Conceptualisation in architectural design process at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Abstract

This research investigates conceptualisation as a process of giving meaning to a design problem in a bachelor of architecture program. As design always starts with vague and half-formed ideas, sketching is conducted to clarify the ideas and to generate new ones. Thus, sketching allows for student’s reasoning of design through problem solving and critical thinking. However, in the reality of studio learning the student’s capability in thinking about design is shallow and uncertain. This occurs as resulted from an ill-defined nature of design problems as well as a failure of students in carrying design from one stage to another. Therefore, this study aims to identify how students conceptualise their design ideas in the design process as part of studio learning. Three factors which are (i) framing problem, (ii) evaluating moves and (iii) reflecting design influencing the conceptualisation process in the architecture design studio, which deal with the reflection in action between the students and their design process in the studio learning. Using the framework of Schon’s Reflective Learning in tackling a design problem, the research employed a case study of six third-year architecture students of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru to understand the conceptualisation process. The selection of the students was based on the purposive sampling technique. Data were elicited using two methods: (1) observations of students’ sketches and (2) description of students’ interviews on studio reflections from three design stages of the initial design, refinement design and the final stage of the architectural drawing software. Data were analysed using content analysis by segmenting and coding of the raw data of the students’ sketches. A total of 191 sketches were identified in the study that involved ten design activities. The research reveals that 36.6% of the students’ sketches were produced during the initial design stage, 45.5% of the sketches during the refinement design stage, and 17.8% of the sketches during the final stage. The finding suggests that the differences in students’ sketches were constructed from the logical relationships of the design elements, analytical strategies and creative thoughts of the students. Students also exercised four methods in developing their understanding in design; (i) revising precedents, (ii) visualising images, (iii) form-making design, and (iv) developing space planning. Consistently, through segmentation of entities and making order of sketches, the research suggests that the conceptualisation process has aided the students’ thinking in identifying and evolving design ideas. Overall, the study emphasises that Universiti Teknologi Malaysia architecture students reasoning about design is influenced by many aspects as it involves the adaptation of metaphors, analogies, precedents, self-preferences of the preferred events, functions, forms and meanings. ivi