Architectural Theory Research Articles

Just What Is a “Right-Wing Space?”: Revisiting a Debate About Architectural Theory and Far Right Populism

This article analyses the debate about the relationship between the rise of the far right and the built environment in Germany. Four distinct arguments are identified and evaluated: the development of a critique of architectural modernism by far-right intellectuals; the rehabilitation of Nazi architects and theorists; the creation of spaces for right-wing prefigurative politics; and, lastly, historical reconstructions as a factor in the rightward shift of political culture. The article claims that all these arguments have some validity, but that only the last points to a development with wider political impact. It also argues that there has been a shift from a critical understanding of reconstructions to an uncritical one, and that uncritical reconstructions can facilitate a rapprochement between centre-right parties and intellectuals and far-right figures.

The new Norwegian Education Act as arrangements for inclusive education practices for students with SEN: the vanishing concept of the Nordic model?

ABSTRACT Despite commitment to the values of one school for all in Norway, there has been an increasing number of segregated units for students with special educational needs (SEN) over the years, highlighting a discrepancy between legislative intentions and the practical implementation of inclusive education. Barriers to inclusion can emerge in any setting, especially when there is a lack of a shared understanding of inclusion and inclusive education within legislative frameworks. This study investigates how the new Norwegian Education Act (EA) could constrain and facilitate inclusive education practices for students with SEN by analysing the EA and its preparatory documents through the lens of Theory of Practice Architectures (TPA). The findings indicate that the EA promotes a discourse consistent with a broad definition of inclusion. The enhanced focus on students’ democratic rights to be involved in decision-making aligns with the values of the Nordic model of education. However, the broad definition of inclusion, the ambiguous concept of students with SEN, the reduced emphasis on SEN in legislation and the endorsement of alternative educational settings in preparatory work could exacerbate the segregation of students with SEN, thus undermining the fundamental values of the Nordic educational model.

Circle time in preschool as a practice for developing language support between teachers and children using the structured ELSA model

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on how early childhood teachers developed deeper understandings of their communication support for children in everyday practice through professional learning conversations by introducing the Early Language Support Activity (ELSA) model. With this model, communication patterns were studied using a proven observation tool based on language research and developed by Dockrell et al. (2015). This protocol was used in a process of action research focused on communication patterns in circle time, which gave the early childhood teachers data to discuss and reflect on what happens in their conversations with children. The theory of practice architectures was used as a theoretical lens to understand the conditions of possibility that action research might provide for learners and leaders of professional learning .In conclusion, through changed practice architectures, participants developed awareness of themselves as educators and learned that communication with children can be supported and developed by circle time. Moreover, the interaction and communication practices among members of the teacher team were enhanced through realization of the importance of a structure in developing their communication patterns.

Care and choice architecture: Relatives' support for adults with intellectual disabilities in supported decision-making processes.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) describes supported decision making as a fundamental human right. This study explores relatives' experiences, dilemmas, as well as key factors in supported decision-making processes with adults with intellectual disabilities living in municipal housing. The study draws on qualitative, in-depth interviews with relatives. Findings suggest that we can learn about supported decision making by using choice architecture and care theories, demonstrating that: (a) care sometimes requires facilitating for making decisions, what we here understands in light of choice architecture, (b) choice architecture in the context of intellectual disability requires an intentionality of care and a focus on the person's preferences/perspective, (c) relatives are concerned, not only with support in the moment, but also the effect of the decision in the long term, and (d) relatives' care is a significant factor in meeting choice architecture in systemic conditions.

