Abstract
The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of how the architecture students deploy a range of graphical features to visualize SWOT, standing for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Architectural design studios provide students with a range of analytical techniques, and SWOT analysis is considered to be useful and effective, particularly at urban-scale design projects. However, it is a text-based framework and needs to be converted to thematic analysis maps across architecture and design fields. The main issue is that the determining factors affecting the way in which students choose graphical features to map the outputs of SWOT analysis is unclear at architectural design studios. The research employed qualitative methods, specifically observation, focus group, and graphical analysis, to examine SWOT maps produced by the architecture students. The findings demonstrated that the selection of graphical features in the process of producing SWOT analysis maps are dependent on scale of study (macro, meso, and micro), as well as location, spatial connection, and size of elements derived from SWOT matrix. For instance, lines and planes were most frequent features at macro level while the variety of symbols remarkably increased at micro level. In conclusion, the students personalized the process of mapping, meaning that they applied point, line, plane (shape), color, texture, and typography in several different ways. Therefore, SWOT analysis not only help architecture students to better understand the problems of their design projects, organize and consolidate information, and visualize opportunities and constraints, but could lead to the representation of realistic solutions in an innovative way.
Highlights
Graphical techniques are applied to the process of analysis and presentation in built environment studies, in academic settings such as studios and classes (Moughtin, Cuesta, Sarris, & Laurea, 1999)
R., Nadi, R., (2021), The Interpretation of Graphical Features Applied to Mapping SWOT by the Architecture Students in the Design Studio v:3 n:2 December 2021 studios include a variety of methods and techniques such as architectural research methods and approaches (Faryling, 1993; Groat & Wang, 2002; Moughtin, Cuesta, Sarris, & Laurea,1999) behavioural sitting (Zeisel, 1984; Bonnes & Bonaiuto, 2002), sociology and interaction between groups (Altman & Chemers, 1984; Madanipour, 1996), economy aspects (Carmona, 2001), politic (Tschumi, 1997), public and private relations (Alexander & Chermayeff, 1965; Madanipour, 2003), and urban environment and sustainability (Thomas, 2002)
Mapping SWOT analysis confirmed both theories of graphical techniques and structure of Harwwod and Rawling (2001) and Laseau (2000) based on symbol, and overlying, and diagrammatic icons including location, size, and form, and graphical features grounded on the findings of Dua and Tafahomi (2015; 2021) such as point, line, and polygon
Summary
Graphical techniques are applied to the process of analysis and presentation in built environment studies, in academic settings such as studios and classes (Moughtin, Cuesta, Sarris, & Laurea, 1999). The fourthyear architectural design studio focuses on urban and pre-urban scale projects in the bachelors program, department of architecture at the University of Rwanda Both students and instructors apply relevant methods and techniques with the architectural research and urban scales in the studio to meet the learning objective of the course (FAED, 2009). SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) tends to be deployed in design studios, in urban planning, urban design, and architecture for research, analysis, and policymaking. It has its origins in business and management fields, going back to 1950s (Sevkli, Oztekin, Uysal, & Torlak, 2012). This technique should be closely aligned with objectives, outputs, and processes of studios such as drawing, analysing, conceptualising, and designing
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