Architecture Research Methods ARCH 5365

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Architecture Research MethodsARCH 5365

• Gary W. Smith, 2006

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GW Chapter 5Design in Relation to Research

• research is a fact-based activity and design is
  a series of subjective commitments
• Austin Dickey
• design is the processing of many discrete
  decisions that produce a figural outcome
• Newell and Simon

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• Generative Design vs. Analytical Design
• The process of generative design is subjective
  (not based on rules)
• The process of research (analytical) is based on
  rule/fact-based frameworks
• Immanuel Kant thought that art (or architecture)
  production is indeterminate, but within the
  domain of reason

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• Design as Research vs. Research about the design
  process
• Research activity defined by propositional
  components i.e. strategy, tactic, hypotheses,
  literature, measuring instruments
• Generative design process is defined by human
  reason
• research about the design process can help inform
  the design process itself helps put words to our
  methods of design

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• Design Activity versus Academic Credentials
• Argument as to what is scholarly research in an
  academic architectural setting
• Episodic Research within Generative Design
  Activity
• Design as Analysis and Evaluation
• Analysis of issues (programming) and
  post-occupancy evaluation (help for future
  projects)

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• Design as Action Research
• Design results from analysis of specific
  factors/issues and a logical explanation (design
  concept) of how those factors are related (not
  based on theoretical or abstract knowledge)

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• Design as a Learned Skill
• Concept is
• learning to do it better by practice (thorough
  understanding of the attributes inform design)
  and
• by reflective assessments of the process
• Incorporates elements of both action research and
  design-decision research (analysis of those
  design decisions)

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• Three categories of design constraints (Lawson)
• Generatorfactors that motivate the design
  (empirical factors such as client, users, etc.)
• Functionformal, symbolic, practical, and radical
  (rational)
• Domaininternal, external (materials, systems,
  etc.)
• design is research in that we, as designers, are
  testing design options to discover their
  validity

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• Design in Collaboration
• The Architect is the cultivator who encourages
  by
• emphasizing collaborative process
• promoting interdisciplinary design
• having a sensitivity for the cultural as the soul
  of design

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• Design and History Research
• Design and Qualitative Research
• Design and Experimental Research
• Design and Correlational Research
• Design and Simulation Research
• Design and Logical Argumentation
• Case Study and Multi-Method Approaches to
  Research

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BCW Chapter 7Making Good Arguments

• Five Elements of Research Arguments
• Claim
• Reasons for your claim
• Evidence to support the reasons
• Acknowledging and responding to alternatives
• Warranting the relevance of reasons

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• A claim is any sentence that makes an assertion
  that needs support
• A main claim is the primary thesis of your paper

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• Reasons support the claim and, in turn, need
  evidence to support them

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• Acknowledging other claims and alternatives
• The readers may think of alternative claims you
  did not think of so you must anticipate their
  questions i.e. alternatives to the port of New
  Orleans.

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• Warranting the relevance of reasons
• Must present a general principle (a general set
  of circumstances) that shows that your particular
  reason is relevant to your particular claim (the
  set of circumstances also applies to your case
  and connects your claim to your reason)

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• When you seem to be the sort of person who
  supports your claims thoroughly and you consider
  other points of view, your readers will be more
  likely to trust you. (Groat and Wang)

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• Hazards
• Watch out for inappropriate evidence and being
  too simplistic (know your research topic and your
  audience well)
• If you dont understand the topic thoroughly you
  will make poor, ill-researched claims and will
  not be convincing

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Notes

• Information in these lectures was adapted from
  the following sources
• Booth, Wayne C., Colomb, Gregory G., Williams,
  Joseph M. 2003. The Craft of Research. Second
  Edition. Chicago University of Chicago Press.
• Groat, Linda N. and Wang, David C. 2002.
  Architectural Research Methods. New York John
  Wiley.