PEDAGOGY OF AESTHETICS

264 Pages·2011·5.2 MB·English

PEDAGOGY OF AESTHETICS:
A STUDY OF THREE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIOS
_______________________________________
A Dissertation
Presented to
the Faculty of the Graduate School
at the University of Missouri-Columbia
_______________________________________________________
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
_____________________________________________________
by
JI YOUNG CHO
Benyamin Schwarz, Ph.D., Dissertation Supervisor
MAY 2011
© Copyright by Ji Young Cho 2011
All Rights Reserved
The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School,
have examined the dissertation entitled
PEDAGOGY OF AESTHETICS:
A STUDY OF THREE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIOS
Presented by Ji Young Cho,
A candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy,
And hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance.
Professor Benyamin Schwarz, Ph.D.
Professor Ruth Brent Tofle, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Newton D'Souza, Ph.D.
Professor Joseph Bien, Ph.D.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It was a long journey though doctoral study to arrive here finally. Throughout the
process, there were always great people around me. First of all, I would like to give
sincere thanks to my Lord, Jesus, who allowed me to have a great environment to study
and wisdom and strength to finish the dissertation process.
It is a pleasure to thank those who made this dissertation possible. I am heartily
thankful to my advisor, Dr. Benyamin Schwarz, for endless encouragement and unfailing
faith in me. As my mentor, from beginning of my doctoral study to the finishing stage, he
helped me by providing intellectual insights with high research standards and
constructive criticism. I am also grateful to have Dr. Ruth Tofle on the dissertation
committee as well as a department chair. I appreciate her for advice and suggestions to
the dissertation as well as financial support for my study and for intellectual exposure to
academic conferences. I am also thankful to Dr. Newton D'Souza, a committee member,
for his inspiration and for sparking my interest in design education for doctoral study.
Always the discussion with him was a joy. I also would like to express my deep
appreciations to Dr. Joseph Bien, a committee member in the Department of Philosophy,
who helped open my eyes to aesthetics and enrich and delve into my idea.
There are other teachers to whom I would like to express my gratitude. I owe
deepest gratitude to Dr. So-Yeon Yoon for her encouragement and for the research
assistantship opportunity that she gave to me. I want to thank to Dr. Bimal Balakrishnan
from whom I gained a different perspective.
This dissertation would not have been possible without research participants. I have
to give a special thanks to all the research participants─three instructors, three
administrators, and the 40 students in three universities. I learned a great deal from
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conducting this study and benefited from observing their teaching philosophies and
pedagogy.
In addition, I would like to express a deep acknowledgement to Dean Douglas
Seider, Dr. Pamela Evans, Dr. Terry Uber, Regina Witsaman, and all the other colleagues
in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at the Kent State University for
their support, consideration, and encouragement.
I am also thankful to my friends, Danielle Oprean and Diana Ingram, who read my
papers in my school years and gave precious feedback and encouragement to me. In
addition, I want to express my gratitude to Lynne Lampe who helped me to improve my
English writing by editing my papers and dissertation, and Lynne Jeon, who helped me to
polish my writings.
I also want to express sincere thanks and love to my friends and pastors in
Columbia Korean Baptist Church in Missouri and Korean Holiness Church of Nazarene
in Ohio for their prayers and love.
Finally, I would like to express my love to my parents and three sisters, who have
been the reason and motivation for me to achieve anything. I want to dedicate my
dissertation to my father, Cheol Je Joe, and my mother, Jung Sook Cho, who have always
been my role models in life.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii
LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii
LIST OF TABLES ...............................................................................................................x
ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1
Background ..............................................................................................................1
Statement of Purpose and Research Questions .......................................................5
Significance of the Study .........................................................................................6
Rationale for Using a Qualitative Research Method ...............................................6
Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................8
Overview of the Dissertation ...................................................................................9
2. LITERATURE REVIEW........................................................................................12
Meaning of Aesthetics ..........................................................................................13
Aesthetics in the Philosophy of Art .......................................................................14
Aesthetics in Environmental Psychology ..............................................................20
Aesthetics in Architectural Theory and Research ..................................................25
Nature of Design Studio Education .......................................................................33
Brief History of Architectural Education in the United States and Its Emphasis on
Aesthetics ...............................................................................................................44
Summary of Literature Review and Working Definition of Aesthetics .................52
3. RESEARCH METHOD ..........................................................................................55
Research Paradigm ................................................................................................55
Case Study Using a Qualitative Research Method ................................................58
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Research Method and Sampling Criteria ...............................................................60
Method of Data Collection.....................................................................................62
Method of Data Analysis and Synthesis ................................................................67
Validity ..................................................................................................................75
4. FINDINGS ..............................................................................................................80
Course Structure and Participants' Characteristics ................................................80
Emphasis of Studio Project Regarding Aesthetics.................................................97
Instructor‘s Education and Teaching Philosophy of Aesthetics ..........................120
Customized Aesthetic Education Observed Through Six Student Cases ............125
Common Themes of Aesthetic Education Among the Three Studios .................157
Perception of Aesthetics and Aesthetic Education ..............................................170
Students‘ Perspective on Their Instructors' Teaching Methods ...........................182
5. DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................188
Role of Instructor in Aesthetic Education ............................................................189
Role of Precedent in Aesthetic Education ............................................................200
Clash of Ideas Between Instructor and Student Regarding Aesthetics ................203
Two Opposing Natures of Aesthetics of Architecture .........................................207
Aesthetics of Architecture: Between Principle and Value ...................................210
A Theoretical Framework of Process of Aesthetic Education and Contributing
Components ........................................................................................................213
6. CONCLUSION .....................................................................................................220
Implications of the Study .....................................................................................220
Recommendations to Educators ...........................................................................222
Limitations of This Study ....................................................................................224
Future Research Directions ..................................................................................227
Researcher Reflection ..........................................................................................228
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APPENDIX ......................................................................................................................230
A. Consent Form ...........................................................................................230
B. Category and Code Definition From Instructor Interviews .....................232
C. Category and Code Definition From Student Interviews ........................234
D. Category and Code Definition From Observations .................................236
E. Final Themes, Categories, and Codes ......................................................239
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................243
VITA ................................................................................................................................251

