Thomas McPeek | University of Central Florida (original) (raw)

Books by Thomas McPeek

This research examines interviews conducted with more than a dozen authorities in architectural e... more This research examines interviews conducted with more than a dozen authorities in architectural education on collaborative methodologies utilized in the design studio and identifies factors that inhibit and facilitate the incorporation of collaborative methods in the context of situated learning. The author explores the notion that the design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively collaborative endeavors requiring the expertise of a spectrum of individuals working together to achieve a singular goal. Each of these experts is highly trained in their respective areas, yet few are formally trained authorities in the skills of collaboration, including architects, individuals who are often put at the lead of design projects which include people of varied backgrounds, working styles and areas of expertise. This study investigates how collaborative methods including intradisciplinary, interdisciplinary and community based collaborations, can be further integrated as a formal part of the overall design curriculum and what factors facilitate and inhibit this inclusion.

Papers by Thomas McPeek

Proceedings of SPIE, May 16, 2017

AGERpoint is defining a new technology space for the growers’ industry by introducing novel appli... more AGERpoint is defining a new technology space for the growers’ industry by introducing novel applications for sensor technology and data analysis to growers of permanent crops. Serving data to a state-of-the-art analytics engine from a cutting edge sensor platform, a new paradigm in precision agriculture is being developed that allows growers to understand the unique needs of each tree, bush or vine in their operation. Autonomous aerial and terrestrial vehicles equipped with multiple varieties of remote sensing technologies give AGERpoint the ability to measure key morphological and spectral features of permanent crops. This work demonstrates how such phenotypic measurements combined with machine learning algorithms can be used to determine the variety of crops (e.g., almond and pecan trees). This phenotypic and varietal information represents the first step in enabling growers with the ability to tailor their management practices to individual plants and maximize their economic productivity.

Autonomous Air and Ground Sensing Systems for Agricultural Optimization and Phenotyping II, 2017

Cross Examination of the …, 2010

... primer, John Wiley, New York Puccio, GJ, Murdock, MC, & Mance, M.(2007) Creative Leadersh... more ... primer, John Wiley, New York Puccio, GJ, Murdock, MC, & Mance, M.(2007) Creative Leadership: Skills that drive change, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA Wilson, S.(2009) 5 Ways to Spur Employee Creativity, Entrepreneur, March 2009, p. 20. Laura M. Morthland is an ...

designresearchsociety.org

This paper reexamines research conducted with more than a dozen authorities in architectural educ... more This paper reexamines research conducted with more than a dozen authorities in architectural education on collaborative methodologies over a three year period. The focus of initial study, a doctoral dissertation entitled: Collaborative Design Pedagogy: A Naturalistic Inquiry of Architectural Education (McPeek, 2009), examined the apparent disparity existent between the practicing profession of architecture and the academic preparation of its future members. In this paper, a condensed examination of specific findings from the previous data set point to four key levels of pedagogical collaboration (community, institution, faculty, and student) that are critical components to the implementation of collaborative architectural curriculum. These levels contain both inhibiting and facilitating elements that appear in all types of higher educational institutions (public, private, liberal arts schools, land grant universities, etc) and in varied curriculum settings. Thus, while the authors' main emphasis lies in enhancing the pedagogical scope of architectural education, this data may also be pivotal in facilitating and/or inhibiting collaborative endeavors in any major field of study, particularly those which incorporate collaborative methods in the context of situated learning.

