How to Write an Essay
Essay Tips for AAID504 Contemporary Interiors
Essay Hand-in to Registry on Wednesday 1st May 2013
‘This module looks critically at contemporary interiors, both as a practice and from a spatial, material and responsive viewpoint. It aims to enable students to devise an informed and critical position to the subject and to develop a viable proposal for their extended essay in level 6. Additionally the module aims to enable this critical position to be fed back into the design work.’
The essay should be about 3000 words, illustrated and referenced. It is worth 70% of the module mark. Its topic (at least as a starting point) should be one of the subjects covered in the presentations. In the appendix you should include one or two sheets about each of your presentations. The subject matter was:
Subject 1: Interior Practice: what does an interior architect do? What are their methods of practice? What other disciplines are referred to?
Subject 2: Interior Objects: which interiors should be considered important or relevant? Under what terms and how should they be discussed?
Subject 3: Interior Occupation: what is the experience of the occupant? How can one discuss something so subjective? How does the occupant inform the design process?
Defining your essay subject
What? Sum up what your essay is about in just one or two sentences. What are your key questions?
Why? What is the significance of your subject? Why is it interesting, or important to you?
How? What texts will you refer to? You should start with ones used during the term. You might then expand on these as your topic requires. What other sources will you use: a case study, interviews, your own experience etc?
Research
If you are using one of your own presentation topics some of this will have been done. You need to read your selected text/s carefully and make notes in your own words. Avoid cutting and pasting, or copying huge chunks from the books or articles as you risk committing plagiarism by
Essay Hand-in to Registry on Wednesday 1st May 2013
‘This module looks critically at contemporary interiors, both as a practice and from a spatial, material and responsive viewpoint. It aims to enable students to devise an informed and critical position to the subject and to develop a viable proposal for their extended essay in level 6. Additionally the module aims to enable this critical position to be fed back into the design work.’
The essay should be about 3000 words, illustrated and referenced. It is worth 70% of the module mark. Its topic (at least as a starting point) should be one of the subjects covered in the presentations. In the appendix you should include one or two sheets about each of your presentations. The subject matter was:
Subject 1: Interior Practice: what does an interior architect do? What are their methods of practice? What other disciplines are referred to?
Subject 2: Interior Objects: which interiors should be considered important or relevant? Under what terms and how should they be discussed?
Subject 3: Interior Occupation: what is the experience of the occupant? How can one discuss something so subjective? How does the occupant inform the design process?
Defining your essay subject
What? Sum up what your essay is about in just one or two sentences. What are your key questions?
Why? What is the significance of your subject? Why is it interesting, or important to you?
How? What texts will you refer to? You should start with ones used during the term. You might then expand on these as your topic requires. What other sources will you use: a case study, interviews, your own experience etc?
Research
If you are using one of your own presentation topics some of this will have been done. You need to read your selected text/s carefully and make notes in your own words. Avoid cutting and pasting, or copying huge chunks from the books or articles as you risk committing plagiarism by
Bibliography: in alphabetical order at back.