Clarice Bleil De Souza
Lecturer

Research Group: Architectural Science Group

E-Mail: Bleildesouzac@cardiff.ac.uk

Postal Address:
Welsh School of Architecture
Bute Building, King Edward VII Avenue
Cardiff
CF10 3NB

Telephone: 029 20875969
Fax: 029 20874623

Research interests
My research is about critically exploring the problem-solving side of design thinking
and how it affects and is affected by the use of computer tools, especially the
environmental design ones.

I am interested in the debate on paradigms involved in engineering and architecture
design problem-solving, i.e. what are the worldviews behind them, how these paradigms
are used to articulate representation systems and practices and how these representation
systems and practices are related to environmental computer tools used, or to be used, in
the everyday activities of the practitioners.

Some of my specific interests are the following:
1) In the design context, when environmental issues are part of the design agenda:

• Critical reflections in building design problem-solving;
• Conflicting worldviews between engineering and architecture design problem-solving;
• How building design problem-solving is affected by cultural differences;
• What are the positive and negative impacts of globalization with regards to the problem-solving side of design thinking;
• The Continental European, Anglo (North) American and developing countries different views on building design problem-solving;
  
  

2) In the simulation context:

• The use of computers throughout the process of design problem-solving of energy efficient buildings;
• How mathematically represented energy phenomena that happen in a
  time/frequency domain can be made instrumental to building designers;
• How heavily procedural prediction/evaluation cycles involved in engineering design problem-solving can be ‘diluted’ within ‘softer’ ways of exploring building design ideas;

Link to Thesis (user name and password needed to download)