Incorporating Advancements

In the United States, many university based architecture schools feature shared learning experien... more In the United States, many university based architecture schools feature shared learning experiences for beginning students in related applied design disciplines. These shared learning years are sometimes referred to as core studies or foundations studies, and incorporate a structure of communal course work that exposes students to basic design principals and elements. Although many of these disciplines are interdependent and interwoven in the professional realm, they become largely isolated from one another after the initial year(s) of foundational study. This chapter outlines a teaching experiment which addressed the phenomenon of disciplinary isolation by linking graduate level architecture students with undergraduate seniors studying interior design in a joint studio project. The experiment is presented as a case study and provides a basic outline of the course process along with a discussion of the critical successes and failures associated with the experience from the perspective of: the learner, the instructor, and the institution. The chapter highlights the importance of a student-centric learning approach in the design of collaborative course work and offers a candid assessment of the difficulties associated with collaborative teaching, such as: time intensive instructor coordination, shifts in methodology and pedagogy, and rigid institutional structures.

In recent years, there has been increased interest in expanding the use of collaborative techniqu... more In recent years, there has been increased interest in expanding the use of collaborative techniques in the education of architecture and interior design students. Acknowledging that, while significant value is found in individualistic models of training, design students are often being prepared in a manner that is contrary to the highly collaborative nature of the design practice they will enter. “Students are supposedly being prepared for practice, but they are usually led to think of themselves as independent designers, which is a rare condition in real life...The larger, team-oriented form of practice is often poorly understood and sometimes denigrated, although it is now the dominant and most vital structure in the profession” [1]. In examining the inhibitors to collaborative education [2, 3] the authors discovered that difficulties associated with student evaluation in the group context were strong deterrents for employing collaborative techniques in the design studio. This res...

The word “design” has an imbedded complexity which stems from its existence in the English langua... more The word “design” has an imbedded complexity which stems from its existence in the English language as both a word of action and a word of subject. In schools of architecture and design, students and educators frequently walk the tightrope of this duality as they navigate the process of design in a march toward a critical assessment of the design solution. A mitigating step in this development is what we in academia call a “concept.” According to the Oregon State Department of Anthropology, a concept seeks to relate “…facts to propositions or theories…” (2008). This is exactly the realm students and educators find themselves facing regarding the design of buildings and spaces in the design studio environment. However, students often find it difficult to comprehend the plethora of goals, issues, constraints, and ideas that impact, influence, and ultimately shape the design concept. They are asked to create design based on “concept” but lack knowledge and skill in the techniques utilized to generate a concept; how to ideate, examine and frame a “proposition” toward an applied solution. This paper examines an evolving teaching methodology which combines techniques (long utilized in the business world) of creative brainstorming that provide students with a systematic, repeatable approach for identifying and developing concepts.

The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively ... more The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively collaborative endeavors requiring individuals of diverse expertise working together to achieve a singular goal. Each highly trained in their respective areas, yet few (if any) are formally trained authorities in the skills of collaboration.
This lack of preparation for working in a collaborative environment continues to happen despite the fact that architects, developers, builders and engineers commonly acknowledge that collaborative skills are a necessary foundation for successful architectural projects and a requirement under current NAAB accreditation guidelines.
Historically, the education of an architect has been a highly individualized pursuit, focused on the development of an individual skill set that seldom includes collaboration beyond that of student and professor. While this individualized hands on approach to education has been highly revered by many, it often falls short of its potential and fails to recognize that the greatest design accomplishments of humankind have been the undertaking of collaborative enterprise. Furthermore, architecture students are being prepared in a manner that is contrary to the highly collaborative nature of the architectural practice they will enter.
This paper highlights research conducted as part of a doctoral dissertation focused on collaborative design pedagogy in architecture. This research examines collaborative methodologies that have been and are currently being utilized in the design studio with particular emphasis on the use of the design studio as a vehicle for teambuilding and leadership development. The research will offer findings to include the facilitators and inhibitors to constructive collaborative engagement in the design studio and methods for equitable assessment of collaborative projects. Additionally, this research also shows how collaborative environments are conducive to the ideas of open architecture.

