Research Methods for the Architectural Profession

Ajla Aksamija

• Editorial: Routledge
• Año: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000343670
• Edición: 1
• Categoría: Architecture
• Categoría: Architecture General

Research Methods for the Architectural Profession introduces research as a systematic process, describes how to formulate research questions, provides an in-depth explanation of different research methods (qualitative, quantitative, and experimental), and explains how to select appropriate research methods and execute research studies. It describes the process of documentation, knowledge dissemination, and application of research results in architectural design and practice. Most importantly, it provides guidelines for integrating research into profession and uses extensive case-studies and practice-relevant examples to illustrate main concepts, procedures, and applications.

Integrating research into practice is essential for developing new knowledge, solving design and technical problems, overcoming different types of challenges present in the contemporary profession, and improving the design outcomes. Innovation requires a much stronger correlation between research and design, and it is pertinent for the future of architectural practice that research becomes an integral part of architectural profession. This book provides a roadmap for successfully integrating research into architectural design and for establishing innovative practices, regardless of a firm's size.

Written by an architecture professor with an extensive research and professional background—specifically focusing on integrating research into practice—and richly illustrated with over 150 color images, this reference will be useful for both students and practitioners.

Part 1

Introduction

1 Introduction

1.1 What is Research and How Does it Relate to Architectural Design?

Research is a systematic investigation of a certain topic or a problem, aimed to discover or interpret facts and theories, address specific questions, and determine answers to these questions and find practical applications for discoveries. As such, research creates new knowledge and relies on the scientific method to test hypotheses, execute studies, and document results. There are two types—basic and applied research. Basic research refers to the development of new knowledge, facts, and scientific principles and testing of theories. Applied research refers to the development of new applications, products, and systems.

A typical research process starts with identifying specific research problems and objectives, determining appropriate research methods for addressing these problems, and then proceeds with the execution, documentation of results, and dissemination. The process is identical for many different disciplines, but the nature of research problems and objectives vary according to specific domain. In architectural design, the research problems and questions relate to buildings, their occupants, environment, design and construction methods, building systems and materials, design process, etc. The topics are wide-ranging (and can include both basic and applied research), but essentially relate to buildings, their inhabitants, and their environment, and closely relate to the nature of specific design phases.

Figure 1.1 shows typical architectural design phases, starting with pre-design, conceptual design, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, construction administration, building operation, and post-construction activities. In pre-design, architects gather information from the client about the project’s requirements, building program, and site and prepare contractual agreements for the project. During the conceptual design, site analysis is performed to understand the project context (climate, environment, demographics, culture, social and economic aspects, transportation, zoning requirements, etc.), and this information, along with client’s requirements and building program, is used to develop basic building form and massing. During the schematic design phase, interior spatial layout and organization are determined, based on building codes and building program, as well as structural systems, horizontal and vertical circulation through the building, and schematic building envelope design, such as location of windows, openings, and opaque areas of the facade. During design development, detailed design of building envelope, structural system, selection of materials and building systems, including Heating Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, electrical, fire safety, and integration of building systems are the primary activities. During construction documentation, technical construction documents (drawings and specifications) are developed, which are used as the basis for construction. Collaboration between architects, engineers, consultants, and the client is important during all stages of the design process but is essential in the construction documentation phase. During construction administration, architects observe the construction process and monitor progress, making sure that the construction follows what is prescribed in the construction documentation (drawings and specifications). Post-construction activities may include preparation of operation manuals, participation in building commissioning, and administering post-occupancy evaluations to assess design outcomes and occupants’ satisfaction with the interior environment.

Figure 1.1:
Architectural design phases.

But how does research relate to architectural design? Research and architectural design are both problem-solving processes, but architectural design also requires a creative, subjective approach to finding a solution to a given design problem. On the other hand, research requires an objective approach. These are the main differences between research and architectural design process. However, architectural design relies on research, and Figure 1.2 shows how research relates to different stages of the architectural design process. It is important to note the differences between project-specific research, as shown in Figure 1.2 and broader research that impacts the wider profession. For project-specific research, architects conduct research to solve problems relating to a specific architectural project or to acquire the necessary information for that project (Groat and Wang, 2013; Sarvimaki, 2017). For example, in the pre-design phases, architects conduct interviews with the client to understand project objectives, building program, and requirements. They perform an initial site analysis to understand the location and context, zoning requirements, etc. In some instances, they develop a building program and perform research to understand spatial requirements, optimal size, and areas of the different types of spaces in the program and the relationships between these spaces. During conceptual design, architects perform building code analysis and detailed site analysis to understand the building codes, climate, environmental factors, demographics, transportation, history, social and economic aspects, culture, etc. because all these factors influence design decision-making. During schematic design, research activities include detailed building code analysis and may include preliminary analysis of building systems and environmental and energy impact. During design development, research activities are mostly associated with integration of building systems, building performance aspects (energy, structural, thermal, daylight, occupants’ comfort, building envelope), and building materials. During construction documentation, research is typically conducted to understand specific building components, construction techniques, or application of innovative construction materials and technologies. Since design development and construction documentation are the longest phases of any architectural project, research activities are also proportionally extensive during these two phases. During construction administration, research activities may include mock-up testing, such as experimental evaluation of building envelope mock-ups. During initial stages of the building operation, research activities may include building commissioning tasks, necessary to evaluate operation of building systems and to calibrate their performance. During later stages of building operation, post-occupancy evaluations may be conducted to assess design effectiveness, actual building performance, occupants’ satisfaction, and comfort (thermal, visual, acoustic). This process directly applies to the design of new buildings, but is quite similar for building retrofits, renovations, and adaptive reuse projects. The information that is gained through research directly influences decision-making and design outcomes for a specific architectural project; however, the notion of design as a creative activity also has its effect on the final outcomes. Although research conducted for a particular architectural project has the greatest impact on that specific project, the results and lessons learned through the process (or after the building is constructed and occupied) are still applicable to a wider range of design problems, such as similar building types, and can benefit the architectural profession.

