The First Home: A Pedagogical Exploration of Architecture’s Mythical Origins

Abstract

This research article proposes the idea of the "First Home" as a pedagogical model for architectural design studios in Thailand. The objective is to foster a more humanistic approach to the foundation of architecture education by integrating histories and theories of architecture, architectural representation, and architectural design studio courses. The "First Home" investigates the mythical origins of architecture—the cave, post-and-lintel structure, and tent—as well as the roles of language and art, framed as the processes of “remembering” and “forgetting.” The literature review for this study is based on architectural texts and diagrams focusing on spatial composition, written by architects who are also educators. These were articulated through a project-based teaching and learning process in two architectural design projects: an analytical case study inspired by the mythical origins of architecture and a shared house design. In these projects, students analyzed the spatial organization of case studies and developed their understanding of three-dimensional architectural composition through diagrammatic drawings and model-making. The teaching method reinforced the historical beginnings and core principles of architecture while allowing students to overlook conventional residential typologies (e.g., a standard two-story house with a ground-floor living room, kitchen, and dining area, and first-floor bedrooms, all separated by standard walls and doors). By directing students beyond aesthetic concerns, the pedagogical model encouraged engagement with enduring architectural archetypes and the attainment of spatial qualities informed by fundamental living conditions, thereby cultivating a reflective and imaginative foundation essential for architecture.