Design methodology-- write at Feb 26, 2013 morning with Crystal Gayle cd

For Arch 561 Urban design theory class discussion

Generic is something like check list and this list can go on and on and on.

Daily

1. develop own value system and methodology
1. Gehl
2. Lynch
3. Hester
4. Marcus
5. permaculture
6. urbanisms
7. asset-based design
8. low-tech
2. cases portfolio

With a Project

1. context-- for site, neighborhood, region, country

1. 1. policy
   2. trends, e.g. urban agriculture with food security
   3. history
   4. culture
   5. datascape
   6. ecological system
   7. nature setting
   8. layers

2. understand the site-- feeling, context

1. 1. 10 pictures to tell a story- site and it’s neighbor
   2. behavior, experience, flow, noise, etc. mapping
   3. sketch
   4. measure site by body
   5. sit there for a day or more

3. understand the site-- scale, reality

1. physical restriction, e.g. rooftop max loading, 
2. site specific restrictions by law, e.g. allowing to add structure?
3. water/soil condition
4. climate/nature-related event, e.g. flood, earthquake

4. understand the user/stakeholder (inquiry by design)

1. questionnaire
2. informal/formal interview/ focus group/ workshops-- participatory design
3. attend some community meeting or events
4. talk to people on the site, e.g. ask them to draw the daily route through this site
5. keep asking question, e.g. who and how people use it? how people get there?

5. learn from others

1. case studies
2. first round imagine the site-- find some inspiration photos

6. design-- big picture

1. 1. concept, based on 1 and 2
   2. theme, based on 1 and 2
   3. develop design elements, base on 5-a and 5-b
   4. envision

7. design-- exercise

1. understanding more about the site (1-3)
2. life-space-building, think of different user groups--> what’s there needs and wishes--> how space can meet their needs --> what facilities and building they need and fit them within comprehensive site design (keep genders, ages, animals, day and night in mind)
3. implement crazy experiment on site, eg. paint intersection some pattern
4. using experience, recall similar experiences
5. draw a mandala

8. while design/drawing, process

1. write down any commons, crits
2. move your hand loosely on the trace, and have a period of time not allowing your hand stop!
3. modle it, keep clay by the site
4. concept one by one first

9. design-- design with context, different scale

1. different scale, e.g. neighborhood- social network, city- transportation, etc.
2. time differences, e.g. rush hour, night time

10. design-- programming, paths

1. sources: experience, contrast requirement, life-space-building exercise, etc.
2. form base on function or opposite way?
3. bubble diagram consider conflicts

11. design-- alternatives

1. different extent of changing the existing site
2. function-aesthetics/ form
3. human-animal/nature
4. expensive-low cost
5. prototypes

12. design-- detail

1. local material, availability of the material
2. symbolic element through out the site

13. design-- others

1. consider the maintain process, management
2. community participatory at whole process, engagement
3. some main theories, eg. place identity, individual control, sense of place, place attachment, safety, publicness, visibility, views, access, diversity, flexibility, human scale, eye level (normal, kids, people on the wheelchair or bees, etc), close loop design, etc.

14. work ethics

1. multi-disciplinary but learn as many perspective as you can
2. small group work, outreach with other group of people such as local organization

15. revisiting the site (I don’t have any actual project yet but I think this is important in order to improve)