Schemas in a Design Problem: Building in Seismic Regions Diversely Considered

Abstract

In most design problems, there are multiple schemas, or ways or orienting and organizing the knowledge content in the problem domain, and which by extension defines the range and bearing of solutions. This dissertation examines the properties of individual and clusters of schemas in a problem domain through the highly specific problem of building in seismic regions, a persistent class of design problem found around across diverse cultures and geographic regions. Using case studies, mostly of exemplary historical and contemporary building projects from seismic regions, as well as examples from a wider range of genera and disciplines, including artworks, literature, religious texts, and academic papers, this dissertation identifies and traces six prominent schemas in contemporary design practice, examining its conceptual origins, historical development, and opportunities and limitations in design applications. The six schemas are: 1) lightness, or the subtraction of weight, 2) quickness, or the maintenance of readiness, 3) exactitude, or the need for approximations, 4) visibility, or the rendering of invisible problems, 5) multiplicity, or the curation of diversity, and 6) consistency, or the assurance of a predictable sameness. The general schemas structures, if not the specific know-how of seismic engineering, appears to be widely applicable across problem domains.