The Effect of Environmental Analysis on the Design Process in the Introduction to Architectural Design Studio

Architecture is the visible face of civilizations when viewed in life. Since intellectual actions arise from consciously perceived thoughts, architectural design usually emphasizes original and creative designs, structures that serve functional needs, and are designed by checking their implications for the user and their suitability for the local context. Architectural education is subject to verification and periodic evaluation. The evaluation also varies depending on the application of standards and the relationship between teaching and scientific research conducted at universities. Although the educational framework depends on the decision-making mechanism of each university, architectural education is generally evaluated with the effect of students' cultural schemes on the creative design process, and a creative product is obtained. This educational process includes totalitarian knowledge transfer, comprehensive application, and questioning, leaving enough space for students to add their values to the design process by experimenting. While creativity is discovered through continuity and persistent repetition of the product, obtaining the final product as a reflection of this process is the outcome of architectural design education. Environmental analyzes provide information that the designer can integrate into the project schedule and design solutions to achieve the desired results. This study discusses the context of environmental analysis and its effect on students' creativity and design processes in the introduction to the architectural design studio. In this context, the effect of the analysis process on the project outcome has been revealed, and it is seen that architecture students have different results in project designs due to their nature, attitude, and character, namely environmental/cultural, cognitive, and personal variables.