KIT International Journal: Interview

Academic Field of Design Science
Fostering Broad Foundations Engenders Innovation

Two pillars of the academic field of design science are the practical disciplines of architectural and industrial design. The study of architectural design focuses on master plans for structures ranging from single-family dwellings to major public facilities, cityscapes, communities and comprehensive urban planning. Industrial design resolves issues in the design of food and cosmetics packaging, housewares, automobiles, and IT devices, among others. In addition to these pillars, design science has a theoretical side in which the history and philosophy of building and design are explored. Undergraduates select one of two streams, Issues in Architecture or Issues in Design, after completing foundational work in their first semesters. One advantage of delaying this decision is the opportunity it provides students to reflect on their interests and abilities within the university context. Another is that students are able to form productive fieldwide relationships. At the graduate (master’s) level, students wishing to explore topics in design at greater depth select one of the following 3 majors; Architecture and Design (physics of building engineering in combination with social/historical perspectives on architecture), Design (industrial and packaging design) or Architectural Design (prepares students to qualify for the First Class Architect and Building Engineer License).

The field of Design Science is unique in the emphasis it places on the history of architecture, the humanities and the social sciences. Even with the focus on engineering, we are able to provide a broad grounding in these other areas by taking advantage of the splendid array of professors who specialize in this discipline. Graduates with this type of foundation have a creative edge over persons trained purely in the technical aspects of design. Understanding transitions and influences in the history of architecture in Japan, for example, is imperative to creating architecture suitable to the country’s future. Another example of the importance of a broad foundation can be explained in terms of my field of visual psychology. An understanding of human visual information processing is key to the architecture and design process. What visual and psychological switches are being flipped by what color combinations? What neurological processes occur in the customer as one product is chosen over another? Understanding the elements that attract a customer’s interest and the psychology of a customer choosing from a range of similarly packaged merchandise, informs our students’ packaging designs.

In the field of Design Science, students now acquire skills and knowledge while interacting with 44 students from 21 countries (as of Aug. 1, 2009). For both our international students (12 from China and 7 from Korea, in addition to students from Thailand, France, the US, Belgium, Poland and other countries) and our domestic students, coming into contact with different cultures is an excellent stimulus in terms of design and architecture.
　The architecture program at KIT has an active relationship with universities abroad, such as the National Superior School of Architecture of Versailles, France. Our student exchange program includes a collaborative design project and three week production workshops for KIT and partner university students. Educating architects is approached differently in Europe and in Japan. Here, architecture is grouped with the sciences and technical details take precedence. In Europe, architecture is grouped with the arts and emphasis is placed on historical background, its significance and aesthetics. Exciting discoveries are made when these divergent backgrounds merge. Even when they collide head-on, there is much to be learned.

Pre-modern Japanese architecture has been successfully protected and maintained. We lack standards, however, for the evaluation and preservation of modern structures. Nationwide, historically important buildings from this period are in dire need of protection. Who will persuade policy makers of their value and work with officials to find practical and appropriate “second lives” for these structures? With our strength in the social sciences and team of specialists in architectural history, we focus on developing human resources adept at filling just these needs. This academic year, we have received support and recognition for our graduate program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
　Changes in the field of industrial design are also occurring. The conventional segregation of management and production has blurred and this boundary is disappearing. We, too, are shifting to an approach which takes management into account throughout the design process.
　To meet the urgent demand for modern building preservation, to develop cosmopolitan, creative thinkers and to insure that tomorrow’s architects, urban planners and industrial designers have a comprehensive world view, the academic field of design science strives to produce innovative graduates with a broad historical and artistic perspective, well versed in fundamental technology and the social sciences.