Research Article

Applying design science approach to architectural design development

  • Rania Aburamadan , 1 ,
  • Claudia Trillo , 2
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  • 1. School of Architecture, University of Philadelphia, Amman, Jordan
  • 2. School of Built Environment, University of Salford, Lancashire, UK

Received date: 10 Feb 2019

Revised date: 25 Jun 2019

Accepted date: 28 Jul 2019

Published date: 15 Mar 2020

Copyright

2019 2019 Higher Education Press Limited Company. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Abstract

Unlike research methods for social and positivist sciences, those for architectural design lack a discipline-specific conceptual framework. Performative science aims at producing outcomes for future use and therefore needs a robust methodological approach that encompasses different techniques and methods supporting an evidence-based architectural design development. This study suggests that design science can be successfully applied to architectural design development and provides architects and designers with a powerful tool bridging the gap between research and design. In so doing, this study explores the application of design science to implement a user-centered design approach. A design challenge is reframed within the robust framework of design science by referring to a case study on refugee shelters. The traditional method by which shelter optimization is pursued by designers is questioned by involving the final users through an ethnographic approach within the framework of design science. The design outcome produced through this process is a list of specifications allowing designers to create different architectural solutions and matching the requirements expressed by future users. The authors argue that a user-centered design outcome can be achieved and validated through design science.

Cite this article

Rania Aburamadan , Claudia Trillo . Applying design science approach to architectural design development[J]. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 2020 , 9(1) : 216 -235 . DOI: 10.1016/j.foar.2019.07.008

Outlines

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