Development of Design Expertise by Architecture Students

What constitutes design ability and design expertise in architecture? Which categories of design expertise can be identified amongst architecture students? And which input factors differentiate one level of expertise from another? These questions were addressed in a survey of architecture students in Nigeria. Based on the results, students were classified as: novices, advanced beginners, competent and proficient design students. Also identified were five areas of design ability or competency, which include innovation and knowledge adaptation. The findings of the study presented in this paper suggest the need to encourage novice design students to use academic resources and spend more time on the analysis and synthesis stages of design so as to progress to higher levels of expertise. Other factors that can be harnessed to enhance development of expertise from one level to the next were also identifie