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ARCH 420 - Assignment 1b

The document discusses a course journal for architectural theory and research units 1-6. It covers notes, study questions, learning activities, sources of research information, ongoing thought processes, images, and bibliography for each unit. Study questions discuss different research methodologies and the student's interests. Possible research topics and sources are also listed.

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116 views

ARCH 420 - Assignment 1b

The document discusses a course journal for architectural theory and research units 1-6. It covers notes, study questions, learning activities, sources of research information, ongoing thought processes, images, and bibliography for each unit. Study questions discuss different research methodologies and the student's interests. Possible research topics and sources are also listed.

Uploaded by

connorm
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Connor Manson 3607103

ARCH 420 – Contemporary Architectural Theory and Research.

COURSE JOURNAL
Units 1-6

Sections within Each Unit:


1. Notes
2. Study Questions
3. Learning Activities
4. Sources of Research Information
5. Ongoing Thought Process
6. Images
7. Other Genre
8. Bibliography

Unit 1:

Notes:
Connor Manson 3607103

Study Questions:
• What research methodologies are possible and pertinent in the realm of architecture?
Within the course text, The Dissertation, ten research methodologies are highlighted and
explained. They are; Empiricism, Iconography and Iconology, Hegelian History and Theory,
Social History, Politicized History and Theory, Operative History Theory and Criticism,
Theorized and Interdisciplinary Studies, Social Science, Personal Writing, and Visually Based
Studies.

• What method(s) seems more compatible with your personal interest and why?

The research methods which seem most compatible with my personal study and interest would
have to be, Iconography & Iconology: Comparing within the discipline. This shows me which
styles I gravitate towards and then allows me to dive further asking, “why?”.

Hegelian Theory: I believe we should challenge architecture within the realm of Hegelian Theory.
Architecture has the precedents to look back on, mistakes to learn from and evolving technology
to propel it to be better.

Social History: There is a very prominent connection between contemporary society and its
architecture. Architecture seems to be one of the first tell signs that a societal shift is arising. I
believe there is a lot to tell about a building based on when it was built.

Social Science: This research methodology seems endless. An extremely interesting research
activity involving investigating the intertwined relationship of social science and the built
environment. From integration of neighborhoods to social hosing to the high-rise, possibilities for
this research method are vast.

Visually Based Studies: This seems to be a very creative exploration of research. The challenge
lies with being able to represent your ideas and findings through a different media form.

These are the main methodologies that I find compelling within this unit.

• Do you feel archispeak is just jargon or do you like the subtle wordsmithing used to describe
various concepts or aspects of architecture?

I think architects use a different vocabulary to discuss space and form. I believe it allows
designers to express more emotion towards something that could otherwise be viewed as cold and
lifeless. For those who can articulate their thoughts about how they feel within a space or what
they find interesting about a building’s form to include nods towards the building’s circulation,
light, spatial hierarchy, distribution of space, integration of systems and so much more, they are
the few who can truly understand their own appreciation for what the architect was aiming to do
when designing the building.
Connor Manson 3607103

Learning Activities:
Research Methodologies and Sources

Possible Research Topics:


1) Does architecture affect people’s emotional state of being? If so, is there a direct
correlation to choice of material or is it purely building form?

2) Does architecture influence society / societal shifts, or does society influence


architecture?
Connor Manson 3607103

Sources:
• Džalto, Davor . “Iconography and Iconology.” Oxford Research Encyclopedias, 22 Nov.

2023, doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.914. Accessed 20 Jan. 2024.

• Muller, Marion . Iconography and Iconology as a Visual Method and Approach. The

Sage Handbook of Visual Research Methods, London, SAGE Publications Ltd., 2011, pp.

283–297.

• Whiteman, J. (1987). On Hegel’s Definition of Architecture. Assemblage, 2, 7–17.


https://doi.org/10.2307/3171085

• Wilde, Oscar. The Decay of Lying. The Nineteenth Century, 1899.

• O’Hear, A. (1986). [Review of Science and Scepticism, by J. Watkins]. The British


Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 37(3), 363–367.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/687295
•
• KLECK, T. M. (2007). DEFINING THE ZEITGEIST: A SEARCH FOR PROCESS IN
ARCHITECTURE [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and
Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1179419906

• Fairburn, Miles. Social History. Bloomsbury Publishing, 26 May 1999.

• Maria Manuela Mendes, et al. Architecture and the Social Sciences. Springer, 25 July

2018.

• Shannon-Baker, Peggy, and Cherie Edwards. “The Affordances and Challenges to

Incorporating Visual Methods in Mixed Methods Research.” American Behavioral

Scientist, vol. 62, no. 7, 27 Apr. 2018, pp. 935–955,

https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764218772671.

• ONG, Patricia A. L. “Visual Research Methods: Qualifying and Quantifying the Visual.”

Beijing International Review of Education, vol. 2, no. 1, 3 Apr. 2020, pp. 35–53,

https://doi.org/10.1163/25902539-00201004.
Connor Manson 3607103

Ongoing Thought Process:

• Studying the image can help to understand the artists’/creators intentions, message and
circumstance, but it can also unveil your own feelings. It can uncover why you enjoy or dislike
something.

• The idea of “spirit of the times” suggests that all architecture, in its time, was contemporary. Thus
every city today with new construction is a current and modern city. However, what if the
construction is to “old” styles. Or is a style considered old if it is still being built?

• How pure is visual data? Is an image captured by a photographer subject to their opinion on what
they are photographing? BIAS PHOTOGRAPHY vs. UNBIAS PHOTOGRAPHY. How can we
trust images? Especially with the growing power of artificial intelligence this issue is only going
to get worse. Images can be created which appear real that tell a directed narrative. This
inevitably leads the population towards disbelief which is extremely harmful when REAL news is
in need of mass distribution and unified action is needed toward a common good. Combatting the
“fake news”, I suspect, will be one of the future generations largest social tasks.

Images:

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