The Studio as a Site Meeting: Using Project Milestones to Teach Communication
- Kari Luise
- Aug 11, 2025
- 2 min read
LinkedIn Article: August 12, 2025
Developing skills in team updates, design critiques, and presentation check-ins
In both architecture and engineering, the success of a project depends as much on communication as it does on design quality.
On a construction site, weekly meetings keep teams aligned, address issues before they escalate, and ensure that everyone—from project managers to subcontractors—understands the plan moving forward.
In the design studio, we can mirror this professional practice through project milestones—structured checkpoints where students present progress, share challenges, and receive targeted feedback.
Why Treat the Studio Like a Site Meeting?
When students only present at the end of a project, they miss the chance to refine their work through mid-course corrections. By introducing milestone check-ins, educators create a rhythm of accountability and collaboration that reflects real-world project management.
Benefits include:
Common Language - "Practice makes Permanence" is a quote often heard in my classroom. The more students present/converse about their project, the more the language base of their project becomes their own.
Improved Communication Skills – Students learn to summarize progress, articulate design decisions, and ask focused questions.
Team Alignment – Regular updates ensure all members understand the project’s scope, status, and responsibilities.
Iterative Improvement – Feedback is received early enough to influence design, not just grade it.
Professional Preparedness – Students gain comfort speaking to both peers and authority figures about their work.
Key Elements of a Studio “Site Meeting”
Clear Agenda: Outline what each milestone review will cover—deliverables, questions, and focus areas.
Time-Bound Updates: Teach students to present concisely (e.g., 3–5 minutes each) to maintain energy and focus.
Design Critiques: Encourage peers and instructors to ask questions and offer suggestions directly tied to the project goals.
Action Items: Close with next steps—document decisions, assign responsibilities, and set the date for the next check-in.
Reflection: Have students briefly reflect on what they learned or what they’ll adjust moving forward.
Practical Classroom Applications
In an architectural design course, students could hold weekly pin-ups where they present current drawings or models as if updating a client or site supervisor.
In an engineering design class, milestone reviews could focus on prototype testing results, integrating data into design revisions.
Cross-disciplinary projects can use joint milestone meetings to ensure coordination between structural, mechanical, and aesthetic decisions.
Final Thought
The design studio is more than a space to create—it’s a space to communicate.
By treating it like a site meeting, we prepare students to lead conversations, navigate critique with confidence, and move projects forward in a professional manner.
When students leave your classroom already fluent in this language of updates, critiques, and check-ins, they won’t just enter the workforce—they’ll be ready to contribute from day one.
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