Flowing Through Space

The general field this presentation will address is the integration of game mechanics within the design studio. The CAAD community has invested considerable energy into the insertion of games within education to teach specific skills or develop design behaviours. Building on some of this research we report on three years of studio teaching in undergraduate architectural studies. We propose that the outcomes of the design studio can benefit greatly from employing game mechanics to encourage constructive design behaviours within a student cohort. This body research flips the traditional location of game mechanic, shifting the motivations from the hands of the teacher to place the mechanic in the hand of the student. The research reports an increased level of engagement and collaboration and presents a body of work that extends beyond traditional expectations of the architectural design studio.