CHANDIGARH COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE: CHANDIGARH

Research Methodology –X

My book of Architecture (research) by (Dhruv Mahajan, 06/06)

Content
Assignment No. 1 Marks Signature
Assignment No. 2
Assignment No. 3
Assignment No. 4
Assignment No. 5
Assignment No. 6
Assignment No. 7
Assignment No. 1
Topic: Identify the possible research area in your topic of thesis giving general idea and
brief introduction.
Question1:
What are the different topics, in your opinion, in which research could be conducted?

Ans: My thesis topic is ‘Center for Sustainable Research and Design’.

The purpose of this project is to promote and create awareness about
sustainable architecture through exhibition spaces for general public and
research facilities for professionals. The related topics on which research
could be conducted are:

1. Current status of sustainable education and awareness in

architecture.
2. Sustainable building materials module
3. Recycling and reuse module

Question 2:
How each topic will help the discipline and profession?
Write one or two paragraphs on each topic for possible directions of the research and expected
possible outcomes and how it will add to knowledge of the discipline and profession. Describe
the nature (basic or applied) of the research.

1. Current status of sustainable education and awareness in

architecture:
Buildings have diverse effects on the environment during their entire
life cycles. Although the tangible impacts are visible only after
construction begins, decisions made on the drawing board have long-
term environmental consequences. To achieve environmental
sustainability in the building sector, it is crucial to educate architecture
students and clients in environmental issues. (Applied Research)

2. Sustainable building materials module:

Careful selection of environmentally sustainable building
materials is the easiest way for architects to begin incorporating
sustainable design principles in buildings. Traditionally,
price has been the foremost consideration when comparing
similar materials or materials designated for the same function.
However, the “off-the-shelf” price of a building component
represents only the manufacturing and transportation costs,
not social or environmental costs. (Applied Research)

3. Recycling and reuse module:

 Research about recycling and reuse of materials can help in reducing
production costs and help in waste management. (Applied Research)

Assignment No. 2
Topic: Elaborate on the nature, purpose & scope of research area in your topic of thesis
Question1:
From the topics elaborated for assignment one, select two for further discussion in this
assignment. Write nature, purpose & scope of different topics and research area? (Say,
“Historically significant resorts” is a historically investigative topic (Nature) and may be
essential to understand the various approaches tried in the past and will be essential for
the deeper understanding of the resorts (Purpose). This type research could lead to
develop certain concepts, which could useful tool for developing new design solutions
(scope)
In contrast,” Safety and security in modern day Resorts” is a survey based topic and
may require a questionnaire preparation and data collection from the sample of public or
from the laboratory where experiments are conducted.

Ans: 1. Current status of sustainable education and awareness in

architecture:
Nature: Survey oriented as well as investigative research
Purpose: To promote sustainable architecture and to eradicate any
shortcomings in the educational curriculum.
Scope: This kind of research can be helpful in developing an
architectural education system where sustainability can be an
important part of.

2. Sustainable building materials module:

Nature: Study based research regarding the material properties and
energy.
Purpose: To improve existing and develop new materials to help in
reducing the running cost as well as the embodied energy of the
materials.
Scope: Can be helpful in developing new typology of materials and
production techniques.

Assignment No. 3
Topic: Differentiate between basic and applied research areas available in relation to your topic
of thesis.
Question1:
Select the one topic from your assignment number two and elaborate on the basic and
applied nature of this particular topic.
(Say, for a students working in Safety and security in modern day Resorts, could find the
“concepts/Ideas in safety” as a basic research topic, where as topics like safety in public places
could be the applied research topic.)
Basic research (also called fundamental or pure research) has as its primary objective
the advancement of knowledge and the theoretical understanding of the relations among
variables (see statistics). It is exploratory and often driven by the researcher’s curiosity, interest,
and intuition. It is conducted without any practical end in mind, although it may have unexpected
results pointing to practical applications. The terms “basic” or “fundamental” indicate that,
through theory generation, basic research provides the foundation for further, sometimes
applied research
Applied research: is research accessing and using some part of the research communities'
(the academy's) accumulated theories, knowledge, methods, and techniques, for a specific,
often state, commercial, or client driven purpose.

Ans: Current status of sustainable education and awareness in

architecture:

Basic Research: Studying the present education patterns and curriculums.

Applied Research: Carrying out surveys and finding shortcomings in the

present education system regarding sustainable architecture.

Question 2:
Write one or two paragraphs on each topic for possible directions of the nature ( basic
or applied) of the research.

