ABSTRACT
This chapter examines pedagogically transmitted narratives resulting from exchanges between the Department of Development and Tropical Studies at the Architectural Association and the School of Architecture at the University of Costa Rica, during the 1970s. The analysis is informed by postcolonial and decolonial thoughts: it avoids creating a comparative system and instead concentrates on exploring power relationships related to colonial structures and multicultural encounters in the field of architectural education. From that perspective, the work focuses on the challenges that these encounters have brought to current teaching scenarios within the School. The chapter concentrates on three specific ideas: notions of development and progress, site analysis methods and the role of histories and theories in studio exercises. These three ideas are employed to trace the origins of current pedagogical practices within the School and to reflect on present situations, in which progress, analytical methods and historical issues often appear intertwined.
