Esta tesis estudia la naturaleza y características de la ‘idea de proyecto’ como instrumento dentro del proceso creativo. Para ello se propone un análisis en dos partes: la primera dedicada a reflexionar sobre qué y cómo son estas ideas; la segunda está enfocada al estudio de tres estrategias clave de generación de ideas de proyecto.

La primera parte comienza describiendo la visión que sobre este concepto muestran siete arquitectos paradigmáticos de Europa y EEUU cuya influencia se extiende a lo largo del siglo XX. Esta mirada poliédrica permite reconocer dos procesos de pensamiento diferenciados: la ‘traza’ y el ‘germen’. Seguidamente se analizan las características particulares de las ideas de proyecto a la luz del conocimiento que aporta el estudio de la creatividad realizado desde disciplinas como la biología, la psicología cognitiva y la lingüística.

La segunda parte analiza tres estrategias para plantear ideas de proyecto que están determinadas por el tipo de pensamiento que las dirige. Cada camino está ilustrado mediante el estudio de obras ejemplares de tres arquitectos representativos. La primera, que aquí se denomina como el ‘significado’, consiste en plantear conceptos germinales desde la reflexión sobre el sentido del objeto proyectado. El pensamiento de Louis Kahn sirve de hilo conductor en su análisis. Una segunda estrategia, la ‘metáfora’, se soporta sobre la tendencia natural a vislumbrar aquello que en principio es desconocido y está poco delineado a partir de compararlo con algo conocido y claramente delineado. El trabajo de Jørn Utzon resulta esclarecedor en este caso.  Finalmente, la ‘sintaxis’ da nombre al camino para generar conceptos fundamentados en la manipulación del orden de los elementos que conforman proposiciones lógicas ya conocidas y asentadas en el medio cultural. Un análisis sintáctico de la obra de Rem Koolhaas permite ilustrar su alcance.

This thesis studies the nature and characteristics of ‘design concepts’ within the creative process from an instrumental point of view. With this purpose, the work is structured in two parts: one that establishes what these concepts are and how they work; another looks into three key strategies to generate them.

The first part starts with a critical overview on this notion from the perspective of seven european and american master architects, whose work has influenced the entire twentieth century. This multifaceted glance unveils two clearly recognizable thought processes: the ‘trace’ and the ‘germ’. Following this, the specific characteristics of design concepts are scrutinized under the light shed by the study of creativity produced on fields like biology, cognitive psychology and linguistics.

The second part analyses three strategies to come up with design concepts which are determined by corresponding thought patterns, each one illustrated by the work of a representative architect. The first strategy, here named the ‘meaning’, consists on arriving at a concept by pondering over the purpose of the desired object. The perspective of Louis I. Kahn serves as the perfect guide to this route. A second strategy, the ‘metaphor’, is based on the natural tendency to grasp the unknown and little defined in terms of the well known and clearly defined. The work of Jørn Utzon illuminates this road. Finally, the ‘syntax’ names the strategy of producing new concepts by relocating the elements on which well stablished concepts are built. A syntactic analysis of several projects by Rem Koolhaas shows its scope.

This thesis studies the nature and characteristics of ‘design concepts’ within the creative process from an instrumental point of view. With this purpose, the work is structured in two parts: one that establishes what these concepts are and how they work; another looks into three key strategies to generate them.

The first part starts with a critical overview on this notion from the perspective of seven european and american master architects, whose work has influenced the entire twentieth century. This multifaceted glance unveils two clearly recognizable thought processes: the ‘trace’ and the ‘germ’. Following this, the specific characteristics of design concepts are scrutinized under the light shed by the study of creativity produced on fields like biology, cognitive psychology and linguistics.

The second part analyses three strategies to come up with design concepts which are determined by corresponding thought patterns, each one illustrated by the work of a representative architect. The first strategy, here named the ‘meaning’, consists on arriving at a concept by pondering over the purpose of the desired object. The perspective of Louis I. Kahn serves as the perfect guide to this route. A second strategy, the ‘metaphor’, is based on the natural tendency to grasp the unknown and little defined in terms of the well known and clearly defined. The work of Jørn Utzon illuminates this road. Finally, the ‘syntax’ names the strategy of producing new concepts by relocating the elements on which well stablished concepts are built. A syntactic analysis of several projects by Rem Koolhaas shows its scope.