Architectural Research, Design Research, Research types, Implementation in Design

1. Presentation on
Architectural Research & Design
Research
120113, 120116, 120128, 120132, 110101, 100102, 100123
KUAD, Khulna University, Bangladesh

2. What is Research
A term describing a careful, systematic, patient study and
investigation in some field of knowledge, undertaken to establish
facts or principles (Grinnell 1993: 4).
Research = Re + search
Over again
and again
to examine closely and
carefully, to test and try, or to
probe
2

3. • Research is one of the ways to find answers to your questions.
• Undertaking a research study is to find out answers to a question through systematic
process(es) that
▫ is being undertaken within a framework of a set of philosophies;
▫ uses procedures, methods and techniques that have been tested for
their validity and reliability·
▫ is designed to be unbiased and objective.
Kumar, 2005
3
• Research process
▫ involves scientific methods that consist of systematic observation, classification
and interpretation of data.
▫ is one in which nearly all people may engage in the course of their daily lives.
• What is the difference between our day-to-day generalisations and the conclusions
usually recognised as scientific method?
▫ It lies in the degree of formality, rigorousness, verifiability and validity
of the latter (Lundberg 1942: 5).
Lundberg, George A., 1942, Social Research-A Study in Methods of Gathering Data (2nd ed.), New York,
Longmans, Green & Co.

4. Research Issue
4
Inquiry
Solve
problems
Create new
knowledge
Methodology
So Research is…

5. Architectural Research
Architectural research requires a global or holistic understanding of
architecture. It is linked to the central activity of architects: design. It is
conditioned by the fact that there are no determinist theories of which
the design would be the application; the design itself is what
connects/translates them.
It is a development/extension/ innovation of architectural practices.
It is interested in the generally recognized practices, subjects, and themes of
architecture. Architecture is a creative discipline oriented towards practice. It
is engaged, creative, reflexive practice
5

6. Design Research
Research through design embraces creative production, with the design process itself as a
form of discovering new knowledge.
The most and least understood
area of architectural research
involves that which works
through design, which
engages design itself and
itself a form of research.
6

7. Research through design takes different forms, depending on the project and
context:
7

8. Architectural Research &
Design Research:
Similarity between Design & Research
8
Facets of similarity
Models of reconstructed logic
Multiple logics
Logics in use
Scope
Social context
Design
Systematic design process
Abductive
Inductive
Deductive
Generator/conjecture model
Problem/Solution
Macro/micro and mid-level applied
Situated Practice
Research
Scientific Method
Abductive(research design/hypothesis
formation)
Inductive
Deductive
Multiple Sequences of Logics,
Dependent on Research questions and
purposes
Big/Medium/Small Theory
Situated Research

9. Architectural Research &
Design Research:
Difference between Design & Research
9
Factors of Difference
Contribution
Dominant Process
Temporal Focus
Impectus
Design
Proposal for artifact(from
small to large scale
interventions)
Generative
Future
Problem
Research
Knowledge and/or
Application that is
Generalizable
Analytical & Systematic
Past and/or present
Question

10. Design Research Process
10
Research Design

11. 11
1. Research & Discover:

12. 12
2. Strategize

13. 13
3. Develop:

14. 14
4. Document:
Produce the actual thesis documents describing your discoveries,
insights, ideas, or assertions clearly and succinctly.

15. Types of Architectural Research:
15
*Divided by method
*Divided by content

16. HISTORICAL RESEARCH
• The systematic
collection of data to
explain something
occurred sometimes in
the past.
• No manipulation or
control of variables -
differ with experimental
research.
• Focuses primarily
on the Past.
The Purpose of Historical Research
• Awareness of past
• Learn from past failures and successes.
• To test hypothesis
• To assist in prediction.
16
1. Scholz, R. W., Tietje, O. 2002. Embedded case study methods: Integrating quantitative and qualitative knowledge. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage Publications.
2. Weatherford, R. 2011. “Anime for Architects.” D. Arch. thesis, University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Architecture.

