The Allegorical Visual Construct, in New Schools of Thought – Critical Thinking & Creative Teaching
This paper reflects on the role of allegorical drawing in architectural pedagogy: drawing not as mere representation, but as speculation, critique, and inquiry. Allegorical constructs allow students to reimagine architecture beyond the functional—into symbolism, narrative, and abstraction—where drawing becomes a medium for thinking and for telling.
What makes this paper most meaningful to me is that it carries the voices of my students. Their projects do not only illustrate an argument, they embody it.
With gratitude:
Mayce Arebi – The Reconstructed Orient
Ebrahim Variava – A Post Colonial Journey into Filmic Imaginary
Sadiyah Tijani – GoodFish
Saylah Hussain – Synchro[City]
Thank you Mayce, Ebrahim, Sadiyah, and Saylah, for your generosity in sharing your work, and for reminding us that architectural drawing is not only a technical skill, but a language of ideas, memory, and imagination.
