Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAIALBLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-141). / This thesis is essentially a diary, drawn and written, following the design of a home for abused children. The site is located in the Hill Country of Texas, and the project was first undertaken in an architectural design studio at Rice University, in the spring of 1979. In its structure and sequence, the thesis illustrates a way of designing, with the purpose of making that more conscious and explicit. The incremental process of recognizing appropriate images or organizational devices, and then incorporating them in an evolving project, is documented through a series of sketches kept in a notebook over the course of the semester. The basic intent is to move beyond the diagrammatic organization of space, to a more positive consideration of structure and materials, particularly as they interact to form a building's edge. This centers upon an understanding of architectural character, as it is manifested in those boundaries whose form and material interpret a given spatial order, and relate it to its physical context. / by Donald David Klema. / M.Arch.

Hau Sum Ming Sam. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2008-2009, design report."

No description available.

The problem addressed in this thesis is the nature of design expertise and the role of visual mental imagery in design. The problem is addressed firstly, by examining the nature of problems, including design problems. It is argued that design problems are complex and ill-defined and can be distinguished from non-design problems. Secondly, design expertise is examined. It was found that design experts have a large store of design knowledge in a form that is readily accessible, and engage in extensive problem-finding prior to generating design solutions. Thirdly, the role of visual mental images as a component of design problem-solving and design expertise is examined. It is argued that visual mental images are important features of both design expertise and the transition from novice to expert. A number of case studies are designed and conducted. The findings of these studies are interpreted as supporting the theoretical ideas developed in the thesis. The introduction of design-based technology programs into Australian high schools has created the need for teachers to be able to assist students to generate creative solutions to design problems. Currently, technology teachers are experiencing difficulty in helping students to generate creative solutions to design problems. Hence a better understanding of design process may help to shape teaching and learning in design-based subjects. Furthermore, many complex everyday problems share similar properties with design problems. The research may therefore contribute to the understanding of the way people solve problems that have some characteristics in common with design problems. It is argued in this thesis that existing theories and models explaining the nature of problems and of the processes of solving problems are adequate in explaining many categories of problems and problem-solving but are inadequate in explaining the process of solving design problems. A new model of a problem space is proposed and justified. It is argued that design problems occur within a problem space that consists of a problem zone, a search and construction space and a satisficing zone. To establish, theoretically, the role of visual mental imagery in designing, two bodies of cognitive research literature are employed. Firstly, research into the utility of sketches in problem-solving are examined. This research indicates that external images assist problem-solving. Secondly, research into the relationship between perception and imagery is examined. This research suggests that visual mental images are functionally equivalent to perceived images. Thirdly, by combining the findings on sketches in problem-solving with the findings on imagery and perception, it is then possible to argue that visual mental images can assist problem-solving, and may play an important role in the resolution of complex design problems. The cognitive theory explaining the role of visual mental imagery in problem-solving in design is used to develop predictions for testing in two practical studies. Designers use visual imagery to represent and transform complex design problems within the problem space, and visual images are theorised as capable of providing more efficient representations for solving design problems than other forms of representation such as propositions. In the two studies undertaken in this thesis, a case study methodology was employed. The findings of the two studies support the arguments developed in this thesis that expert designers are able to form more complete and more detailed images of design problems and solutions than novices. Expert designers have a large store of previous solutions that can be retrieved from long-term memory as visual mental images. Expert designers are able to recognise when their existing solutions can be used, how they might be modified for use, and where something new is required. The study examined designing in terms of the deployment of procedures and the relationship among these procedures, and with images usage. It was found that designers traverse the design problem space using generative and exploratory procedures and that these procedures are facilitated by and facilitate, the production of visual mental images. The study provides a model of a problem space that can be used to explain the process of solving complex ill-defined problems, the cognitive processing involved in creative thinking and the role of mental imagery in an information processing theory of problem-solving. Conceptualising the problem space as containing a problem zone, search and construction space and satisficing zone makes it possible to apply the concept of a problem space to problems that do not contain well specified problem and goal states and with a limited number of operators. Integrating imagery theories with information processing theories provides an account of the process of solving complex design problems and the generation of novel solutions.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

