WORKSHOP: Framing your live project within a design research methodology Jane Anderson, Oxford Brookes University, UK Ruth Morrow, Queen’s University Belfast, UK ABSTRACT In architectural Live Projects (also known as Design Build, Service Learning, Extension Projects, 1:1 Projects), students and academics work with external organisations and communities to generate projects. This enables investigation of the experiential, technical, ethical, social, political, economic and cultural implications of architectural design decisions in ways that are not possible in the conventional academic design studio or commercial architectural practice. Architectural Design Research methodologies offer possibilities for live project educators to tap the research potential of their work. As defined by Fraser, in this methodology “architects use the creation of projects… as the central constituents in a process which also involves… more generalised research activities” (Fraser, 2013). Live Projects and Design Research are both relatively recent innovations in the discipline of architecture. This workshop explores their potential to work together to create innovative and authentic research outcomes and enrich the learning and research derived from live project activity.
HYPOTHESIS 1. Architectural live projects are an emerging method to generate innovative and authentic research findings with impact that cannot be achieved via conventional means. 2. Architectural live projects deploy research-led, trans-disciplinary, codesign, not-for-profit negotiated methodologies that are alternative to those used by conventional architectural, urban and spatial practice and research, particularly in response to urgent issues such as sustainability, scarce resources, ethics, wellbeing and vulnerability (Anderson, forthcoming).
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES The objectives are to explore design research methodology as a means to unlock the research potential of live project activity and outcomes. The workshop will draw upon examples from the workshop leaders’ live project experience. It is aimed at live project initiators, educators, researchers and collaborators who wish to expand their current understanding of research within a Live Project context.