Research Methods Diary

8/9/2019 Research Methods Diary

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RESEARCH METHODS

DIARY

Shravan Vaidyanath 13001894

Research Philosophy for Design P30026


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1. DIAGRAMMING


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Diagramming- Dialectogram 1


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Diagramming- Dialectogram 3


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the architect with the means of making drawings absolutely correct, thereby facilitating his work both in

designs and in construction. From my observations with students and workmen in Paris, Zurich and Geneva, I

believe that the most rapid, interesting and effective way of learning practical solid geometry is by studying it

in connection with the science of masonry. It is taken thereby out of the domain of the abstract sciences and

becomes an object of practical interest to architectural students.

He requests the RIBA to set up many more such lectures in other parts of England to promote the science of

masonry. He offers to make his drawings and models from the lecture series available for reproduction, under

conditions for remuneration, soo as to make it easier for other members to deliver lectures elsewhere. He

also proposes that an examination on the topic as a way to establish the study as mainstream.

Enclosed with this report is a letter from the members of his class which says

We the undersigned members of the above class wish to convey to you our thanks and high appreciation of

your efforts, during the now closing series of lessons. They have been exceedingly useful not only as a prac-

tical knowledge of masonry details bit also as a study of solid geometry and the methods applicable to the

development of curved surfaces etc. We are of the opinion that the system adopted of primary and subsidiary

classes have been eminently successful and we should esteem it in favor, if arrangements could be made to

continue the present series of lectures on a future occasion to the study of the science of the higher branch-

es of science of masonry.

Letter to The Secretaries of the RIBA dated Oct 12, 1887

Harvey regarded stereotomy as important for architects stating that it is a difficult science, the study of which

needs to be encouraged by the support of the RIBA. Harvey requests the RIBA to promote the study of the sci-

ence of masonry by organising a competition with a prize of 20 and a silver medal. The winning entry would

propose the best solution to a problem of masonry proposed by the Council of the RIBA. The competition wasto be held in two stages. The first stage, to be held at the Hall of the RIBA at Conduit Street, involved creating

drawings of the solution. The best candidates from this round were to be selected for the next stage which

would involve using the drawings to create models of the structure proposed.

Article in the RIBA journal of 1887

Lawrence Harvey gives a detailed account of the technique of stereotomy. In it he gives a historical develop-

ment of the drawing technique arising from Philiber de lOrme in the mid sixteenth century, and then later

additions and reformulations by Mathurin Josse, the mathematician Girard Desargues, Jesuit Francois De-

rand and the mathematican Gaspard Monge. Apart from its use as a means for describing masonry, Harvey

considers it to be instrumental in the development of non-Euclidean geometry. Harvey describes stereotomy

as revealing a number of complex theorems and properties unknown to Euclid.

Harvey considers stereotomy not just a technical skill but as a design tool -- The science of masonry enriches

the store of ideas in the designer and has thereby a specal artistic importance, and that as it furnishes readyand sometimes indispensable means of solving problems,of construction not only in stonework but in every

branch of the art of building........

Harvey gave far more importance to the practical way of learning geometry as applicable to architecture than

getting entangled with mathematical definitions. The quote from this article- I remember when more than a

year ago, the President and some Members of the RIBA came to see me start my class...... asked if I would

not begin by defining what a solid was.........I answered that if any of my pupils had the slightest doubt as to

the nature of a solid, I would throw a brick at him and his doubts would instantly cease. Elementary notions

of mathematics such as straight lines need not have to be arrived at through Euclids theorems in order to be

practically useful. These can be understood intuitively and through experience.


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Although there are no drawings by Harvey or his pupils, the article contaiins a writen explanation of his teach-

ing methods. The drawing technique begins by drawing a ground line which forms a basic divider between

the elevation and plan. Anything drawn above the ground line is on a vertical plane and everything below is

taken to be on a horizontal plane. When drawing a complex object, the technique involves giving the stone a

series of twists or rotations by which its faces are brought to be parallel to one of the projection planes. THe

object is divided into a number of points and then each point is subjected to the same rotations so as to de-

scribe them in plan and elevation. The lectures proceed from simple shapes such as a cube to more complex

ones such as a cone, cylinder or a sphere and then to their various intersections.

