Concrete meets Calm

Salk Institute designed by Louis Kahn.

He designed in a direction of making a structure that would be easily adapted to changing needs, something with low maintenance and something ultimately timeless. A structure thats becomes a meeting point of environment and function and aesthetics.Enormous looking monolithic structure has the backdrop of the simplicity provided by the clear sky and ocean.

http://www.archdaily.com

http://www.archdaily.com

 http://www.archdaily.com

 http://www.archdaily.com

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salk_Institute_for_Biological_Studies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salk_Institute_for_Biological_Studies

I personally love the raw unfinished look and makes me think not always the highly polished facades are appealing. Even with such heavy structures there is still some sort of airiness felt in the spaces around, which could be quite a contrast.

Stairways

Staircases are a functional aspect of any building used just to move from one level to another. Nowadays we can see designers go overboard with their creativity in adding designer elements to even a function element as a staircase
The following steps could be carried out in completing a research on stairways-

• Study the the building standards and regulations to get a clarity of the sizes of the treads and risers so there is no compromise on the basics needs.
• Read newspaper articles or news on accidents taking place on staircases with faulty designs so the mistakes are not repeated.
• Study some famous creative staircases done up by famous designers like Frank O Gehry.
• Sometimes the staircase could needed to be designed theme based. 

Staircase that looks like a flowing fabric.

http://www.heatherwick.com/

A large scale staircase used as an external feature to access the roof.

http://www.123inspiration.com/

Add an interesting element as a slide for children along with a staircase.

http://www.123inspiration.com/

This sort of a timber stripes staircase is more like a sculpture in the middle of a space.

http://www.houzr.com/

Climb higher to reach the bookshelf and get a small space to store the books as well.

http://www.homedit.com/

I an entirely white space a rainbow staircase adds interesting colors and breaks the monotony.

http://www.homedit.com/

Floating staircases could cause many accidents.

http://www.123inspiration.com/

This sort of a ribbon staircase could be unsafe and scary for the users.

www.hsharchitekti.cz

I feel going creative is alright and acceptable as long as it completes its main purpose of being able to travel safely. Its great when its serves two functions that being of travelling levels and storage. A boring space could totally be transformed in something interesting and beautiful buy introducing a creative staircase. The exploration of material, structure and shape is very inspirational.

Illusional Architecture

This is a post written about illusions created by architecture. A new dimension to facade design resulting in making something more innovative. Sometimes optical illusions are deliberately created and soemtimes created due to different scales and proportions.

 http://emorfes.com

 http://emorfes.com

http://emorfes.com

http://www.architectureartdesigns.com/

Optical illusions by street structures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hLPhdjj0Uo

Optical illusions in ancient structures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AIXvZRsiq4

Some facades i do find appealing but some have psychological effects on people probably residing in the same area as the structure. In the continuos of rut of each day coming up with something new designers do seem to forget the psychological effect of certain elements in design on humans.

Light Matter

Research into openings and shadows created by them to give a new feel to the space.

New Art Exchange, Notingham.

http://www.e-architect.co.uk

L’ecole Building School, Mexico

http://www.world-architects.com

Built-in linear led module

http://www.archiproducts.com

Creo hall, japan

http://www.world-architects.com

Negev Brigade Monument, Israel

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Negev_Brigade_Memorial_snake.JPG

Light plays an important role in transforming a space. Sometimes a space is deisgned according to the light made to fall into it. Illusions and mystery created with shadows are interesting.

Ethnographic Research Explained

Ethnography is the study of cultures through close observation, reading, and interpretation. It is the in-depth study of naturally occurring behavior within a culture or social group. It is carried out to understand the relationship between culture and behavior; with culture referring to the beliefs, values, and attitudes of a specific group of people. Anthropologists immerse themselves in the lives of the people they study, using primarily extended observation and occasionally in-depth interviewing to gain clarification and more detailed information.

Good ethnography would have:

• Long hours of observing the subject
• Long hours spent at site
• Collection of items related to subject such as notes, artifacts, audio, etc.
• Openness of thought process during the study.

Characteristics of ethnographic research:

• CONTEXTUAL – it is carried out in the context of the subject’s natural environment of home and work.
• UNOBTRUSIVE - the research avoids manipulating the phenomena under investigation.
• LONGITUDINAL - the research is more time consuming.
• COLLABORATIVE - The research involves the participation of stakeholders other than the researcher.
• INTERPRETATIVE - The researcher carries out interpretative analyses of the data.
• ORGANIC - There is interaction between questions/ hypotheses and data collection/ interpretation.

