Holistic Education for a Resilient Future: An Integrated Biomimetic Approach for Architectural Pedagogy

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science and Education
• Architecture and Sustainable Design
• Pedagogical Frameworks

Background:

• Climate change necessitates innovative educational approaches for sustainability.
• Architectural education requires reimagining to foster innovation and environmental stewardship.
• Existing pedagogies may not adequately prepare students for complex, interdisciplinary sustainability challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel holistic pedagogic framework for architectural education.
• To integrate biomimicry, systems thinking, and Bloom's Revised Taxonomy.
• To advance innovation, sustainability, and transformative learning in architecture students.

Main Methods:

• Triangulated methodological approach: reflective practitioner inquiry, design-based research, conceptual model development.
• Integration of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy for learning progression.
• Utilization of the Function-Structure-Behavior (FSB) schema for cross-disciplinary connections.

Main Results:

• A cognitively structured, interdisciplinary, and ecologically grounded educational model.
• Enhanced systems thinking, ecological literacy, and ethical decision-making.
• Support for iterative, experiential, and metacognitive learning processes.

Conclusions:

• The framework is a flexible, adaptable model for aligning learning with real-world complexity.
• It empowers learners to navigate interdisciplinary knowledge and critically reflect on design.
• Reimagines architectural education as a catalyst for sustainability and systemic change, with nature as mentor, model, and measure.