Architecture UG program dissertation options

1. PROF.MADHAVAN THIRUMENI
HOW TO CHOOSE
THE RIGHT
DISSERTATION
TOPICS

2. Why do you require to contribute a lot of time choosing a dissertation topic?
What makes the dissertation topics good?
How to select the appropriate dissertation topics
Select what you think is motivational and exciting
The dissertation topics must be different or have a particular approach to
analysis
Follow a definite framework for your dissertation
Stay unbiased and focus on the objective of research
Use your time carefully while selecting dissertation topics
Ideas of dissertation topics of different fields
Conclusion
OUR DISCUSSION
TODAY
TOPICS AND HIGHLIGHTS

3. OVERVIEW
• THESIS ORIENTATION – DISSERTATION CAN BE THE THRUST AREA / SPECIAL STUDY IN
YOUR GRADUATION THESIS PROJECT. CAN RESULT IN RESEARCH PAPER PUBLICATION.
• IDENTIFYING AREA OF INTEREST – ARCHITECTURAL ISSUES IN BUILDING TYPOLOGY,
URBAN DESIGN, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, HOUSING, CONSERVATION & ADAPTIVE
REUSE, PRE FABRICATED MODULAR CONSTRUCTION, PROJECT MANAGEMENT,
BEHAVIORAL ARCHITECTURE, BARRIER FREE ENVIRONMENT, DESIGN FOR THE
ALTERNATIVELY ABLED, TRANSPORTATION TERMINAL DESIGN, HIGH RISE BUILDINGS,
ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE, GREEN BUILDINGS, INSTITUTIONAL
ARCHITECTURE & CAMPUS DESIGN, TOWN PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY ETC.
• SCOPE & IMPORTANCE – DISSERTATION IS HONEST INDEPENDENT RESEARCH WHICH
CAN BE FOLLOWED UP AS THESIS PROJECT IN THE FINAL SEMESTER. ATLEAST 40%
RESEARCH IS EXPECTED AT B.ARCH LEVEL, WHEREIN 75% RESEARCH IS EXPECTED AT
M.ARCH PROJECT LEVEL.

4. Firstly, because finding a
specific subject that was not
being researched or discussed
before isn’t very easy.
Well, first of all, because it is
not very easy to find a relevant
subject that has not been
explored previously.
A dissertation is difficult
scholarly research that needs a
great deal of effort and should
have a practical value in
presenting knowledge for further
analysis. It deals with reading
previously published material on
the chosen topic & analyzing it.
Extensive reading is required
to identify areas which have
not been researched before. A
dissertation is a serious
academic work that takes a lot
of effort and should have
scientific value to provide
information for further
research
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5. Fo o t er
1. There are a few things that it has to consider. Any topic of a
dissertation must be different and interesting to the person
who writes it.
2. Choose a topic within your area of expertise or subject areas on
which you are knowledgeable.
3. There are lot of Architectural issues you may be aware of. Yet,
there may be some aspects which has not been thoroughly
discussed.
4. It may be a new prospect on an existing problem or a new
aspect study.
5. The topic chosen has to be open for research, which means
you have methods to analyze and quantify it and have a
reasonable conclusion.
6. Dissertation topic will be better if it is important to the
public at large or the research has the potential to improve
the quality of life.
W
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E
DISSERTATION
T
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P
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S
GOOD?

6. HOW TO SELECT THE
APPROPRIATE
DISSERTATION TOPICS
• Many students don’t know how to select a good topic for a dissertation. This issue
leads them to search for it online. The successful topic is already half of the job
completed & hence take always enough time to research ideas as you like.
• Select topics or issues about which you feel motivated or exciting. Remember you have to be
at it the entire semester duration.
• The Dissertation topic must be different or have a particular approach to Analysis.
• Stay unbiased and focus on the objectives of the research.

7. IDEAS ON DISSERTATION IN
ARCHITECTURE & RELATED AREAS
• CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT BUILDING TYPOLOGIES AND
THEIR FUNCTION:
1. SPORTS FACILITIES – How to design stadium buildings so that
they are usable throughout the year instead of the approx.
100 days they function to host tournaments?
2. INSTITUTIONAL ARCHITECTURE – Why various colleges such
as Medical, Engineering, Science, Liberal arts, Vetinary etc.
have to look similar? Is it possible for the architect to do
IMAGE INDUCTION?
3. AFFORDABLE HOUSING – What material & construction
technologies to be adopted to make housing affordable to
Urban & rural families? Can the concept of incremental
housing be adopted? What type of design interventions can
make the limited area usable for multiple functions?
4. CAMPUS PLANNING – How various types of interaction
spaces can be created in Campus design in Institutional zone,
Residential zone and recreational zone?
5. TRANSPORT TERMINALS – Airport terminal, Cruise terminal,
Railway station, Bus terminal, MRTS station etc – Can they be
designed to accommodate future expansion ?

8. IDEAS ON DISSERTATION IN
ARCHITECTURE & RELATED AREAS
1. HOTEL ARCHITECTURE – Can vernacular architectural
features such as courtyards, veranda, Kerala roof form,
open slat windows etc. be adopted in contemporary hotel
design to ensure thermal comfort?
2. HOSPITAL DESIGN – How green building criteria can be
incorporated in hospital architecture? Can sterile zones be
planned efficiently for Operation theatre suites & ICU?
3. MALLS & MULTIPLEX – What is the design impact of Post
Covid scenario on Cinema halls and Shopping malls? What
type of architectural feature are required to ensure health
& safety of the users?
4. SCHOOL BUILDINGS – What are the latest concepts in
Class room design / Academic block planning? Can
movement spaces such as Corridors, Foyers, Stairs and
Courtyards be designed to foster peer learning &
interaction?
5. OFFICE BUILDINGS – How to integrate green spaces,
passive cooling strategies and interior landscaping in
office buildings? Can high rise office buildings be
sustainable?

