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What is ‘architectural design research’?

2008; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 36; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/09613210701811015

1466-4321

C. Alan Short,

Architecture, Design, and Social History

Abstract The September 2007 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Research Symposium was particularly and perhaps unexpectedly well attended this year. This review speculates on the context for this renewed interest in research in architecture. The audience was swelled by many more practitioners than the organizers expected, architects interested in understanding more about ‘reflective practice’. This evocative term, credited to Donald Schon, was given new force on the day by keynote speaker Leon von Schaik's account of his Melbourne Masters Architecture initiative. Subsequent speakers reported here included Piers Gough, Sean Griffiths, Kathryn Findlay, Jane Rendell, Deborah Saunt, Alex de Rijke, and Susan Francis who tackled, from various directions, the principal question emerging on the day: ‘What is design research as applied to architecture?’ Speakers presented built and unbuilt projects as ‘design research’. In one notable case, the designer denied absolutely any research dimension to his work, anxious that an increased level of consciousness would dismantle inspiration. How might what the general academic research community considers as research, rigorously applied methodology, and unprejudiced analysis, have affected the projects shown? Is it helpful for design to be cast as research? Is there a missing third category, a funding stream for gathering innovative design work to add to those of ‘teaching and learning’ and ‘research’? Might this new stream stimulate more than self-reflection, a much-needed innovative design programme outside conventional practice, but within academic institutions collaborating closely with practice? Le Symposium de septembre 2007 du RIBA (Institut royal des architectes britanniques) consacré à la recherche a rencontré cette année un succès particulier et quelque peu inattendu. Cet article s'interroge sur le contexte de l'intérêt renouvelé pour la recherche en architecture. Les participants comptaient dans leurs rangs beaucoup plus de praticiens que les organisateurs n'attendaient, des architectes cherchant à mieux comprendre la pratique restrictive. Ce terme évocateur, attribué à Donald Schon, a reçu le soutien du principal orateur, Leon von Schaik, évoquant son initiative Melbourne Masters Architecture initiative. Parmi les autres orateurs, on notait Piers Gough, Sean Griffiths, Kathryn Findlay, Jane Rendell, Deborah Saunt, Alex de Rijke et Susan Francis qui se sont attaqués sous des angles différents à la principale question de la journée: « Qu'est-ce que la recherche conceptuelle appliquée à l'architecture?». Les orateurs ont présenté des projets construits et non construits en matière de ‘recherche conceptuelle’. Dans un cas remarquable, le concepteur a rejeté toute dimension de recherche dans son travail, insistant sur le fait qu'un niveau de conscience plus élevé détruirait l'inspiration. Comment ce que la communauté des chercheurs académiques en général considère comme recherche, méthodologie rigoureusement appliquée, et analyse sans préjudice pourraient affecter les projets présentés? Est-il utile que de la conception soit classée dans la recherche? Existe-t-il une troisième catégorie manquante, un flux de financement pour rassembler les travaux de conception novateurs et les ajouter aux travaux d'enseignement, d'apprentissage et de recherche? Ce nouveau courant pourrait-il stimuler davantage que l'autoréflexion, un programme de conception novateur très nécessaire en dehors des pratiques classiques, mais au sein d'institutions universitaires collaborant étroitement avec les praticiens? Mots clés: pratique architecturale, recherche conceptuelle, politique publique, pratique réfléchie, programme de recherche, stratégie de recherche Keywords: architectural practicedesign researchpublic policyreflective practiceresearch agendaresearch strategy Notes 1. The Russell Group is an association of 20 major research-intensive UK universities and represents the UK equivalent of the US ‘ivy league’ of top research universities. Schools of Architecture in the Group include: University of Cambridge, Cardiff University, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Liverpool, University of Manchester, Newcastle University, University of Nottingham, Queen's University Belfast, University of Sheffield, and University College London. 2. HEFCE definition of research for the RAE (annex 3), 2008, RAE: ‘“Research” for the purpose of the RAE is to be understood as original investigation undertaken in order to gain knowledge and understanding. It includes work of direct relevance to the needs of commerce, industry, and to the public and voluntary sectors; scholarship[*]; the invention and generation of ideas, images, performances, artefacts including design, where these lead to new or substantially improved insights; and the use of existing knowledge in experimental development to produce new or substantially improved materials, devices, products and processes, including design and construction. It excludes routine testing and routine analysis of materials, components and processes such as for the maintenance of national standards, as distinct from the development of new analytical techniques. It also excludes the development of teaching materials that do not embody original research’. *Scholarship for the RAE is defined as the creation, development, and maintenance of the intellectual infrastructure of subjects and disciplines in forms such as dictionaries, scholarly editions, catalogues and contributions to major databases.