PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES FOR DEVELOPING STUDENTS' THREE-DIMENSIONAL THINKING

Abstract The practice of fostering visual thinking and the ability to create three-dimensional imagery in students is a crucial component of architectural design education. This study emphasized the importance of enhancing students' creative thinking skills and their capability to devise and execute spatial solutions. To achieve this, a design studio was established for first-year university students, where they examined current conditions and utilized design tools and visual elements to depict space in three dimensions. The one-semester training program, developed and implemented within the design studio, focused on the perception of three-dimensional scenes, considering spatial organization, movement, orientation, the arrangement of basic visual elements, and the application of light and color. Students were actively engaged in expressing their concepts through three-dimensional space representations. The findings demonstrated that using space as a catalyst for creative thinking and as a method for studying design, which underscores the significance of visual communication, can markedly enhance students' creative thinking abilities. Consequently, this approach significantly boosts the effectiveness of the creative design processes.