Why Do Research?

Patrick Barendt, Samantha Holmes, Philip June, Jeffrey Pond, and Zoe Spencer
Architecture | Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
mentored by Dr. Frank de Santis, Architecture & Interior Design

Abstract:

Mantua: A study in urban development

Mantua is a historical neighborhood in West Philadelphia, borderd by Spring Garden Street to the south, Mantua Avenue to the northeast, and N. 40th Street to the west. Through their research, students sought to understand the physical qualities of the neighborhood through quantitative and qualitative analysis. Research areas included architectural styles, historical development, two-dimensional graphical analysis, and the development of a detailed three-dimensional digital model available for general use. Furthermore, the students' research has laid the groundwork for future inquiry into the neighborhood.

Patrick Barendt

"Mantua: A Digital Simulation Network"
If architectural researchers are interested in fostering a version of contemporary practice that prioritizes "building well" in the fullest sense of that term, we should help develop a pragmatic, non-reductive discourse that engages the quality of lived experience as well as the sheer facts on the ground.

This study is the beginning of such a complex, discursive model- a digital simulation of the Mantua neighborhood to help designers negotiate the relational networks between people, things, and concepts that are logical and allegorical, prosaic and poetic.

The study focused on imbedding prosaic data in an accessible representation. Utilizing a number of digital visualization softwares, including AutoCad 2d and 3d, Revit Architecture, and Civil 3D, the simulation represents a variety of data: building heights, building massing, number of stories as well as topographical and roadway elevations. Database information on each neighborhood structure can be easily added to the model.

The digital simulation of the Mantua neighborhood was designed to be expandable and editable allowing other researchers to perform iterative modeling . Posted online and accessible to all, this digital model of the Mantua neighborhood hopes to foster a "simulation network"- a starting point to help researchers shape a multitude of cultural investigations and enlist a variety of public narratives in the design process.

My Mentor Experience

"My mentor experience over the summer was enriching as well as exciting. Professor de Santis gave me
a great deal of guidance while allowing me a great deal of independence and a large say over how the
project was to proceed. He was there every step of the way, motivating me and setting me straight
whenever I strayed too far from the research path to follow some whimsy. He drove me to do my best,
without undue pressure, because he is an inspiring teacher and I wanted him to be proud of our
collaborative accomplishment." Patrick Barendt

Samantha Holmes

"Mantua: An Architectural Style Network"
If architectural researchers are interested in fostering a version of contemporary practice that prioritizes "building well" in the fullest sense of that term, we should help develop a pragmatic, non-reductive discourse that engages the quality of lived experience as well as the sheer facts on the ground.

At the most inspirational level, architectural design is about the desire to use architectural form and content to convey poetic narratives about culture and community while simultaneously negotiating prescriptive goals. At the most everyday level, architectural design is about implementing an architectural style for very similar reasons. There is a reciprocal relationship of architectural style, community aspirations and "building well" that is often ignored overlooked by formal research; implementations of architectural style that are communally valued represent a thorough reconciliation of practice, professional ethics, prescriptive goals, and poetic intentions.

Mantua is a local neighborhood that would benefit significantly from the formation of an "architectural style network". This study focused on identifying the architectural styles present in the Mantua neighborhood. Five canonical architectural styles were researched as potential stylistic themes for the area and then the physical legibility of each was graphically coded across the neighborhood- a deeper hue of color representing a more complete, canonical presentation. It is significant to note, that in many instances, a hybridization of stylistic themes has occurred while still maintaining a formal legibility of parts.

Philip June

"Mantua: An Urban Tree Canopy Network"
If architectural researchers are interested in fostering a version of contemporary practice that prioritizes "building well" in the fullest sense of that term, we should help develop a pragmatic, non-reductive discourse that engages the quality of lived experience as well as the sheer facts on the ground.

Philadelphia has fewer street trees than its peer cities; the city has half the number of street trees as Baltimore and one third as many as Chicago. The importance of maintaining a thriving urban tree canopy is both prosaic and poetic: street trees are potent "actors" in reducing crime, carbon capture, enhancing aesthetic appeal, increasing property values, and alleviating health problems such as childhood asthma. Creating new tree "neighborhoods" or revitalizing existing ones requires a network of both human and non-human actors: local community outreach, neighborhood activism, horticultural research, not to mention robust funding over the entire life-cycle (and not just during the initial enthusiasm of planting).

Mantua is a local neighborhood that would benefit significantly from the formation of such a "tree network". Much of the neighborhood's streets lack trees, and many of the efforts to fix the problem have resulted in a series of failed or failing plantings. This study is the beginning of a thorough "tree inventory" of existing Mantua trees. The study focused on tree health, best practices, and a preliminary evaluation of which areas would benefit most from an active tree management plan.