Enabling and constraining ‘vulnerability ready’ teachers in mentee–mentor relations

ABSTRACT Becoming a teacher is complex and relies on productive relations forged in practicum contexts that support expressions of uncertainty. Supportive mentor–mentee practices are integral to enabling relationships that can nurture expressions of vulnerability in workplace learning. However, workplace conditions are affected by the sociocultural arrangements that shape how relationships are enabled and constrained, affecting how preservice teachers (PST) perceive and respond to expressions of vulnerability. The added requirement of a teacher performance assessment to endorse PSTs to the profession adds another layer of complexity to expressions of uncertainty. When performative demands are framed within social conditions, educators can feel powerless to act agentically in response to these demands and be less likely to express their vulnerabilities. Drawing on the theory of practice architectures and adopting a comparative case study methodology, two cases of learning teaching in open-plan learning classrooms are examined. Expressions of vulnerability are grounded in the stories of PSTs’ practicum relations they build with mentors to legitimise their readiness for classrooms. Conditions that enabled dialogue, interactions and collaboration support an openness to expressions of vulnerability in early career experiences, shaping resilience as vulnerability-ready agency as teachers. However, findings also highlight constraining elements of practicum learning that limit PSTs’ transformation and may be supported by a thinking-feeling praxis.

‘It’s like being there, but not in the way'. Exploring the use of virtual reality tools to stimulate reflection in Norwegian physical education teacher education

ABSTRACT The ongoing discussion surrounding the incorporation of technology in education has persisted over time. While technology offers significant advantages, such as improved collaboration and access to quality educational materials, it also introduces complexities such as the digital divide and concerns about data privacy, awareness and appropriate use. VR presents opportunities for future teachers to practice decision-making skills in controlled environments, although its effectiveness varies depending on the context and user perceptions. Research indicates that 360° videos enhance reflexivity, support practice and improve observation skills and content knowledge. However, the impact of viewing these videos individually versus in groups remains inconclusive. This study aims to explore students’ perspectives on the use of primary school physical education (PE) 360° video recordings and VR technology to enhance reflexivity. To this end, the theory of practice architectures was reviewed to provide a framework for analysing how educational practices interact with wider contexts, while another theory, reflection, helps to examine students’ critical thinking and introspection. The study intervention involved fourth-year students at a Norwegian university, who observed 360° recordings of physical education lessons using VR technology. Data were generated through these observations, which included the 360° recordings and small group interviews, and were analysed using reflective thematic analysis. The results highlight the importance of group dynamics, and that the authenticity of VR experiences can foster motivation and reflection. These insights can inform the design of future educational approaches in physical education teacher education (PETE), emphasising the need for careful consideration of technological and pedagogical practices to support effective and innovative teaching and learning to enhance experience and teaching.

Konsep Tata Ruang Goa Gajah dan Kolam Patirthan Berdasarkan Arsitektur Tradisional Bali

The aim is to find out the application of the spatial layout of Goa Gajah and the Patirthan pond based on traditional Balinese architecture and to find out the relationship between Goa Gajah and the Patirthan pond reflected in the function of the building. The research method is qualitative with inductive reasoning. Data collection was carried out using literature studies, observations, interviews and documentation studies. The collected data was processed using spatial character analysis, contextual analysis and qualitative analysis supported by spatial theory of traditional Balinese architecture and architectural function theory. The results of the research concluded that Goa Gajah and the Patirthan pond were identified as being based on traditional Balinese architectural spatial concepts, namely; Tri Hita Karana; Tri Angga and Tri Loka; and orientations. Analysis of the relationship between Goa Gajah and the Patirthan pond also implies a philosophical relationship between mountains and the sea. The activities at Goa Gajah and the Patirthan pond clarify the relationship between buildings, and represent the building as a social environment for ascetics.

80th anniversary of NIITIAG

The article is dedicated to the anniversary of the Scientific Research Institute of Theory and History of Architecture and Urban Planning (NIITIAG), which the Institute celebrates this year.

