Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
12th International Conference on New Trends in Architecture and Interior Design, Barcelona, İspanya, 10 - 12 Nisan 2026, ss.161-167, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
Comparative experimental studies in architectural design education often investigate the effects of different design environments on design processes; however, such comparisons are methodologically constrained by learning effects that
arise when the same task is repeated. While varying the design task can reduce learning effects, it introduces the challenge of maintaining equivalent task difficulty across conditions. This study aims to address this problem by proposing a
systematic approach for identifying architectural design problems with comparable perceived difficulty levels. A single design task was structured around constant spatial constraints, representational requirements, and evaluation criteria,
while the main functional program was varied across five alternatives. The study was conducted with 110 second-year architecture students enrolled in the same design studio during a single academic term. Participants evaluated the relative
difficulty of the functional variations using a structured pairwise comparison method based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and difficulty weights were calculated after excluding inconsistent responses. The results revealed distinct
groupings in perceived task difficulty. Micro-scale cafe and exhibition functions were consistently rated as easier, the wildlife observation function was rated as medium, while meditation and resting area functions were perceived as more
difficult. These differences were interpreted in relation to functional familiarity and the degree of programmatic definition within architectural education, with more clearly defined and commonly practiced functions associated with
lower perceived difficulty. The findings indicate that the perceived difficulty of architectural design tasks can be systematically assessed and controlled, offering a practical methodological framework for selecting equivalent design
problems in experimental studies and supporting more reliable comparisons of design environments in future research.