THESIS SYNOPSIS

B Arch
 What is the Thesis Project?

 The Thesis project is of major importance to the education of an architect.

 Students have to define their interests and their questions about
architecture through the definition of a theme, a site and eventually a
research or a Design.
 These projects are not always or necessarily meant to be problem solving
proposals, but rather the place where critical issues can be made explicit and
tested.
 What unifies the Thesis projects is that they are all based on philosophical
and conceptual values and beliefs, and in that respect it is the hope of a
teacher that this will be an experience that will inspire the students for a
search that will last a lifetime.
 THESIS: General philosophy

 The Thesis is the last major step toward graduation with a professional
degree from the Architecture Program.
 It provides an opportunity for the student to systematically explore a
coherent line of investigation of issues relevant to the field of architecture.
 Such investigation is based on philosophical and conceptual values and
beliefs developed and articulated through rigorous and critical research.
 The Thesis is an intellectual position laid down or to be advanced.
 It is the first stage of the dialectic- discussion, that is, discussion and
reasoning by dialogue as a method of intellectual investigation.
 The Thesis demands that a student take a position and have something to
say that is relevant to the discursive field that it inhabits and/or its wider
cultural context.
 THESIS: General philosophy

 In the field of architecture such intellectual positions have implications that

result from a critique and re-examination of the role of architecture as a
critical participant in the conditioning of public and private space and the
human condition.
 Thus, while the Thesis originates in a determinate intellectual position, it
culminates in a designed artifact.
 THESIS: General philosophy

 An advisor/reader will expect that:

 you have identified a worthwhile problem or question which has not
been previously answered UNIQUENESS
 you have solved the problem or answered the question. COMPLETENESS

 A reader/reviewer will ask:

 what is the research question?

 is it a good question? (has it been answered before? is it a useful

question to work on?)
 did the author convince me that the question was adequately answered?

 has the author made an adequate contribution to knowledge?

 THESIS: General philosophy

 Know your Audiences

 Explain abbreviations, unusual terms
 CLEAR writing
 Explain assumptions, limitations
 For a journal article, know the usual audience and scope of papers

 Keep to the point

 A concise paper or thesis requires keeping the main points in mind--ONLY
include background information, data, discussion that is relevant to these
points

The Stages That We will follow

 Synopsis
 Dissertation (Research)
 Thesis
SYNOPSIS: Title Page

 Name of Student and registration No cum Roll No

 Present official Address
 E-mail
 Telephone No
 Year of Admission
 Number of subjects passed till date
 Proposed Topic:
 Proposed Thesis Guide: (an expert / professional)
How to write Synopsis for a Thesis Project

 Writing a Synopsis determines your level of understanding of the chosen

topic as your Thesis Project.
Contents

 Introduction
 Motivation
 Objectives and Scope and Limitations
 Description of the research work
 Conclusions/Summary of the work
 List of Case studies
 List of references/literature case studies for thesis research work
 Identification of the project site
Introduction

 Briefly explain the Architectural/ technological/ social relevance or

significance of the research work of your thesis topic.
 Be precise and include only relevant background material in the
introduction.
 Provide information on past works by way of giving appropriate
references.
 It should not exceed ONE pages.
Motivation

 Develop further on the background material provided in the introduction

and bring the subject of thesis in the chosen area of research in to focus.
 Emphasize, based on the content status, the importance of the research
problem identified.
 Should broadly indicate the existing drawbacks and why further research
is required to eliminate the drawbacks and find new architectural
solutions.
 Identification of these should be brief and can be out of the scope of the
Thesis subject but has to be relevant.
 You can enumerate those technical challenges one has to address to solve
the problems/drawbacks posed herein to place emphasis on the quality
of the research work.
 This should not exceed ONE pages.
Objectives and Scope and Limitations

 State precisely the questions for which the answers are sought through
this thesis work.
 Define the conceptual, analytical, experimental and/or methodological
boundaries within which the exercise will be carried out.
 Admit with clarity the limitation of such a research and difficulties
involved.
 It should not exceed ONE pages.
Description of the research work

 Keeping in mind the limitations and difficulties, identify the precise

architecturally relevant area and extent of research that is attempted by
you.
 Detailed explanations of the drawbacks/problems identified for which you
are seeking possible architectural solutions.
 Explain in detail how the case studies will help in resolving the
drawbacks/problems identified.
 Clear the role of literature studies/ observations/ experiments/
questionnaires.
 Define with clarity the detailed methodology to be adopted that will lead
you towards the Architectural solutions.
 Explain in detail how you are specifically equipped to deal with the
research and find Architectural solutions.
 It should not exceed FIVE pages.
Conclusions/Summary of the work

 Highlight major conclusions you are working towards.

 Clearly bring out not only the generally useful advantages arising out of
the work but also the architectural advancement you are seeking through
this Thesis work.
 If there are no conclusions at the moment, then enumerate the possible
contributions of the work.
 Maximum ONE page.
List of Case studies

 List the probable Case Studies and the relevant areas of study possible in
them.
 Indicate clearly why you have chosen the particular case for study.
 Make a mention of the ease/difficulty of approach and obtaining
information from the case studies.
 Also give the time frame required for each case study.
 It should not exceed one page.
List of references

 List the publications/books you have already identified for your literature
study.
 List only published or accepted books/papers.
 Never claim contents of the publications/books as your own. Always give
credit where it is due.
Identification of Project site
 The student has to identify a possible and suitable site for the proposal
where the conclusions and solutions can be carried out.
 The project site may or may not be a live project but should definitely be
suitable for the chosen project.
 Maximum one page.