17. Stages of
Historical Research
1. Identify a researchable phenomenon
2. Developing Hypotheses
3. Collection of Data
4. Check and Verify
5. Writing of the Report
17
1. Rieh, S. 2007. “Creating Sense of Place in School Environments: The Lived Experience of Elementary School Children in Hawaii.” D. Arch. thesis,
University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Architecture.

18. 1. Life History
2. Autobiography Narrative
3. Oral history
4. Case Study
Types of Historical Research
18

19. Historical Research
Characteristics:
• History research brings into view something
from the past
• Interpretation
• Narrative
• The cultural turn – Multiple point of view
• The spatial turn
Tactics:
• On‐site familiarity.
• Use of documents.
• Visual comparison
• Material evidence.
• Comparison with conditions elsewhere.
• Local informants and lore.
• Reenactment/testimonial.
• Identification of remaining questions.
19

20. 1. Formulate an idea
to find the idea and figure out the research
question.
2. Formulate a plan
where to find sources and how to approach
them.
3. Gather data
try to get everything that relates to the
question.
4. Analyze data
go through the collected data and try to
answer the question more directly.
5. Analyze the sources of data
analyze the veracity of the data. primary
source, secondary source.
Implementation in Design
20
1. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2017, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/historical-research-design-definition-advantages-limitations.html
2. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2017, from https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~palmquis/courses/historical.htm

21. Example: Imagination Of Somapura Mahavihara
21

22. Strength
• study evidence from the past
• wider range of evidence than most other methods
• provides an alternative and richer source of information on topics
• Permits the investigation of topics
Weakness
• possibility of biasness.
• Only give a fractional view of the past
• Requires a different method and interpretation because of its
elusive subject matter
• Absence of technical terminology
• Historians cannot agree on generalizations
• derived from the surviving records,
• depends on valuable materials which are difficult to preserve.
22

23. 23
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Characteristics:
 The natural setting is a direct source for the research.
 Data collection is in the form of words or pictures.
 Special interest in the participants’ thoughts.
Tactics:
 Interviews & Open-Ended Response Formats.
 Observations.
 Artifacts and Sites.
 Archival Documents.
Inquiry
Source
Design
Information
Design
Outcome
(Variables)
Implementation in Design:

24. Strength:
 Interpretation in particular settings, situations and conditions.
 Data rich in description.
 Concepts derives from the data itself.
Weakness:
 Challenge of dealing with vast quantities of data.
 Access to samples.
 Time consuming.
 Relationship between the researcher and the participant.
 Verification.
24

25. Tactics:
Focus on
naturally
occurring
patterns.
Measurement
of specific
variables
Use of statistics to
clarify patterns of
relationships among
variables.
Demograp
hical
study
Ordinal
Scale
Interval and
ratio scales.
•It investigates the possibility of relationships between variables
•Describes the degree to which two or more quantitative variables are related
CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH
25
Characteristics

26. 26
Implementation in Design:
Deduction
• Starts with
generalization,
moves towards
observation
Induction
• Works from a
particular
situation
to a general one.
Hypothetically
Deductively
• Works back and
forth in an
iterative process

27. Space hierarchy in
multilevel dwelling
Plans of Brownville and
Van Dyke Houses
Four Major
Elements
Q1: Community
attachments
Q2: Pedestrianism
Q4: Social
interaction
Q7: Community
identity
Examples:
27

28. • It allows the researcher to analyze the relationship among a large
number of variables
• Correlation coefficients can provide for the degree and direction of
relationships
Strength
Weakness
• Can Clarify the relationship among variables. Can not control the two or
more naturally occurring variables.
• Suitable for a broader perspective, not in depth analysis.
28

29. EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
Characteristics:
• The use of independent variables & measurement of outcome or dependent variables
• A clear unit of assignment (to the treatment) [random assignment-experimental; non
random-quasi-experimental]
• The use of a comparison (or control) group
• A focus on causality
Tactics:
Study Setting
Treatment or
Simulation
Outcome Measures – Design decision
Fig: experiment in
pentagonism modular
residential
construction
Fig: Modelling of a
Lighthouse by Virginia
Woolf
Fig: ‘Structure and Experiment’ at Headquarters of the Marcedez Benz (MBVD)
29

