Format of Thesis

Defining Limitations for a Thesis Project | Thesis Guidelines

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How to define limitations for your thesis Project?

Earlier we have discussed the following:

  1. Introduction to Thesis Project
  2. Guidelines for the assessment of the Final Project
  3. Thesis topic selection

Now we shall move on with a discussion on “Defining Limitations for a Design Thesis”.

Once the topic has been selected, you have to define the extent of your work. There is a lot of information that exists regarding a particular topic and you cannot include all.

Urban Design Problem | Washington DC
Urban Design Problem | Washington DC

For example:

You chose to design a Mini-town. The project area spans upto 220 acres minimum for a project like this. So you have to be very well aware as to where you would limit the scope of the project.

In my opinion, for a Mini-town project, you would have to limit your scope upto Master planning level. Detailed concepts and Master plan would be the most important. After you are done with it and you have time left for the project deadline, you could design a few specific structures in the project that you want to give emphasis on.

Narrow down your requirements to specifics to help you define your limitations. Collect data which you really need.

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How to work on a Thesis Project? | Final Year Architectural Thesis

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Guidelines for assessment for a Final Thesis Project

In the earlier article, we discussed “What is the role of a Final Year Architecture student and his perspective towards carrying out his Thesis Project“.

  • The mental attitude of a student, how much of studentship does he maintain.
  • His understanding of Architecture and his capacity to portray his ideas in visual/graphic/oral form.
  • Level of curiosity translated in terms of his grasp of the ‘process of research’. Searching the past and the present in terms of ideas.
  •  The importance of History cannot be stressed more. The ability to read, write and draw the level of confidence required to initiate a study, the ability to discuss the necessary information from amongst a plethora of literature and knowledge, to define the limitations without getting lost in the world of information.
  • To direct his ideas and knowledge for the betterment of communities and society at large. We are not supposed to, nor should we try to, be designing for exotic locations. Our orientation should be our own nation and from there on define the locality and the community.
  • You would be designing for an American/British/Indian Climate with all the accompanying factors of Economic, Political, social, legal, environmental and cultural. So try to design and improve your own living conditions through indigenous materials, methods and designs suited to the your region of study.
  • To get away from the “Drafting Board” style of designing in two dimensional sterility. Architecture is not for a visual sense alone and that too on a drawing board minus the experience of space.
  • Architectural Design apart from its visual experience has to cater to other senses of touch. Sound and smell also. Most of our Architectural experience is tactile (sense of touch) and yet we hardly consider it in our designs.