The authors reflect on the academic bachelor and master programs of architecture. From the perspective of higher education policy in Flanders, Belgium, they examine the intrinsic challenges of the academic educational setting, and the way architectural education can fit in and benefit from it, without losing its specific design oriented qualities. Therefore, they unravel the process of architectural design research, as a discipline-authentic way of knowledge production, leading to the identification of a number of implicit features of an academic architectural learning environment. The disquisition is based on educational arguments pointed out by literature and theory. Furthermore, the authors analyze whether this learning environment can comply with general standards of external quality assurance and accreditation systems. Doing so, they reveal the Achilles’ heel of architectural education: the incompatibility of the design jury with formalized assessment frameworks. Finally, the authors conclude with an advocacy for academic freedom. To assure the quality of academic architectural programs, it is necessary that universities maintain a critical attitude towards standardized policy frameworks.

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Consciously or unconsciously, programmes in higher education maintain a value framework about the aesthetic value of students' work, primarily based on the ability of such work to touch or move us. We consider something aesthetically valuable when it makes us feel good. In an educational environment, however, dealing with aesthetic value judgments pedagogically is complicated. After all, aesthetic judgment is a skill that cannot be taught explicitly; it can only be practised. This article discusses the underlying mechanisms of aesthetic judgment. The aim is to gain a better understanding of this skill and thus to contribute to the development of a pedagogy of aesthetic judgment. Relying on a theoretical framework developed on the basis of a literature review, we suggest that judging aesthetic value is an emotional process that requires well-formed aesthetic sentiment. Architectural education is an interesting case because it is a field in which aesthetic values occupy a central position. This study is therefore illustrated with examples from this field.

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