Abstract

Scientifically explaining the design process in architecture and identifying the external and internal factors involved have been long-standing research topics. Within this uncertainty, accepted beliefs suggest that perception, logic, personal life experience, abilities, and creative power are all involved in the design process in various forms. Architectural design studio is one of the richest courses in architectural education where the nature of the act of design can be questioned. Studio courses host a creative process in which the course leader and students interact and share information. This article includes an exploration of the current state of architectural design education. In this direction, it is aimed to reveal the experiences of studio actors through literature research on architectural education and architectural design studios. In the article, a systematic literature review (SLR) and field study on the current situation of architectural design studios are carried out in order to test the theoretical knowledge about architectural design studios in the Turkish sample. Publications related to “architectural education” and “architectural design studio” were searched in the Web of Science (WoS) database and analyzed using the VOSviewer program. Additionally, the field study aimed to identify problems in studio education through surveys with 176 faculty members from 176 architectural faculties in Turkey and 188 architecture students from Yildiz Technical University and Karabuk University. The findings from the literature review and input from the instructors emphasize the importance of critical thinking and highlight the challenges faced. Student perspectives reveal a focus on guidance and effective communication within the studio environment.