A New Step in Architectural Expression The Experience of Utilization of Caricature in the Process of Learning

Due to the separation of the theoretical and practical domains of architecture، instruction in these two domains is accomplished separately in many areas. This separation causes some complexities، the most important of which is the relationship between these two domains، specifically the effectiveness and retrieval of architectural knowledge in the process of architectural design and practice. Clarification of the process of design involves the architects، at the beginning of the design process، to adhere to a rather simple solution which Darke calls “primary generator”. One of the basic characteristics of primary generator is its figurative and pictorial identity. It is constantly accompanied with a kind of process for shaping the work which depends on the mental imagination of the designer in the first step. Then، the designer visualizes the resulting pictures through some manuscripts. Based on such approach، the theoretical concepts find visual evidences in the domain of architecture. Essentially، if an architect is not able to find a visual and architectural evidence for his mental concepts، those concepts will remain in the verbal frame or as concealed thoughts and will not enter the domain of architecture. As a consequence، the more the presentation of the pictorial dimension of the theoretical information increases، the more its identity will approach the structure of primary generator and hence، the probability of the retrieval of information will be raised with the power of mental imagination of the designer. Nowadays، theoretical instructions in the fields of art and architecture are transferred from the printed knowledge، mainly in a linear and unidirectional form; or it is done through a textbook. Considering the fact that textbooks are frequently used، this study attempts to take a new step to promote and experience caricature as one of the effective and helpful instruments in the domain of architectural expression. It also endeavors to develop a pattern for educational textbooks by utilizing caricature because it seems that based on the factors influencing learning in terms of cognitive approach، the art of caricature has many capabilities in the process of learning and transformation of learning. For this purpose، first coherent studies compatible with the main research question were done mainly focusing on design research، visual knowledge، caricature recognition and specifically، psychology of learning in cognitive approach. Then، through logical analysis and conformation of the unique characteristics of caricature to the process of learning، the recommended method was presented as a textbook. In the next step، the theoretical foundation and the instruction method obtained from library studies were tested through a quasi-experimental field study. The participants were two homogeneous groups of 15 freshmen students of architecture at Shahid Beheshti University who received three instructional points in the subject of ‘structure’ through two methods، i. e. the method recommended by the study and the university routine method. The participants in both groups were asked to take part in the simple design exam، one week after the instruction. The results were evaluated through two one was comparing the recorded verbal and visual information in the textbook exercises section with the information recorded in the final design exam and the other method was evaluation of the success of the recommended method by two experts through measuring the amount of the retrieval and observation of the points related to structure by the participants to refine the obtained results.