Architectural Dynamics in Tolkien’s Novel, The Hobbit: A Literary and Cinematic Perspective

This study investigates the dynamic interplay between architectural elements and narrative construction in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit (1937) and its cinematic adaptations directed by Peter Jackson. By focusing on both literary and cinematic mediums, this research elucidates how architectural elements contribute to world-building, character development, story progression, and thematic expression. The fantasy genre, with its potential for spatial constructs, provides fertile ground for this exploration. Through comprehensive analysis, it is revealed that Tolkien’s strategic use of spaces such as the Shire, Erebor, and the Woodland Realm enhances the narrative's depth and realism. These spaces are integral to the narrative, reflecting the cultural and moral attributes of their inhabitants and influencing the story's progression. In parallel, Jackson's films reinterpret these architectural spaces, employing cinematic techniques to amplify their visual and emotional impact. The adaptation showcases the integration of architectural elements with narrative and character development, creating a different kind of experience for viewer. This study adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from literary analysis, film studies, and architectural theory, to offer new insights into the significant role of architecture in storytelling. The research highlights how architectural principles are translated into narrative devices in literature and visual representations in film. The findings underscore the transformative potential of architectural elements in narrative construction, highlighting their importance as central components rather than mere background settings. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted relationship between architecture, literature, and film, and calls for further interdisciplinary exploration to fully appreciate the impact of spatial dynamics in narrative art.

Co-design practice in higher education: practice theory insights into collaborative curriculum development

ABSTRACT Higher education curricula require regular renewal. Varied expertise is needed to meet the multi-faceted challenges of curriculum development, hence the importance of collaborative approaches. Co-design is one approach to curriculum making as a relational practice, with evidence showing it can improve pedagogical quality and stakeholder involvement via a collaborative ethos that breaks through constraints of individual imagination and assumptions. The actual doing of co-design in higher education remains largely undocumented, limiting our understanding of this crucial feature of contemporary pedagogical innovation and development. This paper combines the theory of practice architectures with practitioner inquiry to explore three co-design projects within a large curriculum transformation initiative at an Australian university. Each involved a course coordinator, educational developer and learning designer working with tutors, students, industry representatives and media producers. Analysis focuses on how co-design team members connected their own actions to those of others, and how they collectively accomplished things that could not have been achieved alone. Identifying these highlights co-design as a process of learning, coming to practise differently, shaped by the site at which it unfolds, but also reshaping this wider context. This analysis sheds new conceptual light on the black box of co-design as enacted in higher education.

Sustainable Design Methods Translated from the Thermodynamic Theory of Vernacular Architecture: Atrium Prototypes

In the context of China’s sustainable development and dual carbon goals, research on thermodynamic architecture theory and vernacular architecture increasingly aligns with international trends, developing distinct characteristics. This research addresses the challenge of rapid changes in the built environment by focusing on climate adaptability and passive technologies. However, the development of thermodynamic theory in vernacular architecture faced technical limitations in the early 21st century and was later overshadowed by the industry’s reliance on active technologies to meet green building standards, resulting in a reduced role for architects in the green building field. This article traces the origins of passive architecture, rooted in vernacular architecture, and applies thermodynamic theory to explore architectural prototypes. It examines the theoretical feasibility of architectural design in achieving low-carbon and sustainable goals, aiming to fill a gap in thermodynamic theory within the broader context of sustainable architectural development. After demonstrating the various passive prototypes inherent in vernacular architecture, this paper proposes a courtyard prototype focused on residential comfort for design translation and analysis. The research methods employed include bioclimatic charting, balance point temperature analysis in time series, and extensive computer simulations. Through the process of prototype extraction, performance analysis, validation, and optimization, the paper systematically discusses sustainable design methods within the framework of thermodynamic architecture theory. It also provides practical demonstrations of these methods across four distinct climate regions in China. By translating vernacular architectural designs, this research systematically organizes the theoretical framework for architects’ early involvement in low-carbon and green building design, offering a theoretical foundation for initiating the design process through prototype translation while guiding the generation of green ecological buildings.