30. Fig: Traditional experimental
design process
Fig: Simulation as Design
Driver
Implementation in Design (Achten, H. H.:2009)
• Achten, H. H. (2009). Experimental design methods—a review. International Journal of
Architectural Computing, 7(4), 505-534.
30

31. Examples
1. Croxford, B., Penn,A. and Hillier, B. (1996). Spatial distribution of urban pollution: civilizing urban traffic.The science of the total
environment 189/190 (october): pp. 3-9.
2. Hillier, B. and Hanson, J. (1984).The social logic of space, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3. Davis, L.S. and Benedikt, M.L. (1979). Computational models of space: isovists and isovist fields, Computer graphics and image processing
11(1): pp. 49-72.
4. Tabak,Vincent (2008). User Simulation of Space Utilisation – System for Office Building Usage Simulation. PhD Thesis, Eindhoven:
Eindhoven University of Technology.
31

32. Examples
1. Gün, Onur Yüce (2007) Composing the Bits of Surfaces in Architectural Practice, In Kieferle, J. and Ehlers, K.(eds.): Predicting the Future: Proceedings of
the 25th International Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe. Frankfurt: Fachhochschule Frankfurt,
pp. 859-868.
1. Achten, Henri and Joosen, Gijs (2003).The Digital Design Process – Reflections on a Single Design Case. In Dokonal,W. and Hirschberg, U. (eds.): Digital
Design - Proceedings of the 21st International eCAADe Conference. Graz: Graz University of Technology. pp. 269-274.
2. 53. Bonwetsch,Tobias; Bärtschi, Ralph; Kobel, Daniel; Gramazio, Fabio; Kohler, Matthias (2007) Digitally Fabricating Tilted Holes, In Kieferle, J. and
Ehlers, K. (eds.) Predicting the Future: Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural
Design in Europe. Frankfurt: Fachhochschule Frankfurt, pp. 793-799
32

33. Strengths
• Establishing causality (cause and effect relationship or parametric)
• Generalizing results to other settings and phenomena
• Control on overall experimental design aspects
Weaknesses
• Overgeneralization to different ethnic, gender population
• Ethical problems, dehumanization.
33

34. SIMULATION RESEARCH
3D simulation of a Grain Terminal Model.
Human-in-the-loop simulation of outer space
34
•Imitation of a real-world process or system
•a model be developed
•this model represents the key characteristics, behaviors and functions
•whereas the simulation represents the operation of the system

35. Characteristics
• one system through the use of another system, especially a computer program designed for
the purpose.
• simulation as an architectural research strategy; computer technology has enormously
expanded.
• “Building information modeling,” understood in its generic sense, not only dynamically
models buildings spatially and operationally in 3D, it can also model construction
management sequences of a building project (called 4D), life‐cycle factors projected over
longer periods of time, and project costs in real time (called 5D).
Example
35

36. Tactics
36
Implementation in Design
Literature Review
Problem Definition
Conceptual Modeling
Mathematical Modeling
Model Validation ( real data test)
Model Simulation ( analyzing the behaviors)
Scenario Analysis
Outcome measures

37. Weakness
• The project of replicating a slice of the real world is necessarily limiting (never ‘complete’).
• Particular limitations include lack of spontaneity in role-playing, or the challenges
associated with coding aspects of human behavior into computer equivalents.
• Simulation research can become very expensive very fast.
Strength
• Simulation research is able to capture complexity without reducing to a limited number
of discrete variables.
• This research strategy provides a variety of ways of understanding future behavior.
• Because all research strategies involve the ‘real world’ in some way, simulation tends to
be useful to a variety of other strategies.
37

38. LOGICAL ARGUMENTATION
Characteristics
• Attempts to place a well documented thing within a
systematic framework that explains the thing.
• ‘Works’ are recognized as ‘Research’ by logical
argumentation.
• Frequently implicit; often the frameworks are not explicitly
called logical argumentation.
Tactics
• Studies to generate various factors
• Factors being proposed as the First Principles in a logical
framework
• Critical assessment of the principle
• Thus, development of a systematic framework
Fig: The Spectrum of Logical Argumentation
Fig: From Hillier and Hansen,
The Social Logic of Space
38