Harvey proceeds then to give examples of a number of different kinds of vaults. His examples aim to show

that the drawing doesnt just act as a tool for representation but enables an architect to come to terms with

the aesthetic appearanec of various vaults. The main problem when using a material like stone is that there

is no such difference between structure and cladding.As soon as the vault intersects another vault at any

angle other than perpendicular, the faces of the arch become distorted. Such arches were called skew arches.

The problem was not only about aesthetics but also about construction. In skew arches, depending on the

choice among various systems, the faces of the stone differ between being straight or elliptical and are hence

lesser or more difficult to shape respectively. It is easy to get tied in knots between trying to overcome the

v=conflicting problems of aesthetics and practicalities. Geometry becomes the only tool that is able to medi-

ate between such concerns.


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Article in the RIBA Journal of 1888

In this article, Harvey gives a practicle example of the use of geometry in the aestheitcs of vaults by compar-

ing the intersections in Roman circular vaults with the Gothic ribbed vaults. When the Roman built vaults,

they adopted circular sections for both the narrower and the wider vault. As they were built with concrete, the

groin lines were determined entirely by the points of intersection of the two vaults. The groin lines hence did

not lie on a vertical plane. As Gothic vaults were built of stone, the ribs were determined first. For the ease of

construction, the groins were placed on vertical planes, and the surface spanning between the ribs distorted

to join the ribs. During the Renaissance, when the Roman vaults came into favour, a new problem emerged

because of the changing notions of aesthetics of vaults. The gothic paradigm with the groins in vertical planes

was considered more beautiful. The groin lines were hence placed first and the section of the vault was deter-

mined from this as in the gothic model. Only now that the material was once again concerte, the section had

to be elliptical. But elliptical arches were considered weakly in appearance. This gives a perfect example of

how one could tie onself in knots of geometry when aesthetics comes into play.

Harvey hence gives his proposal that will secure all the desirable advantages of the former vaults, circular

arches, groins in vertical planes, and regular simple surfaces of vaulting. His explanation is as folows-

If a cylindrical vault spans the arches AB and CD, and an elliptical dome of revolution, with its minor axis

GE, equal to the span of the wider arches, be made to pass through the smaller arches AC and BD, then the

intersection of these two arches will give straight lines on plan. In this scheme, the arches AB and CD will be

circles, the arches AC and BD will also be circles, the triangular cells AEB and CED will be cylindrical and the

triangular cells AEC and BED, will be portions of an ellipsiod of revolution, a surface as regular and nearly as

simple as a sphere. Such a vault will be easy to work on the banker direct from the working drawings, without

any preliminary fitting of stones, distinguished in common parlance by the title of fudging

Letter dated Sept 18, 1888

Harvey expresses his concern that very few students are attending his classes due to which he is forced to

abandon his lectures at the City and Guilds Institute. He expresses that part of the problem may have been

his own doing, that he may have frightened the young men by offering them too much. On the other hand,

unlike Harveys previous students who found the study interesting and useful, his current students see it as

irrelevant as their employers have not studied stereotomy themselves. Harvey disagrees with his students

opinions saying that he knows some others who have learnt this technique and gives Sir Gilbert Scott as an

example. He also puts forward the names of his former students, Mike Anderson, Ayling Lanchester, Sargant

Marshall and Luck Yeates as references to the quality of his teachings and its relevance. He proposes the

RIBA to increase its efforts to promote this study by raising the prize money of the competitions. Harvey per-

sists with his view that stereotomy is an absolutely indispensible teaching for architectural students. He also

offers restructuring the course into a short series of 10 lectures as a solution to the situation.

Letter dated 26 April 1889

Report on the designs sent in for the Scientific Masonry Prize competition

Letter dated Jan 1890

In order to encourage the study of masonry among architects, Harvey proposes an annual voluntary examina-

tion for architects,

Letter dated June 1890

Proposal to found a college of masons. Harvey requests the RIBA to hold an admission exam to enroll stu-

dents. There is a draft of a negative response from the RIBA.

35/1/4- Letter dated

Harvey resigns from the RIBA


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3. FIELDWORK/ ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH


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Workship Question

How does graffiti contribute to the local identity of Cowley?

Operationalize the question

Identify:

What type of information do you need?

