ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Higher Education
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1639528
Bridging Tradition and Innovation: A Framework for Implementing Sustainable Design-Build Studios in Middle Eastern Architectural Education
Provisionally accepted
- 1Effat University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 2October University for Modern Sciences and Arts, 6th of October City, Egypt
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This paper develops and validates the first systematic framework of implementing Design-Build Studios (DBS) in Middle Eastern architectural education that closes the long-standing gap between theoretical knowledge and practice by aligning regional cultural, environmental, and educative needs with Western design-build precedents. The study follows a multi-stage mixed-methods approach combining the synthesis of systematic literature, framework development, and empirical validation by a detailed survey of 61 regional stakeholders distributed across Egypt, Gulf countries, the Levant, Iran, and Turkey. The empirically validated framework sequences DBS implementation by three enabling modules (Curriculum, Studio, People) along three successive stages (Implementation, Operation, Maintenance) by clear integration of Heritage, Sustainability, and Innovation themes. Stakeholder validation records overwhelming regional acceptance (85.2% positive rating) by identification of critical implementation priorities: funding security (67.2% highest priority), resource availability (59.0%), and participant preparation (54.1%). Regional sustainability priorities are water scarcity (72.1%), affordable housing (68.9%), and heritage preservation (68.9%), which differentiate Middle Eastern requirements distinctively from Western precedents. The framework transforms from a conceptual, culturally-adaptive pedagogical model into an empirically-weighted readiness tool that allows systematic institutional assessment across five critical domains (30% funding and feasibility, 20% facilities and resources, 20% community and people, 15% curriculum integration, 15% maintenance and reflection), providing institutions with quantifiable assessment capabilities and prioritized implementation recommendations. This study forms the foundation of DBS implementation, an evidence-based practice where Middle Eastern architectural education can leverage global pedagogic innovations systemically adapted to regional conditions via stakeholder engagement, cultural awareness, and equipping students for the future realities of sustainable and socially responsible architectural practice.
Keywords: Design-Build Studio, sustainability, heritage, Middle Eastern Architecture, Architectural Higher Education, framework validation, Empirical validation, cultural adaptation
Received: 02 Jun 2025; Accepted: 22 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Abdel Gelil Mohamed and Ebaid. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Nermine Abdel Gelil Mohamed, neabdelhalim@effatuniversity.edu.sa
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