Ans: To provide a framework, appropriate pedagogical models, and

supporting educational resources, I have developed this compendium
specifically for teaching environmental Sustainability and pollution
prevention in architecture. In the development process, I will:

1. assess the current status of research, development, and design

activities in this area.

2. compile information on new materials and products that enhance

environmental sustainability (lower toxicity,higher recycled material
content, lower embodied energy, and higher energy efficiency).

3. survey architectural educators in India (COA)

Assignment No. 4
Topic: Identify the Technical and behavioral - oriented research topics in your thesis.
Question1:
Select the one topic from your assignment number three and elaborate on the Technical
and behavioral - oriented research of this particular topic.
(Say, An experimental data could lead to technical research whereas questionnaire
could lead to behavioral research)

Ans: 1. Assess the current status of research, development, and

design activities in this area: Survey architecture educators to
determine the current extent of environmental education in the field.
Choose the
 architecture schools and environmental technology departments
from members of the Council of Architecture. Send them one-page
questionnaire to sought the status of environmental education in terms
of the quantity and intensity of courses dealing with sustainability and
the
types of educational materials used in these courses. This will help us
in technical research.

2. Compile information on new materials and products that

enhance environmental sustainability (lower toxicity, higher
recycled material content, lower embodied energy, and higher
energy efficiency): Each step of the manufacturing process —
gathering and refining raw materials, installation, and ultimate reuse or
disposal — is associated with a range of environmental consequences.
Evaluating these consequences is difficult, if not impossible.
Knowledge of the material itself is not enough: the architect must know
the source of the raw material, the methods of
obtaining it, and the processes used by manufacturers, which can vary
greatly from one brand to the next. To assess the current status of
sustainable building materials, we need to survey building product
manufacturers. And hence a questionnaire shall be prepared for
technical data.

3. Survey architectural educators in India (COA): To evaluate the

minimum educational requirements for environmental issues and sustainable
design in architecture, we have to review the criteria used by the COA
certifying schools of architecture in India. These minimal acceptable
standards for an architectural education define three levels of educational
objectives: going from lowest to highest, they are “awareness,”
“understanding,” and “ability.” We shall evaluate each criterion’s relevance
to sustainable design.

Question 2:
Write one or two paragraphs on each topic Technical and behavioral - oriented
research.

Technical Oriented Research: The goal of technical writing is clarity,

understanding and viability: the purpose is to communicate specific new
ideas, concept or visions, which are practically feasible and everything about
the document should contribute to this goal. If any part of the document
does not do so, then delete or change that part of the document. This rule
also indicates that you should know exactly what points your document
intends to make; if you don't know the purpose, you cannot effectively
achieve it.
A good technical research paper has a comprehensible statement of
purpose, supporting points and a clear conclusion. It describes what has
been done before about the main issue and what is new.

The goal of a paper is to describe novel technical results. There are four
types of technical results:

1. An algorithm;
2. A system construct: such as hardware design, software system,
protocol, etc.;
3. A performance evaluation: obtained through analyses, simulation or
measurements;
4. A theory: consisting of a collection of theorems.

A paper should focus on

• describing the results in sufficient detail to establish their validity;

• identifying the novel aspects of the results, i.e., what new knowledge is
reported and what makes it non-obvious;
• identifying the significance of the results: what improvements and
impact do they suggest.

Behavioral Oriented Research:

Assignment No. 5
Topic: Design a questionnaire for getting a feedback from Public/Expert on an
architectural project/Case study related to your thesis topic.
Question1:
What are the different topics, your opinion, in which in research could be conducted?
Select one topic and prepare a write up for it.

Ans: 1. assess the current status of research, development, and design

activities in this area.

2. compile information on new materials and products that

enhance environmental sustainability (lower toxicity,higher
recycled material content, lower embodied energy, and higher
energy efficiency).

3. survey architectural educators in India (COA)

 Compile information on new materials and products that
enhance environmental sustainability (lower toxicity, higher
recycled material content, lower embodied energy, and higher
energy efficiency): Each step of the manufacturing process —
gathering and refining raw materials, installation, and ultimate reuse or
disposal — is associated with a range of environmental consequences.
Evaluating these consequences is difficult, if not impossible.
Knowledge of the material itself is not enough: the architect must know
the source of the raw material, the methods of
obtaining it, and the processes used by manufacturers, which can vary
greatly from one brand to the next. To assess the current status of
sustainable building materials, we need to survey building product
manufacturers. And hence a questionnaire shall be prepared for
technical data.