Where is it available?

How will you be able to get it?

Describe your chosen methodology and argue why it is appropriate

Key points from lecture and workshop

Ethnographic research consists of getting an emic perspective of a place. Before undertaking fieldwork,

it is necessary to chart a plan about how and what kind of data to collect, in order to gain a perspective

of the people who live in Cowley. This planning, defined as operationalization cinsistes of breaking down

intangible concepts into observable phenomena.

In the case of the workshop question, there are two cases that need to be operationalised-- graffiti and

identity. Out of these two terms, Graffiti is the more straightforward one as it can be clearly defined.

Identitty is a more complicated term that requires further definition. In order to consider whether graffiti

contributes to the identity of a place, it is necessary to define identity, think about what factors affect the

identity of a place and how the identity of a place changes with time.


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Discussions during the workshop(group work with Geoffrey, Grace, Sam, Tim)

Graffiti

Definition- Graffiti is writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on

a wall or other surface in a public place. Controversies that surround graffiti continue to create

disagreement amongst city officials, law enforcement, and writers who wish to display and appreci-

ate work in public locations. There are many different types and styles of graffiti and it is a rapidly

developing art form whose value is highly contested and reviled by many authorities while also

subject to protection, sometimes within the same jurisdiction.

Content of the graffiti-- is it political, cultural, artistic?

What type of buildings are they on? Private house? Shop? Boundary walls?

Is it done by individuals or as a group?

Where do they get the material for doing the graffiti?

Is it against the law to make graffiti if the property is not owned by the person who did the graffiti?

When were these graffitis made?

How long do they last?

Is there a graffiti society?

Identity

What is the extent of the area defined as Cowley?

What makes up the identity of Cowley?

Is it the demographic of the people?

Are members of the community related by familial ties?Are the variety of shops and restaurants indicative of the demographic?

Is it made of a majority of transient people such as university students?

Does the archietcture contribute to the identity of Cowley?

Are there any regular cultural events that promote communal bonding?

How does the identity of a place change or evolve?

By walking through Cowley, it is easy to observe the multicultural nature of the place. Is this what

distinguishes the identity of Cowley from Central Oxford?

Individual Expansion of the workshop exercise

As the workshop asks to operationalise the question, the expansion here will be focused on look-

ing at various methodologies and arguing which would be the most appropriate way to undertake

this anthropological study. It lays out the groundwork that is necessary prior to beginning fieldwork

rather than on the collection of the data itself. With the workshop question, there is an ambiguityas to the area under discussion-- whether it is COwley or COwley Road. GIven that the images show

two shops from Cowley Road, this anthropological study will look at the stretch of Cowley Road

from the COwley roundabout to Hollow Way just after Cowley Library.


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Operationalisation- What type of information do you need?

By walking through Cowley, it is easy to understand its multicultural nature with its

huge variety of shops and restaurants. Annie Skinner has written extensively about the

history and changing identity of Cowley over the last century. It does give an emic per-

spective as she was a resident of Cowley at the time of writing her book Cowley Road

A history. The multicultural character of Cowley Road has been described as beginning

from the 1950s with the establishment of the car manufacturing industries in East Ox-

ford. Prior to this period, Cowley Road and central Cowley was a suburb of Oxford and

was predominently occupied by Britons. The first foreigners to settle in Cowley Road

were the Jamaicans and the West Indians, followed by Pakistanis and South Indians(Skinner,) While there were issues of racism and cultural conflict between the locals

and the immigrants, these have settled over time.

Cowley Road today is described as a uniquely tolerant community (Skinner, pV) and

as one of the worlds great streets (Pevsner in Skinner, pIV). This tolerance to ethnic

minorities is further reinforced as it is home to a number of refugees from Uganda,

Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, who feel at home in this environment. Compared to the

working class population of the 60s, the streets of f Cowley Road are now home to stu-

dent populations with many properties owned by Oxford Brookes University. The pres-

ence of different place of worship such as a Pakistani Mosque, a Bangladeshi Mosque

and various churches also point to a cultural tolerance.

