Teaching through projects of high social relevance, for learning architectural design

Abstract

The Urban and Architectural Design Discipline, of the Faculty of Architecture at the Technological University of Havana, has related for many years the teaching-learning process to objectives of high social relevance, especially within the last years of the career. This article shows how the relationship between the University and the companies enables the development of projects of marked social relevance and provides educational benefits for developing this type of project. It also illustrates how extensionism and the integration of subjects constitute working  strategies whose purpose is to guide the teaching-learning process towards a sustainable training process. Two experiences are presented: the first one referring to the relation between the design subjects and the investment process at the university  which achieved useful results for de entity and for the educational teaching process. The second one refers to the most recent relationship with the Mariel Architecture and Engineering Projects Company (EMPAIMARIEL) and with projects in the Mariel Special Development Zone, (ZED Mariel).  The fundamental value of these projects in professional training is demonstrated since they manage to encourage the students for solving production problems, while acquiring skills for their integral formation. The teaching- learning process is presented as a sustainable event, which contributes to the personal and professional training of its protagonists, the students, and at the same time, it can generate social and economic benefits.