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Teaching design through learning by doing is still the dominant form of architectural education as it is believed that the skills, the language and the approach to problems of design can be learned more effectively through direct experience rather than through other means. That is why architecture students have to repeat design studio courses until they reach a certain level of experience.

Design, especially the work done in design studios, has many similarities with play. Generally the subjects are imaginary. The designs are presented using models trying to simulate real-life situations. And it has some fixed rules. Actually there is very little difference between a girl playing with a doll, a boy with toy trucks and an architecture student working on a design project. All of them deal with simulations, role-playing, preparing themselves for real-life situations. We have observed that students learn more about design when they approach it in a playful manner. When they do this they also enjoy what they do. But this kind of education needs planning and preparation if it is going to yield good results. This article attempts to discuss about the benefits of planning a design studio as a kind of play activity by giving some examples from our experiments and observations we have been conducting at our university.

This paper aims to examine the barriers to adopting collaboration in architectural design studios from the instructors' perspectives and explore strategies to overcome barriers.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 coordinators in architecture and interior architecture design studios to gather insights into their experiences and perspectives on collaboration. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes and patterns in the data.

The study reveals that collaboration is highly valued by instructors for its potential to enhance creativity, problem-solving abilities, and preparation skills among students. However, the study identified several barriers, such as student conflicts, coordination challenges, cultural differences, and technological constraints.

The instructors recommended specific strategies to promote collaboration in architectural design studios. These strategies include involving students in collaborative projects, providing training in collaboration skills, striking a balance between online and in-person activities, and developing supportive policies and skills. Implementing these strategies can help design programmemes that prepare students for professional success and future careers.

This study sheds light on the importance of integrating collaboration skills in architectural education. By exploring barriers and suggesting strategies, it provides valuable insights for educators and encourages further research into the implementation of these strategies. Design programmes can benefit from adopting a multifaceted approach to foster collaboration among students, thereby enhancing their learning experience and future prospects.