Analogy is a valuable pedagogical tool that facilitates learning by simplifying complex concepts. When faced with the challenge of grasping a difficult idea within its own domain, drawing parallels with a more familiar, intuitive, or appealing field, even if unrelated to the subject, offers multiple benefits. It enhances comprehension, aids memory retention, and fosters interdisciplinary knowledge and critical thinking.

In today’s fast-paced world, where superficial thinking, relativism, and technological dominance prevail, opening up spaces for reflection is crucial. Such spaces allow individuals to question and engage more deeply with their own identity, promoting a richer understanding of the self.

In the Theory of Architecture course of the bachelor’s degree in Foundations of Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, an innovative learning experience is developed that aims to integrate the two aforementioned aspects. Students are tasked with creating sketches, accompanied by brief written comments, illustrating the ideation of a living space that represent their personality in terms of character, genius, and taste. The exercise is proposed as a complement to the theoretical sessions devoted to the study of the Enlightenment, a period in which these three concepts are frequently explored.

To carry out the practice, the learner must follow several steps. First, they have to reflect on their personal traits and synthesize the key characteristics that define their idiosyncrasies, such as skills, preferences, emotions, and empathies. Next, they must mentally translate these qualities into architectural concreteness, such as formal language, spatial dimensions, atmosphere, materiality or lighting. Finally, they have to represent these defining features using graphic tools of their choice, such as composition, perspective, colour, and layout. The graphic documentation should be accompanied by brief written comments explaining and supporting the work.

In addition to reinforcing theoretical knowledge, the objectives aim to encourage creativity through rapid and intuitive conceptual design. They also seek to broaden the student’s expressive toolkit, enabling them to convey impressions through architecture and develop symbolic capacity in architectural composition. The starting point, which is rooted in something as familiar to the student as their own personality, and the openness of the task –a non-specific living space– encourage inventiveness. By imposing minimal restrictions, this approach results in a rich variety of learning outcomes.

Keywords: Conceptual design, critical reflection, symbolic capacity, habitable space, Theory of Architecture.