Mapping the impact of research-by-design : paths cleared by architectural experimentation

This paper aims at building a critical reflection on the valuation of design experimentation in architectural research and its impact on knowledge production. These considerations are rooted in the observation of a hybrid and prospective research experience led at the University of Liège (Revisiting the apartment building 2015-2016), combining documentary research, field investigation, and a research-by-design international design studio gathering 40 architects and students in architecture.

We first position the essay on the issue of harnessing design activity for the benefit of architectural research. Secondly we report on the investigation observed and the distinct knowledge production modalities involved in the project. The particular implication of the act of designing is highlighted, among other steps of the investigation, and we put forward some characteristic features of the research process. We particularly consider the different design techniques, tools and representational processes involved in four distinct architectural experimentations and their impact in the emergence of design strategies or spatial interventions. We finally open a discussion on the questions raised by the valuation of these proposals in the research, and stress the inherent tension between opening new perspectives and redefining the scope of inquiry.