paimio sanatorium

DATA TYPE ANALYSIS METHOD ASPECT OF ANALYSIS

Texts by Alvar Aalto Identifying ideas on the relationship between

architecture and technology and identifying

influences from Le Corbusier and Walter

Gropius. Discussion on the target audience.

Analysing the visual elements in relation to

the text.

Primary sources were interpreted as parts of

the reality of the research object, providing

the researcher with information on the

intellectual sphere. Also the visual elements

of Aalto’s articles were problematised.

Architectural designs Preparing a database of all preserved

architectural drawings. Listing the documents

in chronological order, considering the

content, grouping the drawings, comparing

them to other sources. Some of the original

architectural drawings held at the Aalto

Museum were in such poor condition that the

researcher was not allowed to access them

and no copies of them were available.

Design documents were interpreted as parts

of the reality of the research object, providing

the researcher with information on how the

technological issues were dealt with. The

drawings also provided the researcher with

information on what was considered worth

designing and how the designs changed.

Constructional working

drawings, specifications and

workshop drawings

Preparing a database of all known construc-

tional drawings. Listing the documents in

chronological order, considering the content,

and comparing them to other sources.

Design documents were interpreted as

parts of the reality of the research object,

providing the research information on how

the technological issues were dealt with.

Minutes of the Building

Board and the Building

Committee

Indexing the subject matter in chronological

order, constructing a narrative, discussing the

decision making process, and comparing the

content to other sources.

Firstly, the material was taken as fact, and

secondly, it was taken as parts of the reality

of the research object.

Contracts Comparing the content to other sources.

Considering the relations of the different

stakeholders.

Firstly, material was taken as fact, and

secondly, it was taken as parts of the reality

of the research object.

Photographs from the

building period

Comparing the content to other sources. Photographs were taken both as fact and as

parts of the reality of the research object,

providing the researcher with information on

what was considered worth photographing.

Texts by ideologically

influential architects at

conferences and exhibition

catalogues

What kind of technology-related content

did the writer highlight in the text and the

illustrations.

Published articles were interpreted as parts

of the reality of the research object.

The building itself and other

related buildings

Historical survey and familiarity with the site. Material was taken as fact.

Table. 1.4.2a. Methods and aspects of analysis of different data types.