The general demographic based on 2001 census is 10% aged 16 and under, 49.2%

between 20 and 29, only 2.9% over 75 years of age. 42.8% of the population were full-

time students and 2.3% were unemployed. This shows that the majority of the popula-

tion is transient moving frequently within Cowley and away. Due to its mix of ethnicities

and changng populations, it is termed as ahving a bohemian identity. The Cowley Road

Carnival which began from 2001 has furthered enhanced the reputation of Cowley

Road as a vibrant part of Oxford.

Cowley Road and its residents have traditionally been very active in the political front.

With strong ties to the industrial base of East Oxford, its residents have a history of

promoting the Labour Party. The earliest such movements involved campaigning for

fairer working conditions for the factory workers and for equality of employment among

people of various origins. Both the Conservative and the Liberal party ahve social clubs

in the area. Cowley ROad has also been associated with the Co-operative, anti-fascist,

environmentalist movements, womens liberation, gay politics and religious interests.

It is hence seen as being more progressive than many other communities. The political

scene has however shifted with the student populations. This is not a recent phenom-ena as there are examples from the mid 1980 when there were attempts to coontrol

the rave and party culture by laws against large groups of people listening to repetitive

music (Skinner, p ). It is not to say that students are less politically active but that the

interests may change quickly with the times. The voices may not be as intense as com-

ing from people who are more settled in a specific place.

From these notes, it is clear that the multicultural area around Cowley Road is well

estalbished and is generally believed to have little conflicts due to the differing ethnic

identities. Graffiti, of any form or content, will necessarily add to the identity of a com-

munity if it is left in public view for an extended period of time. Given the history of

political activity in Cowley, I would expect to find some of the graffiti to have political


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content or commentary. If this is verified during observations, then it would be possible to fur-

ther categorize it under the different political movements. If multiple instances are found, then

a clear correlation can be made about the voice of the community if it can be established that

they were done by different people.

How does anthropology deal with identities of transient communities? Anthropology has histori-

cally been developed by studying a particular community through extended periods of time.

Anthropologist Ted.C.Lewellen describes that globalization has created a transient phenomena

where cultures, communities and local no longer occupy well-defined territories but are spread

all over the place and sometimes constantly change shape. Within such ill-defined structures,

the typical long-term face-to-face fieldwork may be inadequate or inappropriate(p56). This

problem is significant as in order to gain an emic perspective, a significant part of this research

will need to focus on defining whose opinion qualifies for an emic perspective. It might be

necessary to survey people who live outside the physical boundaries of the Cowley area but are

knowledgeable about the place by having visited it for a number of years.

Graffiti is one the many forms of cultural expression that is visible in the public realm. While it

can be commissioned for a specific purpose, it is often associated with uncommissioned diplays

of art (Trespass, pg 10). Set apart from the term mural, graffiti is seen as a form of trespassing

that invades the rights of the owners of private property. (Trespass, p10) It is strongly associ-

ated with subculture and counter culture (Trespass, 10-11). It can also be a reaction against

commercialisation of public space where faces of buildings become bill boards for branding

and marketing (Trespass, p10-11) In this context, it is a reaction against the loss of unique

public spaces and the loss of identity of a specific place. Given the uncommissioned public art

is treated as vandalism, it requires a certain motivation and courage to put oneself at the riskfor no financial gain whatsoever (Trespass p10-11). It is hence important to find some way to

understand the reason behind the graffiti.

Is it political? Does it express hidden conflicts within a region? Does it speak of any long stand-

ing and well known problems within a community? If this is the case, then its impact on shaping

the identity of the community could be analysed with respect to the political choices made by

the people of the community.

If the content is not political, then it would be more difficult to ascertain how and whether it

contributes to the identity of Cowley. Given that the Cowley already has a well established Bo-

hemian identity, any graffiti would automattically add to this. An important question that needs

to be asked is if all the graffitis were to be removed, would it diminish the established identity?

Graffiti is also seen as a form of art that attempts to make impoverished and run down places

interesting. Howver it can also have a negative effect where graffiti can be taken as a sign of

poverty and unemployment.

Is the graffiti an attempt at humour? Is it a piece of exquisitely finished art work? In this case, it

might be that there are a lot of unemployed people with restless energy. It could be a true form

of trespassing with no larger motive than to deface private property. If so, then it might need to

be studied with the crime rates in the area.

