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PREPARING A THESIS PROPOSAL

The Architecture Thesis Project is a two-fold undertaking by the graduating
students of BS Architecture. The Thesis would be a Research / Design Project with a
research project focusing on any architectural concept / ideas / principles / design
approach that would be applicable to the Design Project. The research undertaking
would generate new ideas in designing particular building types that would make the
design endeavor more innovative and creative.
Research and Design both involve processes of discovery that would lead to new
knowledge. Furthermore, Design is closely associated to Creativity. Being creative
is seeing the same thing as everybody else but thinking of something different. It
can be defined as the ability to take existing objects and combining them in different
ways for new purposes. Creativity can produce novel and useful ideas and solutions
to everyday problems and challenges.
The Research Project is aimed at gaining knowledge that would upgrade the quality
of our built environment and for the advancement of the architectural profession. The
Design Project, on the other hand, is viewed as an activity that would generate
proposals in changing something that already exist into something better.
The first step in the Thesis Project is the preparation of a Thesis Proposal. The
students will have to identify possible design projects to work on as well as introduce
the research project that they will relate to the design project. This is not an easy
task and before a student can come up with a credible proposal, one should have
done the following:
develop a perspective about the breadth, depth and scope of architectural
discipline
develop an awareness of general issues, opportunities, and concerns within the
discipline through readings of articles concerning current architectural practices
choose an area of specialization from the general issues and concerns.
become familiar with specific issues, opportunities, and concerns within the area of
specialization
develop queries that speculate on the issues, opportunities, and concerns within
the area of specialization
The student can start initially by identifying an issue of local, regional, national or
even global concern as starting points for determining a specific research problem,
say Housing Backlog. The next question would be - why is there a housing backlog?
It continues with a search for possible cause to the problem that could have
architectural significance it is due to the inadequacies of conventional building
materials and systems to cope up with house production targets. The problem now
has become an architectural concern. A possible architectural intervention can be
deduced from the above statements House production rate can substantially
increase if housing components can be standardized. With that, the general problem
has now been reduced to an architectural problem focusing on the derivation of
standards for housing components. This can still be, however, trimmed down to a
more focused and specific derivation of standards for low-cost housing components.

From the above process, a possible Design Project could be A Housing Prototype
for a Low-Cost Community for North Rail Settlers and the Research Project could
be Derivation of Standards for Low-Cost Housing Components.
Other example of Thesis Projects that could be similarly undertaken is as follows:
1. Proposed Marikina Center of Performing Arts (A Neural Network Analysis of
Auditoria Design).
2. The SM Call-Center Complex (An investigation of indoor environmental factors
that may influence comfort and health of workers in office buildings)
3. School for the Deaf and Blind (Design of technology-based learning environments)
4. Redevelopment of Tahanang Walang Hagdan (Modeling human expertise in
designing building solutions for homes of persons with disabilities)
5. Proposed Quezon City Jail (An Analysis of the Physical Environment in Juvenile
Justice Facilities: the Physical Environment in a Complex System)
6. The Intramuros Hotel (Acknowledging and evaluating the social and aesthetic
values of heritage landscapes)
7. The Mactan Meditel (Thermal comfort and hybrid ventilation)
8. Sports Medica Mall (An integrated medical, sports and shopping complex)
The Architecture Thesis Projects seeks to support and enhance the study of
sustainable and energy-efficient building practices in Architectural Education. Thesis
students are encouraged to explore the use of new materials and strategies for
building, and the integration of aesthetics and technology for high-performing, cutting
edge architecture.
The objective of this integration is to encourage students and develop excellence in
architectural planning and design that integrates environmentally responsive design
strategies.

