The ethnographicarchitect approach

Sálvora Feliz-RicoyUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain)

Tiberio Feliz-MuriasUniversidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain)

XVI Workshop Qualitative Research in Psychology La Laguna, 26th‐28th February 2015

Ethnographic approach

• No preparation of the context to research.

• Respecting people, activities and places.

• Minimize impact and effects on everyday life.

• Collect data on real events and activities.

Techniques and tools

• Observation• Walking• Conversation• Tools (photo, video, & audio recording)

Research questions• How are XL buildings in real life?• How was the initial plan carried out?

• How is the real building state?• How do people use spaces?• Which are the problems detected?

• How do people feel their housing?

• Which was the impact on the surroundings?

Research object

• Housing dwellings Forte di Quezzi(Genoa, Italy)

• Luigi Carlo Daneri• 1956• 384 housings• 2,010 residents• Length 540 m. 

xl dwelling infraestructures

a set of buildings whose façade

perception is 400m of length or more, has an urban scale and envelopes the town

It has a constant section and unit aesthetic, usually with concrete façade, and it is an urban mass that is an extension of the town

but… what is it the different between the published project and the real one?

presence and absence: comparison

the real scale of the fact: the feeling

the uses of the arcades: real applications

the maintenance problems: detection

evolution and worsening

the detection of the renovations

the detection of the renovations

How do people use the community spaces?

the hidden spaces

How do people live?

Conclusions 

• Ethnographic methods are useful for architect studies and job practice.

• It is mainly useful for topics related to life style and everyday activities.

• It enriches documents and designs with perceptions and feelings.

• It confirms the observance of initial designs.• It allows knowing the impact on surroundings and neighbours.

• It detects real problems and changes.

Thank you for your attendance