Impact of Studio Spaces on the Academic Performance of Architecture Students: A Case of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA)

Abstract

Due to the peculiarity of the architecture profession, architecture students usually work within environments that require specific spaces to function within design studios. Adequate spaces within a studio environment consist of drawing boards, sitting stools, drawers/lockers where drawings and other instruments are kept, and ample circulation space. The aim of this study was to investigate if the spaces provided for in architecture studios are adequate, based on the number of students per studio, and if these spaces are adequate, whether they have positive or negative impacts on the academic performance of the architecture students. The methodology involved gathering data on final year students’ academic performance for three different sessions involving three different studio spaces on ARC 501 (Advanced Architectural Design), which is a core course and the final design course of final year students before graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Nigeria. Findings from the study revealed that with the increase in the floor area of the studio spaces per student, there was no significant increase in their academic performance; rather, there was a gradual decline in the students’ academic performance. This study has proven that studio spaces may not have corresponding positive effects on the academic performance of architecture students, but rather have somewhat negative effects, and probably there are other factors not considered in this study that may be responsible for better academic performance of architecture students in universities besides spacious studio spaces. The study also found that while small studio spaces tend towards better academic performance, large studio spaces tend towards low academic performance in architecture design courses.