Estruturação do Processo de Projecto

Abstract

We understand that there is a prevalence of art above techno-science in the definition and defense of the professional disciplinary body. Nevertheless, recently, it is threatened by the increasing customization for the user in services as well as the speed and effectiveness of the global economy's demand. In these conditions, the technique and computer automation allow us to face the characteristic individualization of present society but call into question the foundations and boundaries of architectural discipline, revealed in the professional practice of architects. Our aim is to relate the implications of the design process in the characterization of Architecture and its evolution as a discipline. Its focus is on the Portuguese and Anglo-Saxon context of the last half century, namely the Design Methods movement. First, we identify the main occurrences and thoughts which characterized the cultural background supporting the questioning of design processes that started on from the 1960s-1970s. Subsequently, we review important theories on creativity and design methodologies, mainly through Alexander, Jones and Broadbent, in which informational systems have a close resemblance to the design process. Finally, our study concentrates on the perspectives around professions and the analysis of the Portuguese architectural profession. Through this analysis we expect to somehow bridge the gap between the disciplinary discourse and the user-oriented practice, achieving a balance between the power and the feasibility of the architectural discipline.