This research aims to understand how ‘architectural cognition’, in other words scientific knowledge about users-needs, cognition, behaviour and experience are embedded into the architecture and urban design process. Borrowing from architectural, cognitive and implementation disciplines, our methodology iterates between action research through interactions between scientists and architecture practitioners, behavioural studies and development of new software and pedagogical tools. We complement our empirical work with researcher secondments in professional settings [architectural firms] to actively shape key design decisions at different design stages, explore and demonstrate how architectural cognition can improve user-centred design. Comparative analysis of case studies in Singapore, Zurich, and other cities will provide variation in parameters such as building and urban design typologies, urban density, and social, cultural and climatic conditions, to contribute to context-specific as well as generalisable research outputs.
Architectural Cognition in Practice
This research embeds architectural cognition into the architecture and urban design process, through an iterative process of interactions between scientists and architecture practitioners, to actively shape key design decisions at different design stages. Behavioural studies are combined with design research to understand how architects/designers utilise information about end-users while employing researcher secondments and refining design-support tools (from educational materials to simulations) to improve the design process and outcomes. Comparative analysis of case studies in Singapore, Zurich, and Sarajevo provide variation in parameters such as building and urban design typologies, urban density, and social, cultural and climatic conditions, to contribute to context-specific as well as generalisable research outputs.
