Homepage

Welcome to the ARbD’14 – Fourth International Conference on Architectural Research by Design: Unifying Academia and Practice through Research at Fundação Centro Cultural de Belém CCB, Almada Negreiros room, Praça do Império, Lisbon – Portugal

The organizers of this conference, the Architectural Department ( DARQ) of the Lusófona University (ULHT), the Architectural Research in Europe Network Association ( ARENA), the Garagem Sul / Cultural Centre of Belém ( CCB) and the Architectural Lab. Research Centre ( LabART) are seeking to reflect on the interactions between academia and practice in Architecture, through the concept of Research by Design.

Presentation and Scope

Research by design is a broader concept that includes “practice-based research” and “practice-led research” which means that we are talking about two kinds of methodologies of research: one involves research through practice and the other involves research about practice.

The difference is methodological, because one is research where the inquiry is leading to new understandings about and within the processes of design conception while the other is research about something that does not yet exist and which uses architectural practice as the research method.

In terms of the general concept of architectural research, this conference adopts the definition given in the EAAE Research Charter (2012), which we helped to develop: “Architectural research is original investigation undertaken in order to generate knowledge, insights and understanding based on competences, methods and tools proper to the discipline of architecture.

It has its own particular knowledge base, mode, scope, tactics and strategies.” And in turn, research by design is defined as “any kind of inquiry in which (…) the architectural design process forms the pathway through which new insights, knowledge, practices or products come into being.

It generates critical inquiry through design work.”