On architectural ethnography: A research tool for multisensory narratives of socio-spatial practices in dwelling communities

Keynote lecture On architectural ethnography: A research tool for multisensory narratives of socio-spatial practices in dwelling communities, by Dr. Nelson Mota (Delft University of Technology).

Architectural ethnography has recently gained momentum as a transdisciplinary method for exploring social-spatial complexities. Using drawings as a medium for observation and transformation, it merges analysis, narrative, and design imagination. 

This lecture discusses how ethnographic methods embed researchers within environments, foster dialogue with subjects, and inspire future living scenarios. The lecture discussed how graphic anthropologies move beyond objectivity, offering nuanced insights into needs, behaviors, and patterns while expanding the imaginative and critical potential of architectural research and practice.

Nelson Mota is an Associate Professor at Delft University of Technology, specializing in housing design and architectural education. He holds a professional degree in Architecture (1998) and an advanced master's in Architecture, Territory, and Memory (2006) from the University of Coimbra, Portugal. In 2014, he earned his PhD from Delft University of Technology with a dissertation titled An Archaeology of the Ordinary: Rethinking the Architecture of Dwelling from CIAM to Siza which explores the intersection between vernacular social practices and housing architecture. His research focuses on housing architecture and architectural ethnography.