THESIS RESEARCH TOPICS

The following are examples of research topics which you can inject in your thesis project:
Office Building Design
- Application of modular building system in office building design
- Integrating the 60L Five Elements for Sustainable Green Building Design for Office
Buildings (http://www.60lgreenbuilding.com/design.htm)
Healthcare Facility Design
- A psychosocial approach to design of health care environments (http://epubl.luth.se/14021757/2004/06/index-en.html)
- Creating neighborhood concept in mental health facilities
(http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2006/02/06/bc_st-pauls20060206.html)
Educational Facilities Planning and Design
http://www.coe.uga.edu/sdpl/research.html
- The Feng Shui of School Design
(http://www.coe.uga.edu/coenews/2001/NYTFengShui.htm)

- Caring Spaces, Learning Places: Childrens environments that work

(http://www.coe.uga.edu/sdpl/articlesandpapers/reviewcaringspaces/caringspaces.html)
- Creating a Sense of Place in Schools (http://www.nps.gov/dsc/dsgncnstr/gpsd/ch6.html)
- Sustainable Design for Schools (http://www.nps.gov/dsc/dsgncnstr/gpsd/ch6.html)
- High Performance School Building Design
(http://www.sbicouncil.org/workshops/schools.htm)
- Integrating Learning Environments (http://www.coe.uga.edu/sdpl/archives.html)
- Developing Personal Space in Schools
(http://www.coe.uga.edu/sdpl/articlesandpapers/melissasmith.html)
- Developing Settings for Learning
(http://www.coe.uga.edu/sdpl/research/setting(1)2003.ppt)
- Environmentally friendly design elements in schools
(http://asumag.com/mag/university_top_ten_facility/)
Sports Facility Planning and Design
- Green-field Sports Facility Design (http://www.dbia.org/secure/dateline/1110_tellier.pdf)
Leisure Facility Planning and Design
- Holistic Approach to Leisure Facility Planning and Design
- Creation of Destination Clubs: New Trend in Resort Development
Exhibition Halls Planning and Design
- A Philosophic approach to design of an exhibition building
(http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-20326487.html)
Residential Facility Planning and Design
- Adapting the Radburn Concept in Design of Retirement Villages
- Planning for Cool Communities
These are just initial examples. I will update this whenever I come across an interesting
topic. Pls. feel free also to post a comment and provide suggestions to any topic
http://www.wdassociation.org/a-list-of-impressive-thesis-topic-ideas-inarchitecture.aspx

Top 30 Interesting Thesis Topics In Architecture

A thesis is the very last step in the completion of graduation. It offers an opportunity to the
students to explore a particular issue relevant to the field they are working in. These kinds of
investigations are based on conceptual beliefs and values. Students working on the thesis
have to define their interest and solve questions on the topic chosen by them.
Thesis assignment is given in almost all departments of a school or college. An architectural
thesis is one of them which require the student to question about architecture and define
concepts like a theme, site and a program. Such projects are intellectual pieces of work which
need to be advanced. It is a combination of discussion and reasoning.

Form of architectural projects:

Programmatic

Socio cultural

Historic

Typological

Contextual response

Theoretical

Preservation

Adaptive

Architectural projects are classified into the following famous categories:

Urban planning and infrastructure

Cultural facilities

Leisure and fun facilities

Public offices, buildings and institutions

Houses

Some popular topics which can be selected for an architectural thesis are:

Development of waterfront property

Creation of low cost housing

Heritage museums

Designing of an airport

Airport functioning

Cinema and theatre architecture

Skyscraper design

Suburban homes for multifamily

Aquarium-Aqua design and display

Gaming and Animation studio

Multimedia film city

Lightning excellence centre

Marine park design

MTRS study and station

Convention centre

Modern art museum

Automobile training centre

Archaeological survey institute

School of art and design

Bus terminal cum commercial complex

Luxury beach facing apartments

Bio climatic buildings

Cruise terminal design

Cricket stadium display

Media centre

Resort design

Disaster management institute

Television and film institute

Polo retreat

Educational institute for rural children

A thesis is the most difficult and important piece of writing one performs in his career.
Picking and choosing a topic for any project or dissertation is very important. The best way
to succeed and complete the assignment within the due date is by selecting the right topic.
Once this is done, then the research work can start on time. It is better to spend a little extra
time on deciding the topic as it saves time being wasted by changing the topic later.