Real-World Project-Based Learning in Design Studio Education

Design studio education increasingly calls for pedagogical models that connect theoretical learning with professional practice. Although project-based learning (PBL) is widely recognized as a student-centered approach in design education, its implementation often remains limited to hypothetical briefs and simulated design problems. This study examines how a structured PBL framework, integrated with peer learning and authentic stakeholder engagement, supports learning in an undergraduate landscape design studio. A qualitative case study was conducted based on a semester-long studio project organized according to the five-stage project-oriented design-based learning (PODBL) framework proposed by Chandrasekaran et al. Data were collected from project documents, weekly presentations, studio observations, and peer and instructor feedback sessions. The analysis explored students’ engagement with authentic site conditions, stakeholder collaboration, and iterative design development. The findings illustrate how sustained interaction with institutional stakeholders provided opportunities for students to engage with contextual constraints and develop more realistic and professionally grounded design solutions. Structured peer learning provided opportunities for critical reflection, communication, and iterative design reasoning. This study contributes to design education by demonstrating how a structured five-stage PBL framework can be operationalized in a studio context through the integration of peer learning and authentic stakeholder engagement. It proposes an adaptable pedagogical framework that may inform educators seeking to strengthen experiential, collaborative, and professionally relevant studio learning environments.