The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively ... more The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively collaborative endeavors requiring individuals of diverse expertise working together to achieve a singular goal. Each highly trained in their respective areas, yet few (if any) are formally trained
authorities in the skills of collaboration.
This lack of preparation for working in a collaborative environment
continues to happen despite the fact that architects, developers, builders and engineers commonly acknowledge that collaborative skills are a necessary foundation for successful architectural projects and a requirement under current NAAB accreditation guidelines.
Historically, the education of an architect has been a highly individualized pursuit, focused on the development of an individual skill set that seldom includes collaboration beyond that of student and professor.
While this individualized hands on approach to education has been highly revered by many, it often falls short of its potential and fails to recognize that the greatest design accomplishments of humankind have been the undertaking of collaborative enterprise. Furthermore, architecture students are being prepared in a manner that is contrary to the highly collaborative
nature of the architectural practice they will enter.
This paper highlights research conducted as part of a doctoral
dissertation focused on collaborative design pedagogy in architecture. This research examines collaborative methodologies that have been and are currently being utilized in the design studio with particular emphasis on the use of the design studio as a vehicle for teambuilding and leadership
development. The research will offer findings to include the facilitators and inhibitors to constructive collaborative engagement in the design studio and methods for equitable assessment of collaborative projects

The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively ... more The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively collaborative endeavors, often requiring individuals of diverse experience and background, working together to achieve a singular goal. Each highly trained in their respective areas, yet few (if any) are formally trained authorities in the skills of collaboration. This includes architects, individuals who are often put at the lead of design projects which include people of varied backgrounds, working styles and areas of expertise.
Historically, the education of an architect has been a highly individualized pursuit, focused on the development of an individual skill set that seldom includes collaboration beyond that of student and professor. While this individualized hand’s on approach to education has been highly revered by many, it often falls short of its potential and fails to recognize that the greatest design accomplishments of humankind have been the undertaking of collaborative enterprise. Furthermore, architecture students are being prepared in a manner that is contrary to the highly collaborative nature of the architectural practice they will enter.
As Collaborative methods begin to see increased popularity in the design studios, the next generations of architects will have a greater capacity to work within the growing range of complexities of architectural practice. It is no longer possible for an architect to build anything substantial without the help of multiple sources, whether it is within their own team or from outside contributors. This paper begins by exploring the need for collaborative design pedagogy by looking at what goals this methodology seeks to achieve and the methods by which it has been and currently is being implemented. After making a case for the use of collaborative design pedagogy the paper concludes by examining the anatomy of a collaborative design studio recently conducted with a group of first years graduate students in architecture.

The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively ... more The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively collaborative endeavors, often requiring individuals of diverse experience and background, working together to achieve a singular goal. Each highly trained in their respective areas, yet few (if any) are formally trained authorities in the skills of collaboration. This includes architects, individuals who are often put at the lead of design projects which include people of varied backgrounds, working styles and areas of expertise. Despite that historically, the education of an architect has been a highly individualized pursuit, focused on the development of an individual skill set that seldom includes collaboration beyond that of student and professor.
However, recent years have witnessed a growing interest in facilitating greater collaboration in research and the classroom on campuses around the globe. A movement that has included architectural education, as witnessed by an increased dialogue on the subject matter, the inclusion as an accreditation criterion under NAAB guidelines and even the focus of a recent ACSA research project. It seems that everyone is talking about the NEED for greater collaboration across the discipline. However, precious few are offering examples of collaborative efforts in the design studio. This paper focuses on the mechanics of utilizing collaborative techniques in the design studio and examines the anatomy of a collaborative design studio conducted with fourth year architecture students focused on a community based design project.

