interviews with academics involved in Design-Build courses around the world. The transcriptions of these interviews are than used as the basis for discussions and conclusions. Among the results are outlining the possible scope for replacing mainstream methods with this alternative, the executive structures used, such as those of financing and communication with clients, the role of legal factors, and also failures in shaping design-build projects.Considering the influence of mainstream worldwide education on Iran, the results of this research provide a framework for defining different approaches to Design-Build methods and important theoretical bases for better understanding and implementation of this method in architectural education. A deeper understanding of this field can result in more conscious uses of this educational method in Iran.