Ethnography in Architectural Research

This book expresses an investigative method, a story that reports the interaction between people and practices within an urban space, and a collection of observations regarding the city's daily life and its inhabitants. Through employing research methods drawn from Anthropology and Architecture, an ensemble of PhD students and teachers from Polytechnic of Milan and TU Delft participated in the Research Workshop within the AUID PhD Program and focused on exploring the Mercato dell'Isola in Milan. The collective work aimed to understand the relationship between everyday life patterns, spatial organization, and the social life of buildings and public spaces. In particular, the exercise attempts to observe the city from the unusual perspective of the elderly population. This proposal aims to create a rich tapestry of knowledge that intertwines ethnographic research with architectural considerations surrounding aging in urban settings. The goal is to connect research and architectural design with the implications of the demographic transition in contemporary cities.