This paper reexamines research conducted with more than a dozen authorities in architectural educ... more This paper reexamines research conducted with more than a dozen authorities in architectural education on collaborative methodologies over a three year period. The focus of initial study, a doctoral dissertation entitled: Collaborative Design Pedagogy: A Naturalistic Inquiry of Architectural Education (McPeek, 2009), examined the apparent disparity existent between the practicing profession of architecture and the academic preparation of its future members. In this paper, a condensed examination of specific findings from the previous data set point to four key levels of pedagogical collaboration (community, institution, faculty, and student) that are critical components to the implementation of collaborative architectural curriculum. These levels contain both inhibiting and facilitating elements that appear in all types of higher educational institutions (public, private, liberal arts schools, land grant universities, etc) and in varied curriculum settings. Thus, while the authors’ main emphasis lies in enhancing the pedagogical scope of architectural education, this data may also be pivotal in facilitating and/or inhibiting collaborative endeavors in any major field of study, particularly those which incorporate collaborative methods in the context of situated learning.

Today designers face an increasingly knowledge specific industry positioned in a constantly expan... more Today designers face an increasingly knowledge specific industry positioned in a constantly expanding global marketplace. Collaboration between vast arrays of specialized consultants situated in a variety of countries is the norm, rather than the exception, in the execution of design projects. Yet, contrary to this interdependent reality, many design students are not prepared for the highly collaborative culture of the design practice they aspire to enter.
In recently completed research directly related to the role of collaborative design pedagogy within the realm of architectural education, 1 explored factors which impact the implementation of such an education. In particular, respondents queried on the topic overwhelmingly indicated that, although there is high profile attention given to collaborative research endeavors, the same is not always true regarding collaborative teaching largely due to the difficulty of resource allocation; in particular human capital. “…whenever an administrator speaks to unifying and collaborating and going across to institutes across campus or whatever, the complexity begins, who should use the resources…” 1, pp. 97. It was this phenomenon that the author’s sought to explore in their current research.
This paper examines a recent experiment in crossing over traditionally held departmental boundaries in order to immerse students from complementary disciplines into a collaborative “comprehensive” design project aimed at engaging the wide variety of skill sets available between students of architecture and students of interior design. This studio prototype utilized a combination of individual, small-group and large-group exercises to engage the students. In this research the author’s chronicle the successes, and difficulties, associated with establishing a prototype for collaborative situated learning within the design studio environment.

Proceedings of SPIE, May 16, 2017

Autonomous Air and Ground Sensing Systems for Agricultural Optimization and Phenotyping II, 2017

Cross Examination of the …, 2010

designresearchsociety.org

Incorporating Advancements

The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively ... more The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively collaborative endeavors requiring individuals of diverse expertise working together to achieve a singular goal. Each highly trained in their respective areas, yet few (if any) are formally trained
authorities in the skills of collaboration.
This lack of preparation for working in a collaborative environment
continues to happen despite the fact that architects, developers, builders and engineers commonly acknowledge that collaborative skills are a necessary foundation for successful architectural projects and a requirement under current NAAB accreditation guidelines.
Historically, the education of an architect has been a highly individualized pursuit, focused on the development of an individual skill set that seldom includes collaboration beyond that of student and professor.
While this individualized hands on approach to education has been highly revered by many, it often falls short of its potential and fails to recognize that the greatest design accomplishments of humankind have been the undertaking of collaborative enterprise. Furthermore, architecture students are being prepared in a manner that is contrary to the highly collaborative
nature of the architectural practice they will enter.
This paper highlights research conducted as part of a doctoral
dissertation focused on collaborative design pedagogy in architecture. This research examines collaborative methodologies that have been and are currently being utilized in the design studio with particular emphasis on the use of the design studio as a vehicle for teambuilding and leadership
development. The research will offer findings to include the facilitators and inhibitors to constructive collaborative engagement in the design studio and methods for equitable assessment of collaborative projects

