Wentworth Institute Graduate Class of 2013 presents Groundwork, an exhibition of thesis work. Through a wide range of materials including videos, publications and design projects, along side architectural models and drawings, Groundwork uncovers the gestalt, or inner workings, of the architectural thesis, considering how one creates a methodology that can drive an architectural investigation.

The architectural thesis is a long journey, for which the end never represents the whole body of work. Because of this, the thesis methodology, a crucial and large portion of the thesis, is often left veiled. This process represents the technique, or procedure, that guides a thesis from an initial inquiry to a robust investigation. However, it quite often remains ambiguous and unclear. Groundwork, hopes to contribute to the definition of thesis methodology.

Methodology is always rooted within the method of making, and thus any attempt at defining this term must take this process into account. Groundwork categorizes items and artifacts through distinct media typologies, breaking down methodology and the process of making. Additionally, the publication that accompanies the exhibition is an assemblage of statements from the instructors of STUDIO VIII: THESIS and an attempt to illustrate the seemingly complex nature of methodology.