The Development of Architectural Concepts: A Comparative Study of Two Schools of Architecture.

There are both intuitive and theoretical bases to the notion that differences exist in the way in which architects and non architects construe their physical environment. Despite their procedural constraints, many previous studies have added empirical weight to this assumption. As it is most likely to be within the schools of architecture where the socialisation of professional values takes place, the thesis explores changes in the structure and content of architectural concepts and evaluations as a function of time spent in training. Further, the thesis considers the variation in architectural orientation amongst the students, and explores the adoption of school specific values. The study focusses on two schools of architecture, one university based, in the north of Britian, and one polytechnic based, in the south. A cross-sectional sample of fifteen students in each year of training were interviewed at both schools. Data were collected using the Multiple Sorting Procedure, an open-ended yet structured sorting technique, and analysed using Multidimensional Scalogram Analysis (MSA) and Smallest Space Analysis (SSA). The results demonstrate the development of architectural concepts from concrete tangible concepts, to more complex abstract ones. The students' evaluative judgements show both development with each year sampled, and school specific differences in the type of architecture preferred. Architectural evaluation is shown to be based upon architectural style. The students' judgements of the buildings, combined with their architectural 'heroes' allows the proposal of a model of stylistic orientation in architecture. Case studies indicate that the results derived from the Multiple Sorting Procedure accord well with the students' orientation in architecture; in the focus of their architectural interests, in their evaluative judgements, and in the type of architecture they design. The architectural, educational and methodological implications are discussed