Regarding your Thesis Statement

I wrote this to one particular student, but in fact it applies to almost all of you.

1. Clearly articulate an argument that is worhwhile and meanigful architectural endeavor.
2. Make your first sentence so clear I don't have to read the rest of it. Tell us what you intend to do, and do it in a clear, forceful and confident method (no "can,"  or "might").
3. Avoid flowery words and vague descriptions. Be economical with your words: make every one count.
4. Remember that your audience is larger than your two instructors; imagine that you are trying to make this clear to other (architects) who have not followed your trajectory and are just crossing paths with your work for the first time.

Sample of Site Analysis

Below are examples of student work from previous years. These ought to give you some idea of what is expected of you. The first group are from Anne Riggs (class of 2009):

 

 

 

This last analysis is a series of sections cut through Anne's site (a long street in Doha):

  

Samples of Program Analysis

Below are some of the types of analyses that you can (and should) consider. From a conceptual constellation mapping to an adjacency diagram:

From a program schedule with associated surface areas, to a conceptual model with program articulated:

(By the way, all of the above is the work of Jeff Bourke, class of 2008)

1 + 3 + 9 = (Position Paper v.1.1)

The rules of the game are fairly straightforward:

   1 (one line that serves as your thesis statement)
+ 3 (three sentences that expand upon -- without repeating -- the original line)
+ 9 (sentences that flesh out the idea).

All three parts should build one argument, but should not repeat (or be merely restatements of the same thing). It may help to think of the first part as your title, the second as the subtitle, and the third as an executive summary, or brief description you might find on the back of a book.

This assignment (also "borrowed" from Luis Carranza) is intended to provide you with a clear structure that should encourage you to articulate clearly your thoughts on thesis thus far. It is merely the first pass through this exercise; we expect that you will get better at it each time you are asked to do it.

What is a thesis?

Two documents as you get started. The first is from Pablo Garcia's syllabus for Thesis Prep last year:

What Isn’t a Thesis? (It's sometimes easier to define what something isn’t.)


An Architecture thesis is not:

- A Written Paper. The Architecture Thesis is a project executed in analog or digital drawings, models, constructions, diagrams, with all the accompanying process work.


- A Device. You cannot say “My thesis is about light”. Light is a device through which architecture is manifest and perceived. It is not a thesis.


- A Question: You cannot ask “Why is architecture so cool?”


- An Announcement: “I will use architectural concrete in a new way”


- Vague Statements: “Modernism is bad”


- A Limited Subject: “Housing” “Libraries” “Hospitals”


- A List: “Light, Space, Form, Structure, Environment, and Architecture”


- An Autobiography: “A House for an Architecture Thesis Student’s Parents”


So what’s left?
A THESIS IS A POSITION. It is a claim or a speculation you make about architecture and its relationship to the world. You should be able to say: “Architecture is _____”, Architecture can ______” or “What if Architecture ______”. This is your chance to do more than demonstrate your accumulated skills—you are positing a direction for architecture, speculating on an aspect of the discipline, taking a stand on an architectural issue.

The second piece was sent to me by Luis Carranza, a good friend and mentor who teaches at RWU (actually, we stole the idea of this blog, and many other good ideas, from him). Written by Jose Luis Mateo of MAP, the article is entitled "How to Draw Up A Project." It's a good read, intended to provoke. I highly recommend that you read it, because responding to it is your first graded assignment. Let this piece provoke you into a verbal response, but also let it inspire you to create your first visual piece as well. 

Getting Started

This is a public document intended to help you organize and share your thoughts about thesis as you move forward. The public aspect helps keep all of us on our toes, but should also help foster dialogue and discussion, both virtual and physical.

Your input is not optional; it is a mandatory part of the way in which you will participate in your education. You are required to post to your own blog, as well as comment on at least two of your peers each week. We will be reading (and grading) both your blogs and your comments.

So set up a thesis prep-specific blog: 48-497yourlastname.... send us the url when you are up so we can link to it.