Dear All

The Space Syntax Laboratory has today launched a new web site at:

www.spacesyntax.com

The new site provides further information on our research activities here
at UCL. Importantly, it describes the now considerable application of space
syntax to the design of buildings and urban areas throughout the world.

For those of you who do not know me, my job is to run the 'applications' or
'consultancy' side of the Space Syntax Laboratory. I took the Masters
course in Advanced Architectural Studies here at UCL in 1990, worked with
Bill, Julienne and Alan for a year, qualified as an architect and returned
to the Bartlett in 1995. In the last three years we have built up a team of
six full-time and over thirty part-time researchers to work solely on
industry-funded projects.

I am pleased that the mailbase has begun a discussion related to the
applicability of space syntax to live projects since this subject is in
fact my job description. Forgive my absence from the debate for so long but
I have spent many recent weeks away from London, working in all corners of
the world with architects, developers and property owners on new-build and
refurbishment projects, advising on the relationship between how we design
space and how people use it.

Our experience in applying space syntax to the design and anaysis of the
built environment is teaching us a number of key lessons:

First: consultancy generates research. I believe it is true to say that
most of the important theoretical and methodological developments we are
currently making are being generated by 'real world' problems which we are
tackling through consultancy. The findings of our studies filter at
different rates through the teaching and academic research programmes here.
As far as possible, we make our findings available to our colleagues, in
the knowledge that the process works the other way round too.

Second: and for those of you who may be considering it, consultancy is not
a 'money-for-nothing business'. There's no easy way of 'applying' space
syntax to the problem. It is a challenge, and we operate in - as Jake
highlighted - a continuoulsy changing environment. Because of this, we need
to be good at what we do, and the only way of being good is to be linked
back in to the wider research network, both here at UCL, and throughout the
world with the global research community.

Third: consultancy creates as many new problems as it 'solves'. The task of
the researcher is to know which of these problems really matter to the task
in hand. I'm sure the architects and researchers reading this know that
anyway.

Fourth: evidence, objectivity, data, precedent. These are our tools, as
well as Axman, Spacebox and Statview. I am always amazed that so few other
consultants employ these tools in the way that we do.

Fifth: we have to be very clear in the language we use to describe space
syntax. I find we tend to say more about 'how' we do things than either
'why' we do them or 'what' it is that we find out. Clients are not much
interested in 'how'. They tend to be interested in 'why' when we're
negotiating the cost, and 'what' when we deliver our results and discuss
their implications. I'm not saying we should dumb down our methodology. I'm
simply saying that we should sometimes play up the significance of our
work. Most of us have been working with space syntax ideas for so long tha
we take their common sense principles for granted. If only the outside
world felt the same.

The message order I tend to use is:

1. what we do
2. why we do it
3. what we've done before
4. how we do it

Our new web site is intended to be a first step in improving our 'message'.
It was a big enough task to simply put the all the information together. We
will work on the site in the coming months and all comments will be
gratefully received. Please let us know if you would like us to link out to
you.

I look forward to the continuing discussion.

Best wishes

Tim

____________________________________________

Tim Stonor
Director, Space Syntax Laboratory

The Bartlett School of Graduate Studies
(1-19 Torrington Place Site)
University College London
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT

tel                   44  (0) 171  813 4364
fax                  44  (0) 171  813 4363
e.mail             [log in to unmask]
www               www.spacesyntax.com




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