Architectural Education for Sustainability – Case Study in Higher Education Institution from Poland

The building industry contributes to the global environmental challenges, however sustainable solutions provide opportunities for a relevant architectural response. It’s the architect’s role to design with consideration of those issues and potential solutions. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the extent to which architecture graduates demonstrate their knowledge about sustainability principles. 346 Bachelor's and Master's theses, defended at the Faculty of Architecture, Wrocław University of Science and Technology in 2023, were analysed in terms of frequency of occurrence of sustainable priority areas distinguished based on key contemporary policies. In order to validate and compare the results, a baseline from projects submitted to sustainable competition was prepared. The analysis revealed that only 40% of the examined theses addressed priority areas. An average difference of 56.6% in the frequency of occurrence of priority areas was noted between theses and competitions abstracts. Furthermore, tendencies within frequency of occurrence of sustainability priorities, as well as formal requirements of the Polish higher education system, were identified and reviewed. Based on all findings, preliminary diagnoses and respective recommendations were proposed. This study is a foundation for further research on architecture graduates’ readiness to tackle environmental challenges within architecture.