Deciphering architectural knowledge as reflective practice: revealing map

ABSTRACT

This study attempts to reveal how reflective knowledge shapes architectural design. With the premise that design embodies personal knowledge, it proposes an alternative way to decipher this subjective medium. It is predicated on the idea that architects have lifelong reflections along with in or on a specific action. With an aim to draw attention to this, a revealing map for reflective practice as research based on architects’ journals is proposed. The study progresses through the instrument of two core adaptations from literature. Reinterpreting Christopher Frayling’s views on design research and the effort to move Bryan Lawson’s thoughts on reflection one step further are the pillars of the study. The themes on reflection which are determined in the adaptation phases are traced in the journals of a participant who is both active in practice and academia; and discussed through a map by focusing on their relations. Combining and simultaneously searching practice and research presented the possibility to study reflective processes of architectural design without being its very subject; and to research practice with ability to enlarge or narrow according to time and person. The study contributes to architectural research by shifting the perspective on reflective knowledge that shapes design processes.

KEYWORDS:

• Reflective practice
• reflective knowledge
• architectural design knowledge
• architectural research
• journals

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Acknowledgement

We would like to thank Cem İlhan for making time and sharing his journals.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Aslı Uzunkaya

Aslı Uzunkaya, who workes as a lecturer at Beykent University-Department of Architecture, is a PhD candidate at Istanbul Technical University-Architectural Design Program. She completed her undergraduate education at Dokuz Eylül University and received master degree from Yıldız Technical University. Her research interests focus on architectural design, design process and reflective knowledge.

Nurbin Paker Kahvecioğlu

Nurbin Paker Kahvecioğlu, is currently an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Architecture of Istanbul Technical University. She received her Ph.D. degree at ITU in 2001 with a thesis entitled “Interaction between Knowledge and Creativity in Architectural Design Education”. Following this stage of her education, she has been a visiting scholar at University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK in 1995 and 1996, and at University of Cincinnati-DAAP, USA in 1998-2000. Her research areas and interests are mostly focused on wider perspectives of design knowledge, such as “architectural and urban design”, “design theory”, “creativity in architectural design education”. She is the author and co-editor of a number of publications, presentations, exhibits on topics in architectural design and interpretation. In addition to her studies on architectural education and theory, she also takes an active role in architectural practice. She has undertaken various architectural design projects, received architectural design awards and put into practice some architectural applications individually and with other colleagues. The last and most prominent work of her is an on-going urban scale project in Istanbul as titled Teknopark Istanbul, a campus for creative-minded companies. She also has two Turkish-National Architectural Awards on the fields of building and renovation at 2018 and 2012.