Is it about recent fashions such as a movie or a book or a new sartorial style?


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Methodology- Where is the data available? How do you collect it?

The Ethnographers Toolkit lists the following means of data collection-

1. Observation- To record situations as they happen

2. Tests and repeated measures- To determine the efficacy of an intervention or verify a hypothesis

3. Population or sample surveys- To determine variation in attitides, knowledge, perceptions, demographic information

4. Ethnographic interview- To determine in-depth information on selected topics, personal histories, cultural beliefs, de-

scription of practices

5. Content analysis of secondary text or visual data- To elicit themes or content in a body of written or visual media

6. Focus group interviews- Obtain information about norms, behaviours, attitudes and cultural domains

7. Elicitation methods- Obtain data on the ways in which people categorize and organize understanding of cultural do-

mains using stimuli

8. Network Research- Obtain data on patterns of relationships and exchanges among individuals, groups and other social

units.

Of these methods, the observational method will be of limited use here as it is impossible to be at the right time and

place to witness an act of graffiti as it happens. A large amount of graffiti is also continually removed by various clean-

ers commissioned by the Council and by private property owners. It will hence be necessary to adopt a content analysis

through a collection of images of graffiti if they have collected any. THe content analysis can also be carried out through

other sources who may collect graffiti such as shops that sell spray paint etc. I would look to collect graffiti over a period

of a year or more if sources can be found. This would allow the content of the graffiti to be analysed to find connections

with events or incidents that happened around the time of the graffiti. Certain recurring events such as the carnival or fes-

tivals such as Christmas, Diwali, Ramzan etc may give rise to graffitis of similar content and similar times of the year. The

more the graffiti that speaks of a certain festival, the more that particular ethnic group is active in the creation of graffiti.This is most definitely a positive act as it promotes a sense of celebration and communal activity rather than an act of

individual defiance of rules or norms.

A combination of population surveys and elcitation methods will be used to gain a personal and cultural reactions to the

graffiti. The following groups of people will be asked the respective questions.

To the cleaners who remove graffiti

How frequently do you get called out to remove graffitis?

What percentage is from the Council and what is it from private property owners?

Is there a specific area where there is repeated acts of graffiti?

To shops that sell spray paint and other graffiti material

Is there s specific age-group and ethnicity of people who buy the material? (Only some of these members would actually

be involved in actually doing it but it does help to narrow down the demographic of the artists)

Have you seen any graffiti on Cowley Road?

To people in Cowley, Oxford and East Oxford

What do you think of graffiti?

Have you seen graffiti on Cowley Road?

What is your age and ethnicity?

Do you live in Cowley? If yes, how long?

What is your occupation?

Have you ever participaated in graffiti yourself?

Do any of your close family or friends live in Cowley?

(The participants will be divided into two groups as offering etic and emic perspectives depending on their familiarity with

the place and the duration for which they might have lived there)


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To private property owners who were affected by unwanted graffiti

Did you report the graffiti yourself or was it removed under pressure from the council?

When was the graffiti done?

Did you ever find out who did the graffiti?

Has it happened more than once?

Do you know anyone else who has been a victim of graffiti?

How long have you lived in Cowley?

How would you define the identity of Cowley?

The following questions will be asked of all four groups

Do you think the graffiti is political?

Do you perceive any of them to be beautiful?

Do you perceive any of them to be funny?

How would you describe the identity of Cowley?

Elicitation methods- It is possible that many of these people would not have seen or

paid attention to the graffiti on Cowley Road. Any images of graffiti that were collected

will be presented in order to get an immediate response.

Criminal records(if this is available to the public) relating to charges and convictions

of graffiti artists will be investigated to understand whether there is a defined group

operating within the area. If any specific members are identified, they will be examinedfurther to see whether there have committed any other offences. This will give an idea

of the motivations behind the graffiti. Newspapers articles about convictions can be

used if criminal records cannot be obtained.

Type of buildings- If the graffiti occurs on certain types of buildings, it would reveal the

motivation behind the art. If there are offensive graffitis on places of religious signifi-

cance, it would indicate a cultural conflict in the area. If it occurs on well-recognised

branded commercial outlets, then it coule point to a need for communal expressions.

