Commercialisation of student architecture projects in Malta

Abstract

A gap between theory and practice exists within the realm of design education. The Faculty for the Built Environment at the University of Malta, tends towards theoretical methods rather than more practical methods of design education. To this end, students find themselves following a cycle of tuition which leads to a rapid transition from a campus-led life to a professional life, pushing past the academic 'safety net' with more knowledge-based preparation rather than practical-based. This dissertation aims to bridge the above gap through the commercialisation of student projects, yet it also alms to assess if such a gap ought to be bridged in the first place. This research aims to examine whether students, if provided with more industry interaction through project commercialisation, would allow better preparation for their professional life. The study concludes that bridging this gap is not only dependant on the method chosen, but also on the personal preparedness of the student, that is, the student's built-in skill to complement the process of attaining a professional degree, whilst 'commercialisation' as an add on component can service the course bringing reality one step closer.