Co-Design in the Classroom: Students as Knowledge Carriers and Co-Creators | Impact Report

Abstract

Co-Design in the Classroom was an undergraduate architecture design studio course (ARCH 393), designed and taught by Professor Linda Zhang in Fall 2024 at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. This course implemented Participatory Action Research (PAR) through two co-design components: 1) students co-designed community storytelling sessions with members of Toronto’s Chinatown; 2) students co-designed course curriculum and workshops alongside their peers and the instructor. Through participatory and collaborative learning activities, this course positioned students not only as co-designers of architectural projects, but also as co-creators of knowledge within architectural education. The project demonstrated the effectiveness of PAR in reshaping classroom dynamics, promoting active learning, and long-term potential for student agency and empowerment.