The debate over studio culture has moved away from its emotionally driven roots to a broad examination of studio practices and policies.

Design studios in architecture schools have long been seen as a rite of passage among students and practitioners alike. Often, people describe "surviving" studio or "getting through it and then go on to describe it as one of the most formative experiences of their lives and certainly of their architectural education. Design studios are central to every architecture school's curriculum. They function both as a powerful learning environment and as a form of crude proving ground for demonstrating talent.