Research
Ask yourself these questions- some may apply – some you may not know the answers to yet, some you are so sure about!
Part 1
- What is my question?
- What do I want to research?
- Why?
- What problem do I want to solve or suggestion a better solution?
- What kind of site do I want to work on? Urban, Rural, Suburban, Flat, Hilly, hot, cold, wet, water near-by,
- What type of neighbors?
- What typologies are near-by?
- What do you need to support your project – neighborhood amenities?
- What type of support will you need/want? – faculty, consultants, outside architects, landscape architects, engineers…. Need not list them by name – but by discipline (we can help)
- What type of building materials may you research for your project?
- Will your thesis engage you for an entire year?
- Will it challenge you?
- Will it make you happy?
- Will it allow you to see “Architecture” from your own eyes?
Part 2: Chapters that may appear in your thesis research
Background History
Current typology
Change in typology over time
Need to change due to ….
Examples of past typologies
Definitions
What terms do you need to define
Are you defining these in a certain for your thesis?
Methodology
Writings – all projects will have writings describing aspects of your research
Diagrams – statics of gifs
Data- numbers, census, temperatures, sf, heights, population, occupancy….
Graphics- graphs – changes over time, movement of populations, changes
Animations/video
Problem
Abstract
Scope
Limitations
Parameters of problem
Context and Site Strategy
Background of site
Cultural background – languages, diversity,
Physical traits: manmade, natural visual, topo, climate, flood
Regulatory Traits: Land use, zoning, building code, transportation
Program
Spatial needs: equipment, furniture
Adjacencies: connections, circulation
Private vs Public
Support
Interior vs, Exterior
Literature What readings support your project?
Environmental
Flooding, Wind, Sun, Noise, temperature
Social  Â
who uses it? Who is impacted by it? What is their background? Age? Economic                            status? How do they benefit? How does it change their day to day life?
Economical
who pays for it? What is the cost savings/benefit? Who can afford to use it?
Activities
what happens near or at your project? What does it suggest for activities? How does it relate to the surroundings – does it engage?
Bibliography
            Document/keep a list of every resource you take something from (no more just copyclip and paste!) Everything has to be properly cited. Prof Duddy will review this later, but if  you have your list – it makes it so much easier.
Also all drawings, diagrams and images need to be cited.
What is the End Result of Design IX
What is it?
Blog? Pdf? Video?
Part 3: So really what should I be doing?
(there is not class meetings until 9/10!!!)
- Answering Part 1 questions.
- Creating your blog. (email Prof Jill link) jbouratoglou@citytech.cuny.edu
- Begin adding everything as your research– even if it’s not pretty or you may not need it.
- Save all links to where you found something – bookmarks – copy on a doc, copy on the actual page… no one wants to go back and try to look for all of these.
- Start finding information that may be useful and save to your blog/the cloud.. do not lose it.
- Create a list of items that you want to research- go through the Part 2 list.
- Create a schedule – everyone love to check off boxes, and see progress. (and not fall behind)
- Start making some decisions – even if you have multiple answers.
- Look at (google) research documentation for Architectural Theses. There are some on openlab – but so many more out there.
- Have a little bit of fun – but get right back to your thesis.
