Purpose This study investigates how circularity is interpreted and spatialized within architectural design studios through a context-sensitive, studio-based pedagogical experiment. It aims to reveal how students engage with circularity across different scales and how circular thinking is produced through studio pedagogy. Design/methodology/approach The study employs a qualitative, exploratory case study approach, examining a one-year research-based studio conducted with second-year architectural design students at Dokuz Eylül University (Türkiye) during the 2023–2024 academic year. The studio was situated in a coastal resort context characterized by seasonality and fluctuating intensities of use. Student projects, drawings, diagrams, scenarios and studio observations were analyzed and interpreted comparatively. Findings Students internalized circularity more readily through the contextual, temporal and programmatic dimensions of everyday spatial practices, but they struggled to translate circular thinking into material, structural and construction-related decisions. Rather than treating circularity as a technical sustainability topic, the study frames it as a pedagogical tool that reshapes studio culture, learning processes and design thinking. Originality/value This study adopts a context-sensitive approach, positioning a coastal resort settlement as a living laboratory for exploring circularity. Drawing on conceptual, contextual and pedagogical reflections, the article makes a critical contribution to the emerging discourse on circular economy pedagogy in the architectural design studio, while revealing both the potential and the limitations of integrating circularity into studio-based learning environments.
Dündar et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
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