CASE STUDY METHOD

RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES IN ARCHITECTURE

THULASI G . SHIVNEETHA P . M.ARCH (GEN) . 2ND YR . SAP

A case study involves an up-close, in-depth, and detailed examination of a subject
(the case), as well as its related contextual conditions.

Thomas offers the following definition of case study:

"Case studies are analyses of persons, events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, institutions,
or other systems that are studied holistically by one or more method. The case that is the subject
of the inquiry will be an instance of a class of phenomena that provides an analytical frame —
an object — within which the study is conducted and which the case illuminates and explicates."

Source :Wikipedia
ROBERT YIN

A case study is an emphirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its
real life context ,especially when the boundaries between phenomena and context are clearly
evident

[An emphirical inquiry that investigates a phenomena or

setting.By deleting the word contemporary and adding the word
setting,we include historical phenomena and both Historic and
contemporary setting as potential foci of case study.]

Source : Architectural research methods by Linda groat and David wang

JANE JACOBS

Conventional wisdom of modernist inspired urban renewal - Case study of a city

 How to Maintain and foster the vitality of the city from Vignettes of life in new York city
 Ordinary scenes and events – attempts to find reasons behind them
 Themes identified – thumb rule for other research

Source : Architectural research methods by Linda groat and David wang

FERNANDO L.LARA

Why modern architecture is better perceived in brazil than in Europe and US? How where the
modern attributes promulgated in such a way that even middle class houses in 1950 was built with
visual attributes of modernism? and upto what extent they were truly modernist?
Case study – belo horizonte ,brazil.
No of popular modern homes
Most significant ensembles – pampulha complex – 1940’s

3 tactics – Data collection

1. archival research
2. Formal analysis of façade and interior for 300 houses in 2 sections of the city
3. In depth interviews with 20 to 30 residents of popular modern houses
Combined multiple data sources
 cultural influences
 physical extent of modernist adoption and adaptations
 residents own understanding in relation to larger cultural context.
 How and why modernism infuse the building of middle class residential areas of belo horizonte
 Analysis uncovers many unexpected patterns and relationships
 Ads showing Artifacts of modernization – personal connections to the well to do families with modern houses
 Facades adopting modernism while interior layout remains traditional

Source : Architectural research methods by Linda groat and David wang

ROBERT YIN – PRIMARY CHARACTERISTICS
 Focus on cases in their context (Single or multiple cases)

 The capacity to explain casual links

 Theory development in the research design phase

 A reliance on multiple sources of evidence – triangulating

 The power to generalize to theories – instrumental and intrinsic

Source : Architectural research methods by Linda groat and David wang

 2 APPROACHES TO CASE STUDY RESEARCH METHOD

Particular case study to analyse Multifaceted dynamics that

Newyork’s socio physical led to adoption and
dynamics that attributes to the adaption of modernism in
urban life one city.

Focus was new York and but

other cities were studied in
same fashion

JANE JACOBS LARA

Source : Architectural research methods by Linda groat and David wang

Single or multiple study
– nature of research question
– the role of replication in testing or confirming the outcome

YIN
The decision to undertake multiple case studies cannot be taken lightly .Every
case should serve a specific purpose within the overall scope of inquiry .Here a
major sight is to consider multiple experiments – that is to follow a replication
logic. This s far different from a mistaken analogy in the past which incorrectly
Considered multiple cases to be similar to the multiple respondants in a
survey(or to multiple subjects within an experiment)that is to follow a sampling
logic.

To achieve Literal replication(same) and theoretical replication(contrasts)

Source : Architectural research methods by Linda groat and David wang

 Purpose of Case Study
Type of structure explanatory descriptive exploratory

Linear-analytic
Typical article format
Problem statement y y y
Literature review
Methods
results
Chronological
narrative
y y y
Theory building
Sequence of chapters
y y
depends on logic of
theory development
Unsequenced
Sequence of chanpters
y
interchangeable

Source : Architectural research methods by Linda groat and David wang

STRENGTH WEAKNESS

Focus on the embeddedness of the case in Potential for over complication

its context

Capacity to explain casual links Casuality likely to be multifaceted and complex

Richness of multiple data sources Challenge of integrating many data sources in

coherent way

Ability to generalize to theory Replication required in other cases

Compelling and convincing when well Difficult to do well,fewer established rules and
done procedures than other research designs.

Source : Architectural research methods by Linda groat and David wang

 RESEARCH EXAMPLE OF A CASE STUDY METHOD

 A day lighted building, how much energy it would conserve.

 Researchers from the Windows and Lighting Proagram at Lawrence Berkley Laboratory

 Reviewed more than 40 day lighited buildings published in architectural and engineering
magazine.

 Conducted a case study of San Francisco Bay (year long Case study)

 Collecting and analysing data and documenting it. (different variations).

 Aspects of the building design was assessed

 the central atrium space
 electrical lighting system including an indirect florescent system separate task lighting
 lighting control systems intended to provide automatic dimming when daylight was sufficient.

 Concluded about how many of the features were successful in providing sufficient ambient
lighting. And identified the negative aspects also and give suggestions for improving the
present situation. (sensors to be strategically relocated and the system recalibrated.)

Source : Architectural research methods by Linda groat and David wang

DISSERTATION
RESEARCH PROCESS G.Thulasi

DEFINE THE (II) REVIEW OF (III)FORMULATE (V) COLLECT DATA

RESEARCH LITERATURE HYPOTHESIS Primary data:
PROBLEM Questionnaires Interview
Is Placemaking with historians / urban
possible planners, detailed study
REVIEW OF CONCEPTS of the area with reference
An attempt to along
&THEORIES to local context
comprehend Buckingham canal
Secondary data:
the possible Jane Jacobs(The death books,papers,articles
methods of and life of great American Case studies : korea
place making on cities) , Jan gehle (cities riverfront,London garden
the Buckingham for people), William (IV)RESEARCH bridge,providence
canal that can H.White - place making DESIGN riverfront,sabarmathi,Hig
be principles & strategies
Limitations hline .
environmentally Project for Public Spaces.
socially and (Limited to MRTS
culturally Stretch)
(VI) ANALYSE DATA
enhanced. Explanatory,
descriptive
REVIEW OF PREVIOUS ,analytical, Place making methods
RESEARCH FINDINGS Questionnaire
sampling
Conference proceedings ,
(deliberate) (VII) REPORT/DESIGN
papers –PWD,CMDA
METHODOLOGY G.Thulasi
RESEARCH PROCESS Shivneetha .P

DEFINE THE (II) REVIEW OF (III)SELECTING (V) COLLECT DATA

RESEARCH LITERATURE AND REVIEWING Primary data:
PROBLEM RELEVENT Questionnaires Interview
LITERATURE with stakeholders
AND CASE involved
REVIEW OF FACTORS STUDIES Secondary data:
To understand if INVOLVED AND books,papers,articles
ecotourism is PARAMETERS
an sustainable Public and
solution for community
involved ventures (VI) ANALYSE DATA
place making.
And Public privet
partnership
CLASSIFICATION OF venture
KNOWLEDGE
(VII) REPORT
CONLUSION

CRITERIEAS FOR SUCCESS

AND FACTORS INVOVED
AND POLICIED TO BE
IMPLIMENTED
 References

• Architectural research methods by Linda groat and David wang.

• www.Wikipedia.com
THANK YOU