Problem Statement: Education, as an organized process for the transmission of knowledge and skills, plays a decisive role in developing cognitive and professional capacities, as well as individual and collective capabilities. The architectural design studio, as a collective setting for education and design research, serves a similar role. Nevertheless, conventional approaches to design education alone appear insufficient to address the environmental complexities of the present day, particularly climatic considerations.
Research Objectives: This study aimed to revisit the role of climatic considerations in the architectural design studio by examining conventional teaching practices alongside an educational intervention emphasizing climatic considerations. It addresses two questions: (1) How is the educational intervention associated with changes in learners’ design decision-making processes? and (2) How is the link between climatic data and design decisions strengthened throughout the studio process?
Research Method: The study adopted a comparative action research approach structured around cycles of observation, planning, action, reflection, and redesign. It was conducted in two Architectural Design II studios at the North Tehran Branch of Islamic Azad University during the first semester of 2024, with the participation of ten two-member learner groups. Data were collected through structured observation, analysis of design documents, semi-structured interviews, a climate literacy test, and stage-based evaluation of design proposals, and were analyzed at three scales: macro, meso, and micro. Given the qualitative nature of the action research, numerical values and diagrams were used solely to support and clarify the observed patterns of change.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that, within the limited scope of this study, the educational intervention was associated with a relative improvement in learners’ ability to translate climatic data into design decisions. This improvement was particularly evident in spatial zoning and organization, solar control, shading strategies, and certain material-related characteristics. However, comprehensive site analysis and details related to moisture and envelope layering still require greater educational support. Overall, the structured integration of climatic considerations into the architectural design learning process provides a basis for strengthening the application of climate-responsive approaches in design decision-making.