Adapting the Baldrige Framework for Sustainable Creative Education: Urban Design, Architecture, Art, and Design Programs

Kittichai Kasemsarn, Ukrit Wannaphapa (), Antika Sawadsri, Amorn Kritsanaphan, Rittirong Chutapruttikorn and Farnaz Nickpour
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Kittichai Kasemsarn: School of Architecture, Art and Design, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok 10520, Thailand
Ukrit Wannaphapa: School of Architecture, Art and Design, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok 10520, Thailand
Antika Sawadsri: School of Architecture, Art and Design, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok 10520, Thailand
Amorn Kritsanaphan: School of Architecture, Art and Design, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Bangkok 10520, Thailand
Rittirong Chutapruttikorn: Built Environment Innovation Lab, Bangkok University, Bangkok 12120, Thailand
Farnaz Nickpour: Department of Civil Engineering and Industrial Design, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GH, UK

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-32

Abstract: Two critical research problems emerge in creative education quality management: the framework misalignment problem, where business-oriented performance metrics inadequately assess design creativity and innovation, and the sustainability integration gap, reflecting limited incorporation of environmental and social sustainability dimensions into excellence models. This review article addresses these problems by developing an initial framework that adapts the Baldrige framework for urban design, architecture, art, and design education with integrated sustainability principles. Drawing on literature review and theoretical synthesis, the article proposes a framework that introduces three key epistemological shifts: prioritizing process over product, supporting non-linear and reflective learning pathways, and recognizing tacit, embodied, and experiential knowledge as central to creative education. The framework incorporates the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core design challenges and introduces innovative evaluation tools, including portfolios with iterative review processes, community feedback loops, and SDG mapping rubrics. This research contributes to the educational quality management literature by offering a systematic framework that bridges business excellence models with creative education paradigms while positioning sustainability as a core educational objective rather than a peripheral concern.

Keywords: sustainability; Baldrige; framework; urban design; architecture; art; design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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