39. Examples
Fig: The six “S” categories of Stewart Brand’s
theory for the rate at which building layers
change.
39

40. Strength
• Logical argumentation identifies first principle as a common denominator for a wide
variety of factors and provides a framework that ties them together into a conceptual
system that can describe, explain and predict within its area of concern
• Useful as a tactic for arranging fundamental principles coherently.
Weakness
• A logical system may not be an accurate representation of the reality it purports to
explain and yet still be internally consistent from a logical point of view.
40

41. Case study and Combined Research
Characteristics
• Contain one or more other research
approaches
• A focus on either single or multiple cases,
studied in their real‐life contexts
• The capacity to explain causal links
(why/how - questions)
• The importance of theory development in
the research design phase
• Reliance on multiple sources of evidence
• Power to generalize to theory
Tactics
Select
Several
Cases
Make
comparison
Integrate
With
multiple
Data source
Note the
relations
Reach for a
general set of
observations
41

42. Strength
• Focus on the context
• Capacity to explain causal links
• Richness of multiple data sources
• Ability to generalize to theory
• Compelling and convincing when done well
Weakness
• Potential for over complication
• Challenge of integrating many data source
• Fewer established rules and procedures than other research
designs
• Difficult to do well
Implementation in Design
• To know the environment and micro climate
• To explain user behavior and requirements
• To study about utility and space enhancement
• To analyze form and function
• To study about planning and circulation and
other architectural features (structure, building
service, etc.)
Comparison
42

43. Characteristics of a Research
Moreover…
43

44. 44
1. Groat, L. N., & Wang, D. (2013). Architectural research methods. John Wiley & Sons.
2. Lundberg, George A., 1942, Social Research-A Study in Methods of Gathering Data (2nd ed.), New York, Longmans, Green & Co.
3. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2017, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/historical-research-design-definition-advantages-
limitations.html
4. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2017, from https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~palmquis/courses/historical.htm
5. Rieh, S. 2007. “Creating Sense of Place in School Environments: The Lived Experience of Elementary School Children in Hawaii.”
D. Arch. thesis, University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Architecture.
6. Salomon, D. "Experimental Cultures: On the End of the Design Thesis and the Rise of the Research Studio." Journal of
Architectural Education, Vol. 65, Issue 1 (2011), 33-44.
7. Scholz, R. W., Tietje, O. 2002. Embedded case study methods: Integrating quantitative and qualitative knowledge. Thousand
Oaks, CA, USA: Sage Publications.
8. Weatherford, R. 2011. “Anime for Architects.” D. Arch. thesis, University of Hawaii at Manoa, School of Architecture.
9. Achten, H. H. (2009). Experimental design methods—a review. International Journal of Architectural Computing, 7(4), 505-534.
10. Croxford, B., Penn,A. and Hillier, B. (1996). Spatial distribution of urban pollution: civilizing urban traffic.The science of the total
environment 189/190 (october): pp. 3-9.
11. Hillier, B. and Hanson, J. (1984).The social logic of space, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
12. Davis, L.S. and Benedikt, M.L. (1979). Computational models of space: isovists and isovist fields, Computer graphics and image
processing 11(1): pp. 49-72.
13. Tabak,Vincent (2008). User Simulation of Space Utilisation – System for Office Building Usage Simulation. PhD Thesis,
Eindhoven: Eindhoven University of Technology.
14. Achten, Henri and Joosen, Gijs (2003).The Digital Design Process – Reflections on a Single Design Case. In Dokonal,W. and
Hirschberg, U. (eds.): Digital Design - Proceedings of the 21st International eCAADe Conference. Graz: Graz University of
Technology. pp. 269-274.
15. 53. Bonwetsch,Tobias; Bärtschi, Ralph; Kobel, Daniel; Gramazio, Fabio; Kohler, Matthias (2007) Digitally Fabricating Tilted Holes,
In Kieferle, J. and Ehlers, K. (eds.) Predicting the Future: Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Education and
Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe. Frankfurt: Fachhochschule Frankfurt, pp. 793-799
References

45. Thank You
45
Mohammad Syedur Rahman Bhuiyan, Studio X, KUAD,
Khulna University, Khulna