The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively ... more The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively collaborative endeavors, often requiring individuals of diverse experience and background, working together to achieve a singular goal. Each highly trained in their respective areas, yet few (if any) are formally trained authorities in the skills of collaboration. This includes architects, individuals who are often put at the lead of design projects which include people of varied backgrounds, working styles and areas of expertise.
Historically, the education of an architect has been a highly individualized pursuit, focused on the development of an individual skill set that seldom includes collaboration beyond that of student and professor. While this individualized hand’s on approach to education has been highly revered by many, it often falls short of its potential and fails to recognize that the greatest design accomplishments of humankind have been the undertaking of collaborative enterprise. Furthermore, architecture students are being prepared in a manner that is contrary to the highly collaborative nature of the architectural practice they will enter.
As Collaborative methods begin to see increased popularity in the design studios, the next generations of architects will have a greater capacity to work within the growing range of complexities of architectural practice. It is no longer possible for an architect to build anything substantial without the help of multiple sources, whether it is within their own team or from outside contributors. This paper begins by exploring the need for collaborative design pedagogy by looking at what goals this methodology seeks to achieve and the methods by which it has been and currently is being implemented. After making a case for the use of collaborative design pedagogy the paper concludes by examining the anatomy of a collaborative design studio recently conducted with a group of first years graduate students in architecture.

The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively ... more The design and implementation of even the simplest architectural projects are almost exclusively collaborative endeavors, often requiring individuals of diverse experience and background, working together to achieve a singular goal. Each highly trained in their respective areas, yet few (if any) are formally trained authorities in the skills of collaboration. This includes architects, individuals who are often put at the lead of design projects which include people of varied backgrounds, working styles and areas of expertise. Despite that historically, the education of an architect has been a highly individualized pursuit, focused on the development of an individual skill set that seldom includes collaboration beyond that of student and professor.
However, recent years have witnessed a growing interest in facilitating greater collaboration in research and the classroom on campuses around the globe. A movement that has included architectural education, as witnessed by an increased dialogue on the subject matter, the inclusion as an accreditation criterion under NAAB guidelines and even the focus of a recent ACSA research project. It seems that everyone is talking about the NEED for greater collaboration across the discipline. However, precious few are offering examples of collaborative efforts in the design studio. This paper focuses on the mechanics of utilizing collaborative techniques in the design studio and examines the anatomy of a collaborative design studio conducted with fourth year architecture students focused on a community based design project.

This paper reexamines research conducted with more than a dozen authorities in architectural educ... more This paper reexamines research conducted with more than a dozen authorities in architectural education on collaborative methodologies over a three year period. The focus of initial study, a doctoral dissertation entitled: Collaborative Design Pedagogy: A Naturalistic Inquiry of Architectural Education (McPeek, 2009), examined the apparent disparity existent between the practicing profession of architecture and the academic preparation of its future members. In this paper, a condensed examination of specific findings from the previous data set point to four key levels of pedagogical collaboration (community, institution, faculty, and student) that are critical components to the implementation of collaborative architectural curriculum. These levels contain both inhibiting and facilitating elements that appear in all types of higher educational institutions (public, private, liberal arts schools, land grant universities, etc) and in varied curriculum settings. Thus, while the authors’ main emphasis lies in enhancing the pedagogical scope of architectural education, this data may also be pivotal in facilitating and/or inhibiting collaborative endeavors in any major field of study, particularly those which incorporate collaborative methods in the context of situated learning.

In recent years, there has been increased interest in expanding the use of collaborative techniqu... more In recent years, there has been increased interest in expanding the use of collaborative techniques in the education of architecture and interior design students. Acknowledging that, while significant value is found in individualistic models of training, design students are often being prepared in a manner that is contrary to the highly collaborative nature of the design practice they will enter. “Students are supposedly being prepared for practice, but they are usually led to think of themselves as independent designers, which is a rare condition in real life…The larger, team-oriented form of practice is often poorly understood and sometimes denigrated, although it is now the dominant and most vital structure in the profession” [1]. In examining the inhibitors to collaborative education [2, 3] the authors discovered that difficulties associated with student evaluation in the group context were strong deterrents for employing collaborative techniques in the design studio. This research outlines the specific difficulties inherent in the evaluation of group work and explores techniques, including corresponding rubrics, which have been developed in response to the challenge.