Investigating design as research: Understanding R&D activities in Australian architectural practices

Within the property and construction industry architectural design is generally seen as a problem solving activity which meets client needs. Through design, architects respond to a brief by using their design expertise to visualize and integrate together different building systems. However as buildings have become more complex architects are beginning to argue that design is not simply a problem solving activity in its own right. In this view, design is a research process which is unique. However, this view is quite different from accepted norms of what constitutes scientific research or research and development. Moreover in Australia very little is known about the R&D activities of architects and how these relate to the concept of design as research. Understanding how different practices undertake R&D and how much of this might be embedded in architectural design activities is important. Four case studies of architectural practices employing semi-structured interviews will be presented. The data gathered from these case studies were used to structure a broader online survey which was distributed to 1100 architects and received 92 responses. Architects conduct a range of what they identify as original research activities but few architects document or formalize these activities. For this reason identifying the research activities that architects conduct through the design and project delivery process is a first step in understanding how design activities drive construction innovation.