DEVELOPING TECHNICAL WRITING COMPETENCY IN ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION: RETHINKING CURRICULUM FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Abstract

Technical writing is a fundamental professional competency in architectural practice, underpinning the preparation of specifications, contract documentation, technical reports, and Building Information Modelling (BIM)-based project information. Architectural education, however, continues to prioritise visual communication and studio-based learning, with comparatively limited attention to structured technical writing instruction. This study presents a critical integrative literature review examining the development of technical writing competency within architectural education. Evidence from architecture and cognate disciplines was synthesised to explore five themes: technical writing as a professional competency; architectural documentation and writing genres; curriculum and assessment challenges; pedagogical approaches adopted in related professions; and the implications of digital technologies and generative artificial intelligence (AI) for writing instruction. The review indicates that technical writing is largely treated as an implicit outcome of architectural training rather than an explicitly developed competency, with specification writing receiving particularly limited curricular emphasis relative to its professional and legal significance. Drawing on these findings, the paper proposes a Six-Layer Technical Writing Competency Framework for Architectural Education to support curriculum integration and progressive competency development. The study recommends embedding discipline-specific technical writing throughout architectural curricula using authentic assessment, studio integration, portfolio-based learning, and responsible AI literacy. It further identifies the need for empirical validation of the proposed framework and greater research within African architectural education.