The second year of the programme is designated for the development of the master’s thesis. The third semester aims at laying the foundation for a promising master’s thesis through a Thesis Preparation Project supported by an integrated Master Thesis Preparation Seminar and two supplementary seminar modules.
The thesis preparation project engages the students in selection and development of a suitable master’s thesis research proposal within a wide range of topics within contemporary architectural design research. Each year a number of specialized topic areas are offered by the participating institutes. These research areas are directly supported by expert researchers and open up the possibility for students to directly engage, through their thesis, in state of the art design research questions. Additionally, students are also encouraged and supported in the development of their own architectural design research interest. Areas of research focus can include: computational design and fabrication, morphological differentiation, material assembly, as well as material behaviour-driven system performance. The aim is for each sub-topic to be investigated in the context of full-scale architectural prototyping. In this regard, each research subtopic can be explored as an individual aspect of a larger common project to be developed throughout the master’s thesis phase.
Students are responsible for conceptualizing, framing and developing their own thesis topic under the supervision of their tutors and supervisors. Given the interdisciplinary and research-based nature of the programme, each student must select a supervising professor from one of the institutes involved, suitable tutors and any additional supporting resources that may be required.