Tadao Ando's "Oval" for Benesse Art Museum Naoshima, featured in El Croquis 44+58.
When brainstorming a potential research topic, it is helpful to consider:
Once you have a basic idea of what your topic is, you'll need establish the big picture. What are the major issues involved in your topic? What are the terms associated with it?
Based on what you find, a more narrow topic should reveal itself as your research progresses. You'll want to refine your topic so that you can focus on a few main points. Determining a more concentrated topic or research question will make writing easier, and your finished project will be more effective.
When doing research on a building, architectural form, construction method, or concept, start by developing keywords about your topic. Consider:
Continue to build a bank of keywords, as it will simplify the research process. Here are some ways to determine other keywords and search terms:
Even when you've got a good keyword bank started, keep adding to it!
In architecture, precedents
Why use precedents?
Concept maps, or mind maps, are a great strategy for beginning and developing your project. They can help you organize your thoughts and ideas in a visual manner to see how different components relate and connect. They are also helpful for structuring (and restructuring) your writing.
Here are two samples: