MA INTERIOR DESIGN

MA ARCHITECTURE
2019/20
Unit Tutor: Dr Tijana Stevanović

CONTEXTS AND METHODS

ESSAY QUESTIONS
Use these questions as a guidance for deciding your essay topic. They follow the
themes discussed in our seminars:

1) Materiality and Plasticity

Choose one example of a building process/production of building material
and analyse critically what social repercussions for designers,
manufacturers and/or users it may have.

2) Environmental Matter and Architectural Atmospheres

Critically examine how influential is the focus on ‘atmospheric thinking’ on
architectural action. By focusing on one project or architectural practice
observe how the engagement with the environmental concerns has been
translated into built, unbuilt projects, and/or architectural theory.

3) Matters of Representation
Debate in what ways can the specific language of architectural
representation (through literature, photography, film etc.) shape and be
shaped by social and cultural context it addresses. Select a specific case
study for your argumentation.

4) Alternative Practices
Compare one twentieth century alternative (unconventional, radical)
architectural practice of habitation, design or building and architectural
theory at the time.

Formulate your arguments carefully and support them with specific examples
from the recommended texts (primary, secondary) as well as your own
bibliography.

For the drop-in tutorials on Mondy, 9th December, as a minimum for the
feedback in the conversation please bring with you printed out a 300-500 word
abstract in which you should mention the following elements:

- The proposed title of your essay

- A brief description of the main idea of the essay
- A summary of the argument and examples from the readings you will be
referring to, as evidence of your theme
- Mention what kind of material you will be analysing and what source of
illustration and visual components will be part of your argument
- Create a short bibliography of the books and articles that you will be using
to develop your argument.

Remember: you need to be critical, rather than descriptive. Start from the
‘problem’, ‘paradox’, an ‘issue’ you believe needs to be studied. That will allow
you to pose a meaningful research question that your argument will then
attempt to address.