This thesis primarily deals with the adaptation of a theory from one context and its application in another context. In this case the "building systems integration theory" which has been introduced in the context of buildings, in the book Building Systems Integration Handbook (Rush, 1986), is adapted to the context of architectural organizations. The hypothesis of this research is that "building system integration principles can be applied to architectural business organizations." Building system integration theory defines four fundamental systems within buildings and five levels of integration ranging from unified to remote. It further defines an abstract two dimensional diagrammatic language that is referred to as a "ball diagram" for portraying the system integration within a building. Using the building system as an analogue to organizational structure, I have redefined the five levels of integration in the vocabulary of an organization and formulated seven systems in an organization on the basis of my literature review. I surveyed five prominent architectural firms in Texas (three Matrix organizations, and two Studio organizations) and discussed their project handling methods with their principals in charge, with the intention of investigating the degree of contact between personnel, their meeting patterns, and the reporting structure. This has helped me to identify the levels of integration between systems in each organization and eventually represent the working process of these firms using the diagrammatic language introduced in BSIH. The resulting diagrams, which primarily represent the production/ delivery segment of the organizations, reveal organizational structures during the project cycle as well as certain characteristics of a Matrix or Studio. Due to the limited scope of the survey done initially, some shortcomings were noticed in the diagramming method including the absence of any representation of the client and the user in the diagrams. Despite certain shortcomings owing to the scale of the investigation, it is felt that the diagramming method portrayed here is a novel yet effective idea to represent organizations and the levels of integration between systems in an organization that contributes to the production of a cohesive organizational design theory.

Recent innovations in design and construction of architectural buildings has led us to revisit the metrics for discretizing smooth freeform shapes in context with both aesthetics and fabrication. Inspired by the examples of the British Museum Court Roof in Britain and the Beijing Aquatic Centre in China, we propose solutions for generating aesthetic as well as economically viable solutions for tessellating smooth, freeform shapes. For the purpose of generating an aesthetic tessellation, we propose a simple linearized strain based metric to minimize dissimilarity amongst triangles in a local neighborhood. We do so by defining an error function that measures deformation required to map a pair of triangles onto each other. We minimize the error using a global non-linear optimization based framework. We also reduce the complexity associated with prefabricating triangulated panels for a given shape. To do so, we propose a global optimization based framework to approximate any given shape using significantly reduced numbers of unique triangles. By doing so, we leverage the economies of scale as well as simplify the process of physical placement of panels by manual labor.

An interior design project was completed by the researcher on the campus of Oregon State University. The purpose of the project was to participate in, direct and record the design process of an interior design project with an emphasis on the use of graphic communication methods. A chronology detailed the entire project and the various graphic communication methods used during the design process. An evaluation of the project compared the graphic communication methods used during the project with a previously developed model which outlined various stages of the design process and the graphic communication methods appropriate to each stage in the process. In most cases the design project followed the model closely. / Graduation date: 1991

This thesis primarily deals with the adaptation of a theory from one context and its application in another context. In this case the "building systems integration theory" which has been introduced in the context of buildings, in the book Building Systems Integration Handbook (Rush, 1986), is adapted to the context of architectural organizations. The hypothesis of this research is that "building system integration principles can be applied to architectural business organizations." Building system integration theory defines four fundamental systems within buildings and five levels of integration ranging from unified to remote. It further defines an abstract two dimensional diagrammatic language that is referred to as a "ball diagram" for portraying the system integration within a building. Using the building system as an analogue to organizational structure, I have redefined the five levels of integration in the vocabulary of an organization and formulated seven systems in an organization on the basis of my literature review. I surveyed five prominent architectural firms in Texas (three Matrix organizations, and two Studio organizations) and discussed their project handling methods with their principals in charge, with the intention of investigating the degree of contact between personnel, their meeting patterns, and the reporting structure. This has helped me to identify the levels of integration between systems in each organization and eventually represent the working process of these firms using the diagrammatic language introduced in BSIH. The resulting diagrams, which primarily represent the production/ delivery segment of the organizations, reveal organizational structures during the project cycle as well as certain characteristics of a Matrix or Studio. Due to the limited scope of the survey done initially, some shortcomings were noticed in the diagramming method including the absence of any representation of the client and the user in the diagrams. Despite certain shortcomings owing to the scale of the investigation, it is felt that the diagramming method portrayed here is a novel yet effective idea to represent organizations and the levels of integration between systems in an organization that contributes to the production of a cohesive organizational design theory.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Tom Anderson, Florida State University, School of Visual Arts and Dance, Dept. of Art Education. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 16, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.