9. IDEAS ON DISSERTATION IN URBAN
DESIGN & RELATED AREAS
Urban design research in India may be broadly categorized under
the following geographically distinct parts of a city:
1. Inner Core area revitalization – this deals with the oldest part
of the city where high density, congestion & poor services
contribute to a decline in the living standards.
2. Market area rejuvenation / redevelopment – refers to the
over crowded markets with traffic congestion and solid waste
disposal problems causing threat to health & hygiene.
3. Heritage precinct conservation & revitalization – This type of
project deals with religious building complexes & their
surrounding area development & revitalization.
4. Riverfront area revitalization – The river flowing through a
city and its banks faces many environmental problems such
as sewage pollution, garbage dumping, erosion & flooding.
5. Slum Area Rehabilitation – Slums are illegal unplanned
settlements facing a plethora of problems such as lack of
roads, water supply and drainage, in addition to congestion.
6. Rejuvenation of parks& other green spaces in the city – Study
of how people use parks & the required intervention.

10. IDEAS ON DISSERTATION IN HOUSING &
RELATED AREAS
Issues in Housing can be broadly classified under the following
areas of architectural research:
1. Housing for the Urban poor – concerns issues of land
availability, affordability, multi use space design, use of
cost effective technologies, future expansion, using cluster
court etc.
2. Corporate housing – Issues include addition of amenities,
privacy, security, comfort, social prestige, luxury, Interior
design, recreational open spaces, green building ideas etc.
3. Rural housing & settlement planning – Housing design
incorporating locally available materials for families
engaged in Agriculture, Handicrafts, Artisans etc.
Amenities will include community hall, PHC, Schools,
Temples, Library etc.
4. Climate responsive House design – Research into thermal
comfort, day lighting, Ventilation, Material properties,
Microclimate, Effect of Courtyards, verandahs, pond etc.
5. Modular housing & Prefabricated construction – Adopted
in harsh climates where onsite work is difficult (Gulf region
& Cold climatic region) or when the project has little time.

11. IDEAS ON DISSERTATION IN LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURE & RELATED AREAS
1. Water front development – Can be riverfront, lakefront or
seafront – has to address environmental issues & local zoning
byelaws. Mixed use / recreational / sports facilities can be
explored.
2. Revitalization of Urban parks / Public squares – has to address
how various age groups use these spaces, how they can be made
more sustainable and the integration of lighting, furniture etc.
3. Planning of Promenade & Street architecture – in depth analysis
of street fades abutting a Beachfront promenade, revitalization
incorporating Urban elements for recreational zone.
4. Golf club and site planning – Is a challenging project
incorporating architecture & landscape features of a golf course.
5. Landscape for Cemetery design – Design analysis of function,
maintenance, religious and cultural aspects in layout, planning
etc.
6. Green roof in architectural design – research into types, materials
and influence on thermal comfort in the sub tropical region.
7. Urban vacancy – Redevelopment of derelict land after land
suitability analysis involving slope, soil profile, vegetation etc.
8. Brownfield redevelopment – includes mining area, hazardous
material dump yards etc.

12. IDEAS ON DISSERTATION IN
CONSERVATION & ADAPTIVE REUSE
1. Our country has an ancient heritage and hence we have an
abundance of historical buildings such as Temples, Churches,
Mosques, Palaces, Railway stations and residential buildings.
2. Conservation of our heritage is actively executed by INTACH
which is the Indian National Trust for Architectural Conservation
& Heritage. The fine quality of craftsmanship and architectural
legacy has to be conserved for future generations.
3. Architectural conservation project would address the renovation
of Old Heritage buildings which are in a dilapidated condition.
This would involve intervention to get the building back to its
original condition.
4. Sometimes the building would have outlived the original function
for which it was constructed. Hence analysis is required to find
out its suitability for a different purpose & hence Adaptive reuse
program is initiated.
5. In some cases the project would require a combination of
Adaptive reuse of some buildings and the addition of new blocks
for the commercial viability of the project.
6. Conservation research into building materials & construction
would involve reviving lost building techniques such as Madras
plaster, polished oxide flooring, detailing in carpentry etc.

13. IDEAS OF DISSERTATION
TOPICS OF DIFFERENT
FIELDS:
Project
Management
How to implement
Modular
Coordination in
buildings. The
application of Prefab
technology in Urban
housing. How to fast
track construction in
disaster prone areas.
Town planning
Planning of sustainable
towns & settlements
with respect to water,
energy &environment.
Implementation of
Smart city projects –
analysis for livability,
safety, transport system
and health.
Interior
design
5star Hotels –
Theme based
interiors for
Banquet halls,
restaurants & Suites
Malls – Research into
lighting, signage &
display methods.
Cinema halls &
gaming parlors.
Furniture
design
Research into
ergonomics and
material properties.
Architects such as
Mies Vander Rohe
and Aalvar Aalto had
designed interesting
furniture.

14. CONCLUSION
Picking a subject for your dissertation, think about your future
profession and work, ideas, and plans. Proper research is a type of
advertisement that shows your temperament, abilities, and makes you
an uncommon candidate in your profession. Take your time and pick a
good subject for your dissertation.
If you still feel confused while choosing dissertation topics, then you
can take help from me or the senior faculty members. Better you can
identify two or three areas of interest to you & discuss the research
potential & architectural scope of those topics. Remember research
involves original thinking for a future impending situation.

15. THANKS FOR
WATCHING
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