Question 2:
The whole process will involve following stages:
Evolve Purpose, Objective for the Topic.
Develop a hypothesis
Design a research strategy
Collect Data:
Secondary data through literature and case study
Primary data through experiments and questionnaires
Draw conclusion.

Ans: Purpose: assess the current status of sustainable building

materials

Objective: To assess the Current status of sustainable education

and awareness in architecture.

Hypothesis: Good awareness and knowledge about sustainable

materials will lead to sound sustainable architecture.

Research Statergy: The use of environmentally friendly building

materials is the simplest step for achieving environmental
sustainability in architecture. However, architects cannot use such
materials unless they can get answers to these questions:

1. “What attributes make a building material or product

environmentally sustainable?”
2. “How can the environmental sustainability of a building material
or product be measured?”

3. “Where can designers find the information on sustainable

building materials?”

To assess the current status of sustainable building materials, i will

survey building product manufacturers and use collected data to
come up to a conclusion.

Collected Data:
Criteria for Sustainable Building Materials and Products
We identified three groups of criteria, based on the building
material life cycle, that can be used for evaluating environmental
sustainability of building materials. The presence of one or more of
these features can assist in determining a building material’s
relative sustainability.

PRE-BUILDING PHASE: MANUFACTURE

• Waste Reduction
• Pollution Prevention
• Recycled Content
• Embodied Energy Reduction
• Use of Natural Materials

BUILDING PHASE: USE

• Energy Efficiency
• Water Treatment/Conservation
• Use of Non- or Less-Toxic Materials
• Renewable Energy Systems
• Longer Life

POST-BUILDING PHASE: DISPOSAL

• Biodegradability
• Recyclability
• Reusability
The results of the survey show a concentration of products
featuring
the waste reduction (56), energy efficiency (67), recycled content
(67), and non- or less-toxic (57) criteria. This may be due to
several factors. The sources for the manufacturers surveyed were
lists potentially biased toward these types of products.2 These are
also the most “conventional” areas of research and development
in sustainable building materials.

Few products featured renewable energy systems (5), embodied

energy reduction (19), or natural materials (13). The energy
crises of the 1970s seem to have been forgotten, by the public
and the government. The State of Michigan recently repealed
its energy efficiency requirements for new homes, citing the
additional upfront cost as a burden to potential home owners.
 The low number of products with Post-Building phase features
(33 total) could be expected. This is the least considered phase of
architecture, because most architects like to think that their
buildings will stand forever.

Conclusion:
The survey results suggest that some positive gains have
been made in producing building materials that are energy
efficient,
have low- or non-toxic components, utilize recycled
material, and reduce waste and pollution from the
manufacturing process.

However, more emphasis needs to be placed on a building

material’s “afterlife,” which should be considered at the
very beginning of the design and selection process. By
designing products (and buildings) for disassembly and
reuse, much more efficient use can be made of our limited
natural resources.

The responses also suggest the need for an industry

standard
and outside audit of “environmentally friendly” materials.
In addition, as new products are being released daily, a
more current directory of sustainable building materials
and manufacturers would be desirable, perhaps in an
electronic format or online.

Question 3:
Select the one topic from your assignment number one from the write up; create a
questionnaire for distribution to the target group.

• For Educational Institutes:

Question 1: Currently offered courses related to environmental sustainability.

Question 2: Educational materials used: Home work/Lab exercise/Visual Aids

Question 3: “Are specific buildings used as case studies in the course? Do field
trips include visits to any buildings illustrating concepts of sustainability? List all
types and, if possible, enclose additional information on buildings.”

Question 4: “Does your institution possess any unique facilities that demonstrate
environmental properties?”
 Question 5: “List textbooks and readings assigned to the course(s).”

Question 6: “List seminars, professional development series, conferences, or

special courses offered by your institution relating to sustainability and pollution
prevention.”

• Building Product Manufacturers Survey

Sample Form Sheet

• COA Accreditation Review:
Assignment No. 6
Topic: Science and scientific method - Identify the role of science and scientific methods
in your thesis topic.
Question1:
What is scientific method of conducting research?
What are the different stages involved in it?

Ans: The scientific method is the means by which researchers are able to
make conclusive statements about their studies with a minimum of bias. The
interpretation of data, for example the result of a new drug study, can be
laden with bias. The researcher often has a personal stakes in the results of
his work.

What is the purpose of the Scientific Method?

