The structural observation journal is an exercise designed to expand your awareness of the structural world around you. It is based on a similar exercise I was given in my undergraduate engineering school days when studying fluid mechanics and thermodynamics with my professor (now emeritus), Dr. John M. Boyd at Worcester Polytechnic Institute—a person I consider to be one of the greatest educators I had the privilege of studying under.
The phrase "familiarity breeds contempt" might not directly apply here, however familiarity does breed oversight. To me, the beauty of structures is that there is nothing which is not structure...even our own bodies, the most immediate structure of all to us. In the crush of daily pressures, though, we can take for granted the miracle of life and the beauty of natural creation all around us. As architectural students, a part of your education is to begin to step back and take a critical look at the world and question your assumptions.
The structural observation journal is a tool to facilitate that process. It is a vehicle for broadening your own self-awareness of common objects which you see every day, but may never have given thought to. Conscientiously pursued, this can be a wonderful tool which many students have given favorable comment on. All that is asked is that you thoughtfully approach this and not cobble something together at the last minute...otherwise its value is lost. It takes only a few minutes a couple of times a week, but the return can last a lifetime.
Here are three examples of some excellent structural journals which have been submitted in the past:
