PUO school of Architecture - Research it first!

Salam Everyone,

Research is and always will be an important concern for people who want to solve problems. As problem solvers, we need to identify the problem, understand it from different angles before beginning to address it.

SEM05’s final project is an Architecture School. This is a good opportunity to start thinking in advance about how to do research. Research is about asking questions and finding answers. Its about being sure of what you want to do based on facts.

For your upcoming project, try this out, answers these questions as a group/individual:

What is Architecture? How do you define it? What is its component? How is it different from construction, how is it similar? Etc…

What is a school? What is an education? What types of education are there? What is Polytechnic Education and how is it different from other types of education, Etc…

What do you mean by an Architecture School? How is Architecture taught at other schools? How should it be taught at the polytechnics? Etc,…

Who are design students? How do they behave? How do students learn to design? Is creativity important, how to be creative? Etc,…

Who are the users of this school? What activity do they do? What spaces are important to promote learning and creativity?, Etc…

Try answering these questions. I KNOW SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS ARE DIFFICULT but try understanding them as best as you can. I am NOT asking you to do an in depth research but just to make you understand the importance of research in understanding a problem. A Simple Research will make you appreciate your design even more.

Now, Research needs data. Data can obtain from reading, interviewing students and lecturers, visits, observing how an architectural school function, etc. Ask these questions, collect data and then try to understand them by making a conclusion before designing your ARCH SCHOOL!

Questions?

DRN