RESEARCH PUBLICATION

Book Title

Research Studio Series

Project Type

Department Publication

Editors

Iñaki Alday / Ryan Carbone

Dates

06.2015 - 04.2016

For three academic school years, the UVA School of Architecture embraced a curriculum structured around foundation studios in the Spring and research studios in the Fall.  Undergraduate and Graduate students were offered a wide range of studios that centered on the research agendas of particular instructors.  This publication focuses on 12 of these studios and the student work produced during each of the three Fall semesters.  Rather than present the work in simply a “yearbook” archival format, each studio presents an argument for several “drivers” that propel the direction of the studio efforts.  Consequently, the curated work reflects these “drivers” and is organized as such.  This heterarchical grid (shown to the right) assigns a graphical representation to each of the “drivers” allowing one to mix and match as desired to portray multiple research threads within the school.  Likewise, the 12 studios are positioned in a figurative circle to suggest an endless loop of discussions about how these studios fit together to form a whole.

This project embodies the collaborative nature of the School of Architecture while avoiding the tendency to suggest certain ideas/agendas are more important than others.  Now, this publication can serve as a physical manifestation of the collective efforts of dozens of faculty and administrators seeking to archive and distribute the research and designs of its student body. 

“Rigorous collection of data, spatialized through mapping and diagramming, create the basis for design research. The critical step forward, assuming the risks of proposing future scenarios, is the unavoidable outcome of the creative work of the research teams.”

Iñaki Alday

Chair, Department of Architecture (2011-2016)