The Arts Institute is pleased to announce that Alex Lorimer has completed the first ResM (Research Masters) in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Plymouth University.
The thesis title for Alex’s ResM in Architecture was ‘Mass-participation Architecture: Social Media & the Decentralisation of Architectural Agency as a Commercial Imperative’. His Director of Studies was Dr Sana Murrani.
Alex’s project provides fresh insight into the future of the architectural design industry, drawing on interview content from notable industry figures, while extrapolating form a historic comparison with the consumer goods industry. It indicates that web-based mass-participatory design platforms will come to present an increasingly viable approach to the practice of architectural design and urban planning over the following decades, given appropriate regulatory conditions, and against the backdrop of the rapidly developing culture and technologies encompassed by social media.
Alex’s thesis anticipates that the traditional roles and relationships between the public and professionals of architectural design will be significantly altered, in favour of an anti-authorial, decentralised approach to decision-making, characterised by self-organised design solutions.
ResM programmes in the Arts & Humanities are designed especially for those with strong undergraduate degrees who wish to pursue a career in research (either within academia or in professional or creative industries) in almost any area of Plymouth’s world-leading research. They comprise two taught research skills modules and an extended research project of the candidate’s choosing, based on a proposal made at application stage. ResM programmes last between 1-2 years full time and 3-4 years part time.