Characteristics, Tactics or strategy, Implementation in design, Strength and Weakness of Experimental research in Architecture

1. Experimental Research in
Architecture
Mohammad Syedur Rahman, Studio X, KUAD, Khulna University, Khulna

2. EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
CHARACTERISTICS
• The use of independent variables & measurement of outcome or dependent variables
• A clear unit of assignment (to the treatment) [random assignment-experimental; non random-quasi-experimental]
• The use of a comparison (or control) group
• A focus on causality
TACTICS
Study Setting
Treatment
or
Simulation
Outcome Measures – Design decision
Fig: experiment in pentagonism
modular residential construction
Fig: Modelling of a Lighthouse by
Virginia Woolf
Fig: ‘Structure and Experiment’ at Headquarters of the Marcedez Benz (MBVD)

3. Fig: Traditional experimental design process
Fig: Simulation as Design Driver
Design Method in a project life cycle (Achten, H. H.:2009)
• Achten, H. H. (2009). Experimental design methods—a review. International Journal of Architectural Computing, 7(4), 505-534.

4. Examples
1. Croxford, B., Penn,A. and Hillier, B. (1996). Spatial distribution of urban pollution: civilizing urban traffic.The science of the total environment 189/190 (october): pp. 3-9.
2. Hillier, B. and Hanson, J. (1984).The social logic of space, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3. Davis, L.S. and Benedikt, M.L. (1979). Computational models of space: isovists and isovist fields, Computer graphics and image processing 11(1): pp. 49-72.
4. Tabak,Vincent (2008). User Simulation of Space Utilisation – System for Office Building Usage Simulation. PhD Thesis, Eindhoven: Eindhoven University of Technology.

5. Examples
1. Gün, Onur Yüce (2007) Composing the Bits of Surfaces in Architectural Practice, In Kieferle, J. and Ehlers, K.(eds.): Predicting the Future: Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Education and Research in Computer
Aided Architectural Design in Europe. Frankfurt: Fachhochschule Frankfurt, pp. 859-868.
1. Achten, Henri and Joosen, Gijs (2003).The Digital Design Process – Reflections on a Single Design Case. In Dokonal,W. and Hirschberg, U. (eds.): Digital Design - Proceedings of the 21st International eCAADe Conference. Graz:
Graz University of Technology. pp. 269-274.
2. 53. Bonwetsch,Tobias; Bärtschi, Ralph; Kobel, Daniel; Gramazio, Fabio; Kohler, Matthias (2007) Digitally Fabricating Tilted Holes, In Kieferle, J. and Ehlers, K. (eds.) Predicting the Future: Proceedings of the 25th International
Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe. Frankfurt: Fachhochschule Frankfurt, pp. 793-799

6. STRENGTHS
• Establishing causality (cause and effect relationship or parametric)
• Generalizing results to other settings and phenomena
• Control on overall experimental design aspects
WEAKNESSES
• Overgeneralization to different ethnic, gender population
• Ethical problems, dehumanization.
• Groat, L. N., & Wang, D. (2013). Architectural research methods. John Wiley & Sons.

7. References
1. Groat, L. N., & Wang, D. (2013). Architectural research methods. John Wiley & Sons.
2. Achten, H. H. (2009). Experimental design methods—a review. International Journal of Architectural Computing, 7(4), 505-534.
3. Croxford, B., Penn,A. and Hillier, B. (1996). Spatial distribution of urban pollution: civilizing urban traffic.The science of the total environment 189/190 (october): pp. 3-9.
4. Hillier, B. and Hanson, J. (1984).The social logic of space, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
5. Davis, L.S. and Benedikt, M.L. (1979). Computational models of space: isovists and isovist fields, Computer graphics and image processing 11(1): pp. 49-72.
6. Tabak,Vincent (2008). User Simulation of Space Utilisation – System for Office Building Usage Simulation. PhD Thesis, Eindhoven: Eindhoven University of Technology.
7. Gün, Onur Yüce (2007) Composing the Bits of Surfaces in Architectural Practice, In Kieferle, J. and Ehlers, K.(eds.): Predicting the Future: Proceedings of the 25th
International Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe. Frankfurt: Fachhochschule Frankfurt, pp. 859-868.
8. Achten, Henri and Joosen, Gijs (2003).The Digital Design Process – Reflections on a Single Design Case. In Dokonal,W. and Hirschberg, U. (eds.): Digital Design -
Proceedings of the 21st International eCAADe Conference. Graz: Graz University of Technology. pp. 269-274.
9. 53. Bonwetsch,Tobias; Bärtschi, Ralph; Kobel, Daniel; Gramazio, Fabio; Kohler, Matthias (2007) Digitally Fabricating Tilted Holes, In Kieferle, J. and Ehlers, K. (eds.)
Predicting the Future: Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe. Frankfurt:
Fachhochschule Frankfurt, pp. 793-799