In this paper, we address three contemporary issues currently being discussed in architectural education. The first issue is the hypothesis of domesticity as a suitable framework to acquire architectural abilities when students choose to focus their designs on ordinary issues from their childhood neighbourhoods. The second issue is that of shared authorship, whether it can make design more democratic and question the architect’s hegemony over other agents involved in the design process. The third issue is the use of new kinds of tools to understand the results and impact of architectural actions: a new user-friendly technological device, made as effective as possible, can replace sociologic satisfaction questionnaires, interviews or discussion groups. Sociological research applied to architecture offers us references, charts, rules of analysis and diagnosis. We describe two exercises performed in Alicante University. The first one was meant for a neighbourhood community that offered spaces, such as lobbies next to main doors and lifts, to install a shared wardrobe and other architectonic services including ironing, drying, and the folding of clothes. In the second one, housewives led a co-design process to redefine their homes and make them compatible with workshop activities. 1. Concepts from literature

De un tiempo a esta parte, cuando se ha pretendido democratizar un proceso de diseño, se ha extendido la costumbre de incorporar expertos en dinámicas de participación para el análisis o la obtención de gráficos (sociogramas y flujogramas) con el objetivo de tutelar el proceso e identificar oportunidades y conflictos. En el taller “Common Extra House (+Urban Life) Lab” (Arquitectura, UA, 2013-2014), se han diseñado dispositivos de participación para que la toma de decisiones del proyecto de arquitectura resulte compartida y que funcionan como laboratorios y/o mesas de encuentro diseñadas para obtener datos sociológicos relevantes. A la vez, el Grupo de Investigación “Viceversos Socioarquitectónicos” de la UA ha diseñado una herramienta para valorar y posicionar los proyectos respecto a unos indicadores, cuyos resultados se exponen aquí. La comunicación trata del contexto en el que emerge esta nueva metodología y reflexiona acerca de la conveniencia de incorporar las nuevas prácticas sociotécnicas en la educación del arquitecto. In order to democratize the design process and supervise the neutrality of the interaction of agents, experts in participatory and social dynamics are been progressively included in teams, to help with the identification of opportunities and controversies. Students from workshop “Common Extra House (+Urban Life) Lab” (Architecture, UA, Spain, 2013-2014) have designed participatory tools for the community decisions needed in contemporary architectural projects, working as laboratories or workbenches designed to obtain sociological data. At the same time, Research Group “Viceversos Socio-arquitectónicos” has developed a tool to be applied in the workshop in order to observe and evaluate all architectural productions. The paper ends up focusing on the need to debate about the incorporation of new sociological methods and tools in architectural education.

In order to democratize the design process and supervise the neutrality of the interaction of agents, experts in participatory and social dynamics are been progressively included in teams, to help with the identification of opportunities and controversies. Students from workshop "Common Extra House (+Urban Life) Lab" (Architecture, UA, Spain, 2013-2014) have designed participatory tools for the community decisions needed in contemporary architectural projects, working as laboratories or workbenches designed to obtain sociological data. At the same time, Research Group "Viceversos Socio-arquitectonicos" has developed a tool to be applied in the workshop in order to observe and evaluate all architectural productions. The paper ends up focusing on the need to debate about the incorporation of new sociological methods and tools in architectural education.