For the tutors involved in the first-year architectural design studio at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning in Cluj-Napoca, the drafting of the studio activity is a task of great importance. The two semesters of teaching are planned well in advance, after thoroughly analyzing the outcome of the previous years. The student results are investigated in terms of acquired information and skills, while also considering the fulfillment of initial educational objectives. Before the beginning of each academic year, important discussions within the teachers’ group focus on setting the right goals in accordance with the school policy and the other subjects and also on the best way to achieve them through small exercises and projects. The article presents the development and implementation of the strategy for the first semester of the 2024-2025 academic year. It discusses the main objectives of the studio and how they came to be embodied in four projects. Each project is analyzed in connection to the overall motto of the studio and the role it plays in building initial skills in architectural design. Samples of student work are also presented to showcase the achieved competences.

Keywords: Architecture, students, strategy, design, education, experiment.