Norris 1 C. J.

Norris Raymond 1102 English April 7, 2014

Proposal: Architectural Responses to Environmental Issues Introduction/Summary: I am writing about the implications of architectural design beginning from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first centuries, and its role in influencing the conditions of our environment because I want to find out the following information as they are relevant to the survival of life on earth: How do architectural design relate to our environment? How have architectural challenges of the past influence the architectural challenges of today? Can these challenges help to determine appropriate modifications for the future? What environmental factors affect human health? How does architectural design affect human behavior, and vice versa? Is environmental issues exclusively a problem for architects or is it a problem that affects various disciplines? Every living creature has a stake in finding answers to these questions so that they can better understand environmental issues such as climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, variations in the ecosystem, decline in fresh water, and desertification and land degradation. I am

Norris 2 certain that conversation on this matter will never cease and I am compelled as an architecture student to seek innovative solutions by learning from past experiences. Because I am doing a semester research project, my inquiries are subject to methodological and researcher limitations. Methodological limitations are due to biases from self-reported data, relying on pre-existing data that cannot be verified. In addition, I may have some cultural biases because of my passion regarding this issue. I have searched and reviewed high-quality sources relevant to my research question and realize that this area of research is not novel. In fact, past architectural historians will serve as an impetus to making newer discoveries. My approaches are comprised of literature searches, which will encompass internal company information, relevant trade publications, newspapers, magazines, annual reports, online databases, and other published materials. In addition, I will conduct personal interviews with respected individuals in the architectural field. The modality of my research will consist of semiotic or multimodal gestures, linguistic, visual, aural, and spatial components as the intended audience will have various academic interest. This area of research is not a novel domain as many architectural historians have reviewed the issue. Project Plan: My research design will be presented as a Power point presentation and as a research paper. The organization of the Power point will be logical, clear, factual, and subjective. I will

Norris 3 also integrate architectural semiotics so that anyone can understand the issues. It will compliment my research paper by involving fellow students in interactions whereby they must answer questions, and more importantly ask questions. I will also provide slides of my Power point to fellow students which will serve as a supplementary guide. Signs, symbols, graphs, pictures, and tools will support my research. My research paper will have a basic outline as follows; however may be subject to change based new and relevant information: Title page Abstract Introduction Methods Discussion Conclusion References/ Bibliography

I will integrate my research by compiling facts, data, and resources that collaborates with my topic, while analyzing theoretical and qualitative perspectives and synthesizing them with the multimodal perspective. Justification: My proposed plan is appropriate and effective for the topic because it will help me to focus on my main objective which is to discuss architectural responses to environmental issues.

Norris 4 In addition, it will help readers and society to be conscious of their surroundings and to realize that the conditions of their environment are a personal issue. Roles and Responsibilities: C. J. Norris is responsible for the each component of the semester- long multimodal inquiry project. Timeline: The due date for my research is April 29, 2014. Tasks Continue to review current literature, intense background research Analyze statistical data Organize sources and present to Raymond for review Interview architecture advisors Prepare presentation (25 slides) Rehearse oral presentation (15-20 minutes) Rehearse Power point presentation Present abstract and introduction to Raymond for review Present methods and results to Raymond for review Present discussion and conclusion to Raymond for review Revising final report Make copies of slides for distribution
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