Postgraduate Design Thesis

Specialization / Direction

Knowledge Deepening / Consolidation

Upon successful completion of the Postgraduate Design Thesis, the students will have: • formulated research questions on environmental design at all scales and scientific fields that feed into architectural thought and practice, • established the methodology for approaching research questions, • conducted research on primary and secondary sources, • evaluated and synthesized sources, as well as formulated coherent arguments, • prepared theoretical papers in accordance with the ethics of scientific research, • formulated a research design question and compose programs and design strategies, • conducted research on the specific technical specifications, requirements, limitations of the design theme, as well as its environmental, social, historical and other dimensions, • elaborated complex design programs at all scales of space design, • documented synthetically and design-wise, all stages of a project of high complexity, • used all analytical, synthetic and representational tools and design techniques, aiming at the synthesis of integrated architectural design proposals, • handled all means of representation of space (architectural drawings, models), as well as prepare documentation texts and technical reports, • publicly supported their research and design choices in a structured and structured way.

The Postgraduate Design Thesis (PDT) may be carried out individually or in pairs (two students) and includes both a theoretical-research component and a design-synthetic component, which are directly interlinked. Greater emphasis may be placed either on the theoretical-research component —through scientific depth and research— or on the design-synthetic component —through the detailed resolution of design choices and their implementation. Accordingly, the PDT has a dual structure: A) Written Report The written report covers both the theoretical-research and design-synthetic components. It is organized into chapters and should be: • 15,000–20,000 words when the emphasis is on the theoretical-research component, or • 8,000–10,000 words when the emphasis is on the design-synthetic component. (Word counts exclude tables, captions, bibliography, appendices, etc.) The report includes images, tables, diagrams, and drawings, and must be submitted as a carefully prepared booklet, following the technical specifications provided below. The report should include: • the subject of the thesis • the aim(s) and objectives • research questions and hypotheses • a critical review of the relevant international literature and discourse • description of the research method(s) (methodology) • findings/results and conclusions of field research • documentation and presentation of the design proposals • conclusions • bibliography and references • and any additional supporting or explanatory material in appendices. A consistent and appropriate citation and reference system must be used throughout (for books, articles, reports, online sources, architectural studies, artistic works, etc.). B) Analytical and Design Drawings This component involves a series of analytical and synthetic drawings relating to the design-synthetic part of the PDT. These are to be submitted both as presentation boards and as a well-formatted booklet, following the technical specifications provided below. The full range of analytical, synthetic, and representational tools and techniques should be used — including sketches, diagrams, drawings, maps, 3D representations, and/or models — in order to formulate comprehensive environmental architectural and/or urban design proposals. The design-synthetic component may consist of: • the development of a specific architectural and/or urban design proposal, or • the design of a program, process, methodology, or strategy from an environmental perspective. The documentation and outcomes of this component are included in the final deliverables of the PDT.

research thesis, design thesis, environmental design

27-10-2025