Title: Architectural Design as a form of Urban Research – Pushing the boundaries for interdisciplinary mutations and methodological innovation
Chair:
Prof. Thanos Pagonis & Prof. Konstantinos Serraos
Department of Architecture
National Technical University of Athens
Abstract/Description:
The idea that Architectural and Urban Design constitute a form of research is nowadays increasingly endorsed both in pedagogy and practice with multiple manifestations. From the framing of the design focus as a research question, to the importance placed on gathering and processing of data, never before has there been so much emphasis on methods and process as determinants of design outcomes. The spread of the term Research by Design with its multiple connotations is a strong indication of this shift in educational and research programs pushing the boundaries for interdisciplinary mutations in design and planning. Meanwhile an increasing number of architectural practices are consciously engaging in and consider urban research as an integral part of their work thus widening our insights and creating more resources for innovative urban research. This session aims at exploring the different tracks of design research and its capacity for addressing contemporary urban challenges. We invite academics in architectural and urban design and practicing architects whose work has a public appeal to reflect on how far they incorporate the dimension of research in the methods that they apply in their studios or implemented design projects. The session is looking for contributions in a variety of topics such as housing and habitation, urban architecture, design of public spaces, urban fabric and neighbourhood design, revocation of history and memory, social and geographical research in design, methodologies of participatory design and tactical urbanism.