If it is on houses, then it is most definitely an act of vandalism. If it is on derelict spac-

es, it could be an act of public service trying to add character to an otherwise banal

and possibly dangerous place. The content would reveal help in making a distinction.


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APPENDIX


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St.Pauls sports centre, Portsmouth University

Five years ago, I moved from India to Portsmouth for university. The city and the building

may have been new but the sports hall itself is the most familiar space to me. It was the

first home match of the season. I leave my house after a light lunch, as is usual before

every match. I start walking, headphones in my ears, the world is out. My mind focused

on the task at hand. Moments later I walk through the double doors with the metal

handles. The sports hall is buried deep inside the building shut off from the rest of theworld. I walk in. The rest of the team are there.

I connect with the space at a different level. Sports halls look the same to spectators.

Yes the physical dimensions and the layout might be identical, but the atmosphere in

each one is different. In some halls, the shuttle travels fast others it is incredibly slow.

The sound when the racket hits the shuttle is music in some makes a clear and distinct

sound with the different shots. These halls are beautiful to play in. In not so perfect

ones, the sound is muddled mixed and inconsistent. I make mental notes everytime I

walk into a hall trying to connect various factors of the space-- the height, the surface,

the finishes to understand what it is that makes or breaks this intangible qualities.

The hall was beautiful- brick walls with steel arches supporting the roof. I get the mop

out to clean the floor of all the dust and bits of mud left over from the shoes of the ama-

teurs who have just left the hall. Dust makes the court slippery, I wont be able to move

as fast if I cant get a solid grip of the floor with my feet. The sprung wooden floor is soft.

Better than any court that I had played before. I clean the courts, music still pumping in

my ears. I run and jump up and down the length of the court to get warmed up. The op-

ponents arrive and settle themselves at the opposite end of the court. Its time. I step on

court for the first singles.

Every time you step on a court you connect with the mind of a designer. Where are

the lights positioned? Are they carefully placed in thr gaps between each court rather

than above the courts? No? Now what were they thinking? How does anyone see the

shuttle under the lights? Minimalist modern white walls have no place in a sports hall.

White walls mean I have no choice but to play offence. This dark blue walls of this hall

is perfect. Half an hour of running, jumping, lunging, I come out with the first match in

the bag. I remember thinking- wow, this hall is perfect for badminton. Halls this good are

rare.

All these sports halls mean more of a home to me than any house I have ever lived in.

Combined these carry far more memories of nervousness before starting an important

match, the disappointment of losing and excitement of winning especially from being

match points down. It has recently joined a prestigious list of courts that are my home

courts. The experience just makes me wonder about such mundane places that might

be sacred to other people but are never to be found in books of architecture. We all live

in the same place but never experience the same things.

1. Writing Architecture- Confessional Construction


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Poster


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2. WALKING


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Workshop Topic

1. In your teams, identify a client group in Oxford that you would like to design for (a charity, a public service

organisation, a school). Use your phones to get some basic profile information about this group

during your initial discussion.

2. Decide on what it is you would like to design for them (a clinic, a classroom, a probation centre).

3. Subvert your board game to enable it to become a tool for acquiring useful design data (you can change

both the rules, as well as the appearance).

Group Work during workshop

Identifying a client

Client groups- What do people in Oxford need? what services are missing?

Is there a zoo? Yes, there is one outside Woodstock.

How about something for children? A skate park? Activity centre?

By looking at intenet searches for childrens needs, we came across Youth Therapy Centres operating in Ox-

ford that provides counselling for children, young adults and families in face of adversities such as bereave-

ment, depression, family violence, behavioural concerns, school or social difficulties, parent-child conflicts,

substance abuse, sexuality concerns and awareness, parental separation or divorce, etc.

The Board Game- Go For Broke!

The object of the game is to be the first player to lose a million and go broke. The aim is to try to spend the

money as fast as possible. As is obvioius, each player receives a million in various denoominations. The

player then rolls the dice and moves as many spaces. There are a number of squaers where you can spend

money by buying hotels, real estate. There are instances in the loop where the player comes across a fork

and hence has to choose which way to go. He/She can carry on in the main route or go to one of the sub-

games-- the Stock Exchange, the Horse races, the Casino (roulette and fruit machine) and Snake Eyes. Like

in real life, these are gambles where you can lose as well as gain a lot of money.

