Why are you stuck? : inquiries in the design studio

Abstract

This thesis investigates the architecture design studio by focusing on particular instances in the studio: Situations in which students "get stuck." This study first discusses what these situations involve: When do students consider themselves stuck, how can such situations be recognized in the studio and what are their possible causes. In this description "stuckness" is seen as a reaction to a breakdown in the relation between the student's actions and the requirements of his environment. In the second part of the thesis the notion of inquiry (as described by John Dewey) is applied as a research method and used to determine the cause of a specific situation. The structure and content of such inquiries is discussed through a detailed example. Although the thesis does not intend to devise solutions to "being stuck," the practical uses of the research method in the design studio are considered as well: Inquiries are also seen as a tool to illuminate student's problems and to provide opportunities to discuss issues that are crucial to the student's learning. The theoretical background of this study is drawn from work in several fields, including that of Kurt Lewin, John Dewey and Clifford Geertz. This thesis also relies on information gathered in informal interviews with architecture students and faculty and inquiries conducted within two design studios.