Figure 1.2:
Research in the architectural design process in relation to different project phases, specific for architectural projects.

Case Study 1.1: Example of PROJECT-SPECIFIC Research: Performance Analysis for a Commercial Building

The purpose of this study was to investigate high-performance design options for a commercial building, located in Boston. The study considered different orientations of the building and different facade design strategies for improving energy efficiency and occupants’ comfort, varying the types of materials and glazing, shading options (horizontal shading elements for the south-oriented facade and vertical shades for the east and west facades), and integration of light-shelves for improved daylighting distribution within interior spaces.

Figure 1.3 shows a comparison of incident solar radiation for south-oriented facades, where one of the design options included a series of horizontal shading elements. These results were obtained through simulations, where incident solar radiation was modeled based on the facade design configuration, orientation, and local climatic data. Energy modeling was performed to investigate different design options for each relative orientation, and daylighting simulations were performed to understand the impacts on natural lighting levels for all design options. Annual energy consumption, thermal comfort, and daylight levels were investigated for all options. Figure 1.4 shows summary results for energy consumption for all building orientations and design options. The best performing option that reduces energy consumption for all orientations was chosen in the final design.

Figure 1.3:
Comparison of incident solar radiation for south-oriented facade, showing the impacts of horizontal shading devices.

Figure 1.4:
Comparison of energy consumption results for all facade orientations and all design options.

Daylight simulations were performed to investigate availability of natural light reaching the interior space. Since it was found that the best-performing design scenarios for the south and west orientations include horizontal overhang, horizontal shading elements, and a light-shelf for reducing energy consumption, these design options have been used to study availability of natural light. They were compared to two other design options, where one option included a serrated facade without any shading elements or light-shelves, and the second option included a serrated facade with a deep horizontal overhang, series of horizontal shading elements, and an interior light-shelf. Daylight analysis was performed for September 21 at noon, with sunny sky conditions. Since this facade adjoins a two-story interior space, the purpose of the analysis was to compare daylight levels on both levels. Specifically, light redirecting mechanisms for the office space located on the second floor were investigated. These different options are shown in Figure 1.5, as well as the daylight simulation results.

Figure 1.5:
Design options and results of daylight simulations.

Generally, the highest daylighting levels for the first floor would be present for the base case scenario; however, this option is the worst from an energy performance perspective. Comparison between options one and two shows that option two would provide more daylight since the shading elements and a light-shelf would redirect light within the interior space. For the second floor, daylight levels are comparable for both options, although the actual values are higher for the base case scenario. Since option two is the best performing design scenario in terms of energy performance, the addition of light-shelves would balance the effects of shading elements on the availability of natural light.

This case study illustrates how the research process can be beneficial for design decision-making. Having these results and quantifiable data allowed the design team to make informed decisions regarding the facade treatment for this specific project, as well as daylight harvesting strategies. At the same time, documenting results and sharing research processes, objectives and results are beneficial for the design community at large since these results can also be applied to other similar projects or design problems. Besides project-specific research, there is also a need for a broader research spectrum that addresses all the different aspects relating to the design of built environments, which may not necessarily relate to a specific design project. These types of research projects are often long-term and may require substantial involvement from different disciplines, collaboration, and investments.

Now, what are the relationships between research and the architectural profession? How does research influence the architectural profession as a whole? Figure 1.6 indicates different categories of research and relationships to the architectural profession. It is important to distinguish between different categories of research in architecture because the nature of research studies, objectives, methods, and results are different. However, all categories influence the architectural profession and are necessary to address various types of inquiries. We can group them according to the primary subject area, such as architectural history research and theory, social and behavioral studies, environmental, technology, building systems and design process research, and economics. For example, architectural history research primarily focuses on historical and archival research, whose focus might be on a specific architectural style, historical building, an architect, or a historic area. This type of research work is closely related to historic preservation. On the other hand, social and behavioral studies primarily relate to peo...