Educating architects in environmental design: pedagogical strategies to enable the 'grasping of the unfamiliar'

Contemporary architects increasingly work more frequently in a larger variety of environments and circumstances than their bygone counterparts, and now require an improved set of skills to navigate this unfamiliar territory. This paper uses a case study approach of the pedagogical devices employed on the module "Environmental Design of Buildings" taught in Welsh School of Architecture which aims to teach contemporary architects such skills - how to work in climatically changing, unexperienced and unfamiliar contexts and within culturally diverse design teams. Devices used include the self-brief, distance learning and a fellow student acting as site 'buddy' and interview to verify findings, and detail an approach to environmental and sustainable design at a postgraduate level. Discussion is aided by the findings of a student questionnaire which asked students to evaluate the devices used.