Ideally we seek to examine the very best buildings by the very best architects.

This involves an in-depth examination of two buildings, typically selected by type, which may then be compared.  The examination is by means of dissection and inspection according to systems. The dissection allows the identification of each system as an assembly, the location of  the primary components of each system, and the understanding of the role the system plays in the whole.

This process does not allow speculation. It seeks information from primary sources, ones that can account for things in most factual manner possible.

Access to the actual buildinga is mandatory.

You must be able to visit, in person, the subject buildings.You must be able to visit the interior of the building, particularly portions not typically viewed by the public, such as mechanical rooms and roofs. Owners may place restrictions upon your visit to the building. You will have to decide if those restrictions will be so limiting that the building is no longer suitable for our analysis.

2. The Construction Documents

Access to the working drawings is mandatory.

You must have extensive access to the documents from which the building was constructed.
Depending on the focus of the investigation you may not need all of the drawings.

3. A person who can answer the question "why?".

Access to a person who can answer questions about the building is mandatory.

This is an investigation of fact, not one of speculation. Real buildings are riddled with compromises. No amount of looking at the drawings or even the building itself can explain it. Only people actually involved in the project can tell why the building is the way it is.

The first choice is, of course, the architect. If that is not possible, there are job captains, project foremen, engineers, consultants, contractors, developers, representatives of the client and even building maintenance personnel who can shed light on aspects of the building.

The typical team consists of four members. The typical project examines two buildings. Variations are possible.

The typical comparison is by type: museum to museum, office building to office building.
Other possibilities exist, such as two buildings by the same architect, or two long span buildings, or two multifunction buildings, or by material, or by system, or by technique.

By system:

Once the buildings have been identified, the nature of the comparison must be determined. By system is the preferred method. Similar systems are compared, i.e. structure, enclosure, HVAC, electrical, lighting, telecommunication, vertical circulation, fire prevention and suppression, construction, etc.

Broad and shallow vs. narrow and deep:

The "broad" approach seeks to examine as many different systems in the building as possible. Since many systems are being explored it is not expected that each will be done in great detail. The focus is on strategy.

The "narrow" approach examines fewer systems, typically focusing on the major building systems, but examines them in greater detail.

By ???:

A unique set of circumstances allows a unique comparison. It may be material, (concrete to concrete, or skin and bones), or renovation (the original building vs. the renovation of the building) or architect (early work vs. later work). Since the results of such an investigation are least applicable to other circumstances this is the least preferred approach.

The intial stage is to do some research.

• What documents exist in the school's collection in the Architecture Reading Room? Note that projects for which the ARR is actually run by the university library system and that the working drawings are owned by the Syracuse University Library system. Thus all sets of construction drawings in the collection are lisited on SUMMIT.
• What books or journals have articles on the building itself?
• What books or journals might give insight into the ideology of the architect?
• What books or journals have articles on the building type?

Documentation

• Carefully examine the working drawings. Often sheets are missing and the investigation may have to be adjusted to account for missing data. The working drawings and the buildings do not often match. Buildings get changed in the course of construction and, of course, after they have built. You should know the building as thoroughly as possible from the drawings before you visit the actual building.
• Carefully examine the building itself. Your visit may require advance preparation. Letters of introduction are often required by building owners. We will provide them for you, given the correct information and adequate time. Be sure to have an extensive set of questions for the visit. You are not just a casual visitor or tourist. You are conducting intensive research and as such you should be prepared to take advantage of the opportunity to see things that others will not and to see them in a way that others will not. Be prepared to photograph the building as best as possible. Knowing in advance the format of your presentation (even if you haven't worked out anything else about the presentation) will help determine whether prints, slides or digital images are most appropriate. Never assume that you have the right to photgraph. Building owners have widely differing policies about photography and you are expected to comply with any and all restrictions that an owner may place upon your visit. Concerns for security surrounding buildings, the people who work in them, the contents of them and the drawings that describe them, have risen dramatically in recent years. Be sure that you have the proper authority to enter and photograph the buildings you are researching.

Analysis

• Analysis is the process of dissecting the building, reducing it to it more basic systems and subsystems. Just what systems to present and level of detail with which to present them are variables that must be worked out for each project.

Representation

• The images needed to present the building and your analysis together with the narrative you provide are what this project is all about. How you choose to do it is a major decision. The most common drawing technique is the axon. It is the quickest 3D representation to draw and it shows the relationship of the various aspects of building spaces and systems most clearly. Transparent or ghosted axons, peal away axons and exploded axons together with more normative axons have all been used successfully.
• There are typically two ways to present things: building A compared to building B, or the drawing of building A compared to an image of the actual building or part of the building. Both support the comparative nature of the exercise, building to building and idea to reality.

• The final presentation is made to the entire class. It is a method of sharing the information gleaned from the investigation with others. It becomes the task of the team to pass on, as best they can, the information.
• At the conclusion of the course, every student should have benefited from the work of everyone else and should have some knowledge of the various building types being explored.
• The presentation typically is done with slides although in recent years increasing numbers of presentations are done using computers and video projectors. The school will provide slide projectors and video projects. Any other equipment must be provided or arranged for by the student team. The images are of the analytic drawings and of the building itself. For every image that is drawn there should be an image of the actual condition in the building.

The documentation

• The images and the text of the presentation are to be arranged in a document. The format and computer page layout templates will be provided.

The bibliography

• Every presentation must be accompanied by an outline of the text of the presentation. It does not have to be a running narrative.
• Every presentation must also be accompanied by a bibliography. Note that bibliographic references include people or organisations which have contributed significant information on the project.