Games and follies at urban scale: two examples in the education of architects

Abstract

Urban knowledge is mandatory in the Architecture syllabus. However, the subjects to understand the evolution of cities, their planning, design and governance, have particular complexity, especially the ones regarding technical issues, linked with Sustainable Development Goals, along with mobility, energy, economy and climate change. To solve this gap, different authors argue that a ludic approach can be useful for university lessons and even to improve professional practices. This paper discusses two cases of academic projects in Portuguese universities, with the common aim of designing urban solutions as follies connected to the regional environment. Despite the specific complexity, they both prove that these flexible tools, although not preventing the use of traditional methodologies in the learning processes of architectural education, can be especially relevant for the next generations in a context of digital university training.