Methodology of ethnographic research:

1. Select a suitable project: the scope and limitations could vary majorly from studying a entire complex or single society or a situation. Scope would need to me restricted to be completed in the scheduled time.
2. Preparing questions: before starting the researcher needs to keep in mind the questions that will guide him correctly during the entire procedure.
3. Collecting data: fieldwork is needed t be carried out to get details like physical characteristics of the situation and to track activities. A complete overview is much needed to carry out more focused research.
4. Making a record: mapping, field notes, video clips, photographs, plotting of activities with time and all possible appropriate means must be used to record observations.
5. Analyzing Data: data analysis needs to be done after all the fieldwork is completed. This analysis will in turn lead to more supplementary questions, more site work and more analysis again. This sort of cycle continues till the research is not completed.
6. Writing the Ethnography: The ethnographic report can range in length from several pages to a volume or two. It would make people aware of different cultures and their way of lives.

Some examples of ethnographies in research –

Coffee Shop

Location: any local/international coffee shop

Target: atmosphere of the coffee shop and type of people who went there

Women’s clothing retailer

Location: Any departmental store

Target: How women shop for clothes

Financial service provider

Location: Homes and offices

Target: how people manage their finances

National Mobile Carrier

Location: Retail outlets

Target: How people shop for mobile phones and carrier

References
http://methodsofdiscovery.net
http://www.slideshare.net/rhydave24/ethnographic-research-7659486?related=2
http://www.slideshare.net/lanceabalos/ethnographic-research-2?related=1
http://brianhoey.com

Structured Research Methods

Use of questionnaires and interviews in Research

A questionnaire is a way to bring forth the feelings, beliefs, experiences, perceptions, or attitudes of some sample of individuals. As a data collecting instrument, it could be structured or unstructured.

It is a concise, preplanned set of questions designed to yield specific information to meet a particular need for research information about a particular topic. In a written or printed form used for gathering information a list of questions to be submitted to one or more persons.

In order to accord with the features of qualitative research outlined above, one would need to take into account the questions of:-

• Access. Given what was said above about levels of reality, the researcher needs to know that all are interpreting questions and answers on the questionnaire in the same way and on the same 'level'; and that respondents are giving full and truthful responses.
• The nature of the data required. If the purpose of the questionnaire is to find out factual details or to seek responses to firm categories, the 'harder' the data requested the better. If the purpose is to help discover new qualitative material, then it is better to have more open, unobtrusive and unstructured questions. Questionnaires in qualitative research often contain a mixture of the two.
• The need to identify the context in which replies are being given.
• The need for checks, balances, extensions and modifications.

An interview is a direct face-to-face attempt to obtain reliable and valid measures in the form of verbal responses from one or more respondents. It is a conversation in which the roles of the interviewer and the respondent change continually. A great deal of qualitative material comes from talking with people whether it be through formal interviews or casual conversations.

If interviews are going to tap into the depths of reality of the situation and discover subjects' meanings and understandings, it is essential for the researcher:

• To develop empathy with interviewees and win their confidence;
• To be unobtrusive, in order not to impose one's own influence on the interviewee.
• The best technique for this is the unstructured interview. Here, the researcher has some general ideas about the topics of the interview, and may have an aide memoire of points that might arise in discussion for use as prompts, if necessary. But the hope is that those points will come up in the natural course of the discussion as the interviewee talks. Care is needed, therefore, to avoid leading questions or suggesting outcomes, and skill is called for in discovering what the interviewee really thinks.
• The researcher aims to appear natural, not someone with a special role, but one who engages with interviewees on a person-to-person basis. Attention will be paid to where the interview is held, arrangement of seating, how the researcher dresses, manner of approach, all in the interests of equality.

There are a number of techniques researchers use in the natural course of the conversation to aid clarity, depth and validity. Here are some:

• Check on apparent contradictions, imbalance, exaggerations, or inconsistencies ('Yes, but didn't you say a moment ago…?' 'How can that be so if…?' 'Is it really?' 'Does it necessarily follow that…?' 'Why?' 'Why not?' 'What was the point of that?');
• Search for opinions ('What do you think of that?' 'Do you believe that?');
• Ask for clarification ('What do you mean by…?' 'Can you say a little more about…?' 'In what way?' 'Can you give me some examples?');
• Ask for explanations, pose alternatives ('Couldn't one also say…?');
• Seek comparisons ('How does that relate to…?' 'Some others have said that…');
• Pursue the logic of an argument ('Does it follow, then, that…?' 'Presumably,…?');
• Ask for further information ('What about…?' 'Does that apply to…?);
• Aim for comprehensiveness ('Have you any other…?' 'Do you all feel like that?' 'Have you anything more to say on that?');
• Put things in a different way ('Would it be fair to say that…?' 'Do you mean…?' 'In other words…?');
• Express incredulity or astonishment ('In the fourth year?' 'I don't believe it!' 'Really??');
• Summarise occasionally and ask for corroboration ('So…?' 'What you're saying is…?' 'Would it be correct to say…?')

References:

http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk

https://www.sussex.ac.uk

http://www.okstate.edu