What are we trying to design? What information do we need?

It is of our opinion that people will be forthcoming with their issues if they are in a comfortable environmentwhere they feel at ease. A hospital like setting may not be an ideal environment for this activity. The board

game will attempt to find out the favourite places of each individual. The game will be made open to a focus

group made up of people who visit the place.

3. PARTICIPATORY DESIGN


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Possible questions may include-

How do users spend their money?

What spaces do people feel coomfortable in?

How do they spend their time?

How do we subvert the game?

In conventional settings such as a public discussion, parents/children are not forthcoming with their issues or their favourite environments. A

game approach becomes a more informal method capable of extracting data either in small groups or anonymously. The denominations are

reduced to daily values.

There is a conflict within this game and the user group as people with alcohol and drug abuse could have problems associated with money man-

agement. Instead of the game telling you how to spend your money, could the game ask participants to describe how they would spend their

money?

Individual expansion of the topic

Instead of limiting this game to four people at a time and pushing people to publicly express their issues or preferences, the game could be

opened up to more people and made anonymous. The game will be left on the table with a set of basic instructions. The game only has one

player. The game is set up to perpetually in progress as each person waiting for a service might make a move and then leave for the game to

continued by someone else. This way, it can gather information from a lot of people. Only those who are interested need to play. It would not seemmore as a real game rather than an attempt at data collection.

All the references to buying hotels and real estate will be erased. The aim will still be to spend money as fast as possible. All squares will be

divided into two colours-- one where the participant can spend money and the other where money is gained from the bank. When a player lands

on a square where one can spend money, he/she will write down the name building or place that they would like to buy and how much they would

be willing to pay for it. The other option would be to play one of the subgames. This will give a list of favourite places of a large number of people

or show the percentage of the participant who would rather just spend it on gambling. This is a not to be taken as a negative aspect. It might just

mean that the clinic may need to become more of a casino environment, not so much a space of frivolous spending but a more lively space with

people and activities.


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4. VIDEO


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5. MAPPING GREEN ARCHIPELAGOS

Workshop topic

Imagine a part of a city where the rituals themselves create a new form of the

city. The ambition should be in the form of a city within a city.Develop a manifesto around rituals of performance.

Identify separate points within your manifesto to address a range of ritual

types-- atleast 4.

Try developing a manifesto in active tense and engage images in text if you

can.

Archiculture at University(Group discussion with Alex Lewis, Geoffrey Lun Heun Kun, Angelliki, Kostas

Pappadimitrou, Grace Wong and myself)

We picked one of theme of University as suggested for RLD students in the

workshop handout. If the university forms a city within a city, the various de-

partments within a university form sub-cultures. While student life in general is

associated with various rituals, there are some that are specific to the archi-tecture students. The weightage and the amount of time spent on the design

units far outweighs all other units put together. The life of architecture students

at university entirely revolves around activities that happen in the studio. All

activites are adjusted to accomodate the process of design and to meet dead-

lines.

There is a combination of individual work and group activity. Even when work-

ing as individuals, we participate in a communal activity as everyone else in

the batch is working on some form of design although of a different topic. The

activity consumes so much time that interaction with students of other disci-

plines tends to be limited. It is also commonn to live in shared accomodations

with fellow architecture students and the studio discussions inevitably carry

over to our social groups.

Idea generation


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Rituals

The main ritual types that are performed within the architecture design studiohave been identified as the following:

1.Coming up with the idea - Concepts/ Idea generation

2.Making - Design Process

3.Presenting - Reviews, tutorials and crits

4.Critiquing - Critical Reflection

Making

Presenting and criticizing


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Manifesto

Making: After the initial stage of the concept comes the stage of the realisa-

tion of the ideas. It is this process that involves the development of the ideas

into physical forms or representations. This ritual process is one that has

its specific methods and techniques in order to develop the final outcome.Outcomes of this procedure include, the development of models either 3D

or physical, working up of details, and the progression of plans, sections and

elevations. Although most of the work at this stage is individual work, some

projects require collaboration between peers to develop site models or spe-

cific outcomes.


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5. MAPPING GREEN ARCHIPELAGOS


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LECTURE NOTES


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Research Methods Diary

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