Architectural Research Methods

Book Preface

The aim of this book is to provide an introductory handbook for anyone wishing to conduct research—or more informally, inquiry—on an aspect of the built environment— from the scale of a building component, a room, a building, a neighborhood, to an urban center.

By this we mean to suggest that this book is intended to be both comprehensive and an entry point. Our intent is to be comprehensive by providing a single text that addresses the full range of research methods available and applicable to the diverse array of topics germane to architectural research. Our intent is also to offer an entry point by introducing readers to the major characteristics and applications of each research method, while simultaneously providing references to more specific books and articles on the methods of interest.

This overarching goal, as articulated in the introduction to the first edition of this book, remains a constant. However, both the nature and role of architectural research, as conducted in the academy and practice, have gradually shifted over the decade since the first edition was published in 2002. Some areas of inquiry—for example, the multiple dimensions and applications of sustainable design—have become relatively more prominent. Other research foci (e.g., the application of notable schools of thought such as critical theory or poststructuralism to design theory) have waned in some contexts, while the hands‐on exploration of digital technologies and prototype fabrication has become a significant emphasis in many settings.

In the academic context specifically, the number of doctoral programs in architecture has increased and now figures at close to 30 programs in North America alone; many schools have likewise initiated or expanded research‐based master’s programs and/or research studio options.1 Worldwide, countless other researchoriented programs in architectural and environmental design fields are available to students. Not surprisingly, given the expansion of doctoral programs, the proportion of faculty with PhDs has now risen to over 25% in U.S. architecture programs.2

In the realm of practice, the shifting tides of the economy as well as the competitive pressures among professional fields have led many firms to reshape the contours of their practices. Many have incorporated or expanded new realms of services (from distinct specialty niches to expansion into design/build) or sought to enhance collaborative relations with other professional specialists.3 Many of these initiatives entail an enhanced role for research in professional practice.

Taken together, the recent evolution of the research enterprise in academic and professional settings has, at least from our vantage point, led to an increasing convergence among the constituent audiences for this book. So, although the various audiences are addressed separately in the following paragraphs, we see many overlaps and intersections among them. Certainly, over the course of a lifetime career in architecture or allied field, most people will find themselves in every audience category listed below.