The scientific method is the means by which researchers are able to make
conclusive statements about their studies with a minimum of bias. The
interpretation of data, for example the result of a new drug study, can be
laden with bias. The researcher often has a personal stakes in the results of
his work. As any skilled debater knows, just about any opinion can be
justified and presented as fact. In order to minimize the influence of personal
stakes and biased opinions, a standard method of testing a hypothesis is
expected to be used by all members of the scientific community.

How does the Scientific Method Work?

The first step to using the scientific method is to have some basis for
conducting your research. This is based on observed phenomena that is
either directly or indirectly related to the specific subject matter of your
proposed research. For example, you may have observed that Drug A is
effective in treating an illness (Disease A) caused my Virus A. A new illness
(Disease B) has arisen that mimics some symptoms of Disease A, but with
variation (such as the patient with Disease B has swollen lymph nodes and a
low grade fever instead of no swelling and a high grade fever). Outbreaks of
Disease B occur near outbreaks of Disease A. These are the observations you
make in your first step of using the Scientific Method.
The next step is to form a hypothesis to explain some aspect of your
observations. You speculate that the virus that causes Disease B is either
Virus A or it is related to Virus A. Your hypothesis is that the cause of Disease
A and Disease B is the same virus.

Now that you have a hypothesis, you are ready to test it. You must now use
your hypothesis to predict other phenomena that have not yet been
observed. You know that Drug A will wipe out Disease A. If Disease B is
caused by the
same virus, you reason that the same drug should be effective. The final step
of the scientific method is to rigorously test your prediction. Remember, you
cannot "prove" your hypothesis. You can only fail to disprove it. While this is
an example of how the scientific method is used in everyday research and
hypothesis testing, it is also the basis of creating theories and laws.

The scientific method requires a hypothesis to be eliminated if experiments

repeatedly contradict predictions. No matter how great a hypothesis sounds,
it is only as good as it's ability to consistently predict experimental results. It
should also be noted that a theory or hypothesis is not meaningful if it is not
quantitative and testable. If a theory does not allow for predictions and
experimental research to confirm these predictions, than it is not a scientific
theory.

What is a Hypothesis?
It is important to distinguish between a hypothesis, and a theory or law.
Although in everyday language, people sometimes use these terms
interchangeably, they have very distinct connotations in the scientific
community.

A hypothesis is a 'small' cause and effect statement about a specific set of

circumstances. It represents a belief that a researcher possesses before
conducting a satisfactory number of experiments that could potentially
disprove that belief. For example, you open your refrigerator at home and
are greeted with a horrible sour smell. You decide that the milk must have
gone bad. This is your hypothesis. It is based on the phenomena your are
observing right now
(sour smell) as well as knowledge from past experience (bad milk has a sour
smell). You test your hypothesis by opening the container of milk and
smelling it. You find that the milk doesn't smell sour after all, so you must
come up
with another hypothesis (maybe it is the leftover lasagna from last week!).
A theory or law in the world of science is a hypothesis, or many hypotheses,
which have undergone rigorous tests and have never been disproved. There
is no set number of tests or a set length of time in which a hypothesis can
become a theory or a law. A hypothesis becomes a theory or law when it is
the general consensus of the scientific community that it should be so.
Theories and laws are not as easily discarded as hypotheses.

Misapplications of the Scientific Method

A common error encountered by people who claim to use the scientific
method is a lack of testing. A hypothesis brought about by common
observations or common sense does not have scientific validity. As stated
above, even though a good debater may be quite convincing as he conveys
the merits of his theory, logical arguments are not an acceptable
replacement for experimental testing.
Although the purpose of the scientific method is to eliminate researcher bias,
an investigation of the raw data from an experiment is always a good idea.
Researchers sometimes toss out data that does not support their hypothesis.
This isn't necessarily done with the intent of deception, it is sometimes done
because the researcher so passionately believes in his hypothesis that he
assumes unsupportive data must have been obtained in error. Other times,
outside forces (such as the corporation sponsoring and conducting the
research) may put extreme pressure on the researcher to get specific
results.

The best way for the scientific community, and the general public, to deal
with these errors is to promote multiple, independent experiments. We are
all familiar with "breaking news" (that seems to break nearly every day!)
about a new miracle drug or herbal remedy. In most cases, this "breaking
news" was released by a single source--usually a source with financial stakes
in the new miracle. Look for multiple sources to confirm a hypothesis before
you hand your money over for a new product. If possible, also try to discover
where the funding came from in these experiments.

You may have three different lab reports, all confirming that Drug A is the
most effective cure, but if all three laboratories are funded by the same drug
company-you may want to raise an eyebrow.

Defining the Question: This step involves narrowing possible topics and
then choosing the question to be the focus of your research. Your question
should be specific. You may need to gather more information before you
decide on your final question.

Forming a Hypothesis/Hypotheses:This step helps you answer the

question:
What do I expect to find once I’ve conducted my research?

Locating Resources/Gathering Information & Materials: This step

helps you to become smarter about the topic you are researching and how
you can research it. The more information you have, the better research
question you can ask.
To help you gather information, ask yourself:
What do I know about my topic? What additional information would help me?
How can I use different sources of information (experts, books, articles,
computer databases) to gather the information I need?

Where will I conduct this research? Where are the organisms or events I want
to study?

What resources are available to me--time, equipment, people, money,

facilities, etc.?

Planning the Research/Developing Data Collection Methods: This step

involves making a very specific plan about how you will conduct your
research and collect your data. In the end, your procedure should be clear
enough so that someone else could follow it exactly. To plan your research
and develop your procedure, ask yourself:
How will I answer my research question/test my hypotheses? What data do I
need to collect? How will I collect these data?
What equipment or supplies do I need?
Do I have a reference point (control) with which to compare my data?
To answer my question, do I need to manipulate variables?
How many (samples, sites, tests, etc.) do I need?
What record-keeping techniques (e.g. data sheet, journal) will I use? Are my
data collection techniques organizedand thorough?
Are there sequential steps to my research? If so, what are they? How will I
plan my time?

Collecting Data: Be sure that you write down all of the information (data)
that could affect the answer to your research
question. When you collect the data, ask yourself:
Am I recording all relevant data?
Can I read and understand my notes?
Am I keeping track of what I did at each step?
Am I being objective in my data collection?

Organizing & Analyzing the Data: This step gives you the chance to pull
together the data you’ve collected and look at it more closely. Compare and
contrast the information you’ve gathered to see the results of your research.
Ask yourself:
How will I organize and summarize the data I’ve collected?
What do my data show? How should I present my data graphically so that
others can see the results clearly? (e.g.bar graphs, tables, pie charts, line
graphs, etc.)
Are the results significant? Are there tests I might use to tell me if the results
are significant?

Interpreting the Data & Drawing Conclusions:In this step, stand back
from your data and look at it more critically. Decide what conclusions you
can draw. Ask yourself: What alternative hypotheses might explain these
results? Am I considering all relevant data, including extremes or “oddball
data” in my analysis? How might my sampling or data collection methods
have affected these results?
What answer do my results provide to my original question? How do my
results compare to what I expected to happen (my hypothesis)?
What can I conclude from my results? How do my conclusions affect the
community or “big picture” (implications)?

Communicating the Results: Now it’s time to share your work. Ask
yourself:
Who is my audience? What is the best way to communicate to my audience?
(e.g. written report, oral or poster presentation, video, etc.) What visual aids
will help my audience clearly understand this research?
Have I addressed all of the following components of my research in my
communication?:
Introduction to question, purpose of this research and why it is interesting or
matters
Description of methods used to collect data
Results
Conclusions
What questions are raised by my research? How do others respond to my
work?

Question 2:
Select the one topic from your assignment number one and elaborate on it .
Write one or two paragraphs on each topic.
Format:
Write up on A4 size sheet about two to three pages.

Assignment No. 7
Topic: Method of referencing and cataloging used in architectural publications.
Question1:
What is referencing and cataloging method of conducting research? Explain and give
example of two books in your area of research and cataloging number in your field of
study.

Ans:
1. Sustainable Construction Details: Mark Hamburg
2. The Future of life: Edward O. Wilson

Question 2:
Find and quote one of the most influencing article or book or write up which has shaped your
architectural thoughts. Refer it properly and where in library you will find it. What is ISBN?

Ans: ISBN: International Serial Book Number. It is a unique 13 digit number

given to the book by its publishers.

Quote: Species of plants and animals are disappearing a hundred or more times faster than
before the coming of humanity, and as many as half may be gone by the end of this century.An
Armageddon is approaching at the beginning of the third millennium. But it is not the cosmic war
and fiery collapse of mankind foretold in sacred scripture. It is the wreckage of the planet by an
exuberantly plentiful and ingenious humanity.
(Wilson 2002)

Book: The Future of Life

Author: Edward O. Wilson
ISBN: 0078054246272