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. Theoretical framework of the research .......................................................................8
2. Overview of the dissertation ......................................................................................9
3. Conceptual background of the research ...................................................................12
4. Studio students‘ desks in studio A. ..........................................................................85
5. Studio A entrance .....................................................................................................85
6. Studio A environment ..............................................................................................85
7. Project introduction in studio B. ..............................................................................92
8. Studio B environment. ..............................................................................................92
9. Students‘ work at midcritique and final critique in studio B ...................................92
10. Studio C environment ...............................................................................................97
11. Instructor‘s room next to studio C ............................................................................97
12. Pin-ups and final critique in studio C .......................................................................97
13. Examples of student work—light box exercise ........................................................99
14. Examples of student work—three massing models. ..............................................101
15. Examples of student work—plan, section, and elevation drawing ........................103
16. Examples of student work—final design presentation board. ................................103
17. Images of Montessori Cube and Froebel Geometries. ...........................................104
18. Examples of student work—model of Montessori classroom ...............................107
19. Example of artwork given to students. ...................................................................109
20. Examples of student work—the second project. ....................................................109
21. Louis Kahn‘s Kimbell Art Museum in Forth Worth, Texas ..................................114

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22. Examples of student work—sketches of the Kimbell Art Museum. ......................115
23. Students' photos of their models of the Kimbell Art Museum ...............................116
24. Examples of student work—section model ............................................................118
25. Module used in Kimbell Art Museum ....................................................................119
26. Anne‘s three basic massing models and plans .......................................................126
27. Anne‘s developed massing models. .......................................................................128
28. Anne‘s roof design change and instructor‘s sketches regarding the roof...............130
29. Anne‘s final design presentation board and model ................................................131
30. Bill‘s inspiration—rural and vernacular architecture .............................................132
31. Bill‘s three massing models and plans ...................................................................133
32. Two views of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson‘s Ledge House, Maryland. ....................134
33. Bill‘s design development (negative space between building blocks) ...................136
34. Bill‘s final presentation board ................................................................................136
35. Emily‘s first project— model of Montessori classroom ........................................138
36. Emily‘s given painting, her chosen painting, and her second project. ...................140
37. Emily‘s floor plan and site analysis .......................................................................141
38. Emily‘s developed floor plan and site analysis ......................................................142
39. Emily‘s final design presentation board and model/section model ........................143
40. Drew‘s first project—model of a Montessori classroom .......................................144
41. Drew‘s given painting and his second project .......................................................145
42. Drew‘s initial stage floor plan ................................................................................146
43. Drew‘s plan development and site analysis. ..........................................................147
44. Drew‘s final design presentation board and model ................................................148
45. Kevin‘s site plan and plan study... .........................................................................149
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