Document Type

Other

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Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Publication Details

Doctoral Workshop

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This research is a detailed study on the performance of external walls aimed at providing a guidance tool which will enable designers to determine the appropriate thermal upgrade system for a housing retrofit, particularly in Ireland; taking into account wall type, climatic conditions and orientation. This paper explains the steps taken to establish a research design and methodological approach suited to the topic at hand.

The choice of research methodology is a difficult step for the researcher to decide upon in the research process. When it comes down to an architectural technologist, the process becomes even more difficult. Throughout a college process of taught procedures for accurate building design, solutions do not delve into the world of methodological approaches. Research methodology is simply not a common concept or approach throughout the Architectural/Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector. This paper assesses the existing limited research in the AEC sector, while highlighting how this was interpreted by a novice researcher with a background of architectural technology, to allow accurate and precise research analysis.

Each research method has inherent strengths and weaknesses. Careful attention to the methodological approach of the design process, as discussed here, can enhance the validity and consistency of a given study. Combining quantitative and qualitative approaches in research design and data collection should be considered whenever possible. Such mixed methods research improves the validity and reliability of the resulting data and reinforces fundamental implications by providing the opportunity to observe data convergence or separation in the analysis of the theory.

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