My Mentor Experience

"My mentor experience was simply fantastic. Although I was one of five mentees, I never felt as though I was being overlooked and I always got the individual attention I needed to help me along with my project. What I liked best was that Professor de Santis emphasized ways for me to personally gain from the experience, rather than just having me perform research duties for him. All in all, it was a great experience." Philip June

Jeffrey Pond

"Mantua: An Interpretive Planametric Network"

If architectural researchers are interested in fostering a version of contemporary practice that prioritizes "building well" in the fullest sense of that term, we should help develop a pragmatic, non-reductive discourse that engages the quality of lived experience as well as the sheer facts on the ground.

Research data is often conveyed in formats difficult to comprehend by the "non-professional". The lack of easy to understand representations discourages the formation of interpretive networks that are socially diverse. This study seeks to foster a broad, interpretive network based on easy-to-understand planametric data. A goal of this study is to provide representations that would allow diverse members of an "interpretive network" to think improvisationally and prescriptively - to collage material data, aesthetic concepts, social histories, and cultural meanings into fluid, interdependent representations that are discursive and visceral.

The study focused on generating a series of "maps"; a compilation of existing data as well as original assessments of the existing physical infrastructure. The study sought to "map" a multitude of concrete entities in the specific circumstances of their co-existence. Utilizing a number of graphic visualization softwares, including Autocad 2d and Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, qualitative and quantitative information is represented in a sophisticated but accessible manner.

My Mentor Experience

"An often unacknowledged fact about research, is the actual work effort involved, particularly the milestones and deadlines of a research methodology. Professor de Santis upheld very high standards with respect to the research process, and I met his expectations. Sometimes this required surveying the Mantua community in the rain; sometimes it required sleepless nights. These outcomes represent my very best efforts." Jeffrey Pond

Zoe Spencer

"Mantua: A Semiotic Structural Network"
If architectural researchers are interested in fostering a version of contemporary practice that prioritizes "building well" in the fullest sense of that term, we should help develop a pragmatic, non-reductive discourse that engages the quality of lived experience as well as the sheer facts on the ground.

Mantua is a local neighborhood that would benefit significantly from the formation of a "semiotic structural network". One way to begin tracing the networks of relationships between architectural form and content that generate meaning is to formally analyze data in light of a historic narrative. The goal of such a study would be to help represent relationships that are simultaneously material (between things) as well as semiotic (between concepts).

This study traces the development of the Mantua neighborhood through a formal, graphic analysis of historical maps. The historical timeline considered tracked the development of the Mantua neighborhood from its origins, when it was a rural landscape adjacent to the city of Philadelphia, to the 20th century, when it became a modern urban community. The study focused on representing the relationship of certain formal structural themes and the historic narrative including: connectivity, open space, land division, land usage and architectural visions.

My Mentor Experience

"Working side by side with Professor de Santis was a really rewarding experience. Not only did I learn more about architecture, but we also delved into urban planning, residential development and historic narratives related to my project. This helped me realize how broad architecture research can be and how analytical and design skills are important in any aspect of research. Also, Professor de Santis' idea of having all the research students work collaboratively on their respective projects was truly enlightening allowing us to learn not only from him, but also from each other. Overall, STAR was an incredible experience." Zoe Spencer

Dr. Frank de Santis

Architecture Program
Department of Architecture + Interiors
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
STAR Program Mentor Faculty: Summer 2011

Mentor Statement from, "Reconciling the Poetic and the Prescriptive: Negotiating Architectural Form"
"Many proponents of both advanced digital technologies and ecological concerns are advancing overly deterministic arguments about the making of architectural form which will not help architects or students achieve the creative synthesis expressed in the idea of poesis. On the one hand, advocates of Generative Design reanimate the corpse of classic functionalist theory. When supposedly neutral performative parameters are used to generate expressive forms, the invisible hand of function is once again justifying formal originality. Our students are learning to select certain pre-approved empirical data such as solar orientation, spatial efficiency, air flows, and by myopically privileging extreme analysis, generate what they believe are sought after visual and sculptural effects. Equally dispiriting to those of us interested in finding ways to justify architectural design without resorting to rationalist or merely expressionist arguments are the ethically persuasive but sometimes aesthetically challenged agendas of sustainability and humanitarian concerns. As contemporary educators, we do need to teach sustainable design strategies, especially a sophisticated understanding of passive ecological design using virtualized analysis to create easy to understand proofs. But, while social relevance and ecological stewardship must be vital components of contemporary practice and design education, I would argue that architectural pedagogy must emphasize the poetic rather than the prescriptive or else cease to exist as a discipline. We are either going to have to believe that architectural poesis is possible or else we can all start teaching engineering or art."

Mentor Experience

If architectural researchers are interested in fostering a version of contemporary practice that prioritizes "building well" in the fullest sense of that term, we should help our students develop a pragmatic, non-reductive discourse that engages the quality of lived experience as well as the sheer facts on the ground. With respect to Mantua, helping these students think critically about some of the human and non-human, material and semiotic networks generating meaning was a truly gratifying experience.