Diana Osmolska

Diana's PhD research explores architects' use of intuition in site analysis. During site analysis, the feasibility of a proposed construction project is tested, and options for building layout explored. Decisions made by architects during site analysis impact on the quality of the built environment. Diana's study is deductive in nature and draws on dual processing theory, where cognitive processes are divided into Type 1 and 2 thinking, in which the former is intuitive and efficient and the latter is effortful and slow. Aligned with Critical Realism, semi-structured interviews, applied cognitive ethnography and experiments will be conducted. The study's findings could be useful in prompting architects to improve their working processes, particularly in situations where pressure on fees can prevent thoroughness in decision-making. In turn, the findings would benefit the construction industry and architectural educators.

Project title: The Role of Intuition in Site Analysis

Supervisors: Dr. Alan Lewis and Dr. Christina Buse