Practitioner architects who teach design: evaluative judgement and identity

PurposePractitioner architects who teach design move between their professional practice and teaching, and these different work contexts and cultures shape their identity. When teaching, they need to self-regulate in order to perform independently and develop their teaching. This paper discusses what practitioner architects who teach design say they do in design studios, their conceptions about roles in design studios, how they develop their ability for evaluative judgement and shape their identity.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs case study methodology. It relies on data collected via semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The audio recordings were transcribed and analysed by identifying persistent words, phrases and ideas that were grouped into themes. Each “idea” is drawn from terms used by participants (e.g. characterising aspects of their practices) and researchers’ interpretations and/or based on existing ideas (e.g. found in the literature). The “theory of practice architectures” is employed as a framework of analysis to investigate what professional architects who teach design say they do in studios and their conceptions of their roles, design teaching and development of teaching expertise.FindingsFindings show that practitioner architects who teach design employ evaluative judgement to provide constructive feedback to students and monitor the quality of their own projects. They also use evaluative judgement to assess the quality of their own teaching and hence self-regulate their professional development as design educators. Participants do not identify as teachers; rather their identity is firmly rooted in professional practice.Originality/valueThe study focuses on practitioner architects who teach design and explores how they develop their ability for evaluative judgement and shape their identity through the lens of “theory of practice architectures” which offered a comprehensive view of practices as encompassing conceptions, intentions, actions and outcomes.

A comprehensive literature review and bibliometric analysis on shape grammar theory and applications in architecture

Shape Grammar is a systematic tool used in the logical argumentive method in research for interpreting spatial design and activities. Shape grammar applies a group of shape rules in stages to create a set or a language of design. Researchers worldwide have used this method in various fields including architecture, arts, graphical design, and pattern recognition. Even in the case of architecture, researchers worldwide have implemented the shape grammar method to analyze patterns in various architectural fields. This study analyzed publication trends in the shape grammar domain using “Bibliometrix”, an open-source tool that uses the R package. Research papers from the Web of Science and Scopus (WoS) database were identified and assessed in terms of annual publication trends, contributions of various authors, countries, citation counts of authors, universities, popular keywords, journal trends, etc. A comprehensive literature review of all relevant research papers available in the WoS and Scopus academic databases on shape grammar and its application in architecture was also conducted as part of this study. The research paper concludes with the possible research opportunities in the domain of shape grammar.

Synthesizing lifeworld and system to sustain and grow cross school connections: a consideration of practice architectures

ABSTRACT Policies for cross school collaboration can be devised with intentions to strengthen practices across communities; however, their enactments may vary greatly across contexts. Drawing on the Habermasian theory of communicative action and Kemmis and colleagues’ theory of practice architectures, this article addresses the dynamics of the lived experience of school leaders within a policy context that fosters cross school collaborations and networking. This article examines the interplay between lifeworld dynamics and system logic within an Aotearoa New Zealand policy initiative that emphasizes professional learning, transitions across schooling sectors, and inter-school collaborations. Drawing on interviews with 10 school principals, the research investigates the dynamics produced through professional learning and collaboration across schools. The principals’ experiences reveal both the potential for synergies between lifeworld and system logic in fostering educational collaboration and tensions that arise from the doubleness of the different system demands that layer with lifeworld experiences. The theory of practice architectures is used to highlight the complexities of policy enactment in educational settings. The findings underscore the delicate balance required to navigate the benefits of collaboration and the challenges posed by different systems, ultimately calling for a nuanced understanding of the interdependencies between educational policies, enactments across communities, and professional practices.

Beyond the Master’s Tools: In Conversation with Keller Easterling

Keller Easterling is an unconventional thinker. Spanning writing, creative practice and teaching, her work draws on disparate sources and intellectual traditions: from media theory to the philosophy of ecology; economic geography to game theory; anarchisms to feminisms; and from decolonisation to political discourse analysis. Infrastructure, mutualism, reparations, freedom, fugitivity, indeterminacy, whiteness, failure and solidarity emerge as core concerns in her wider attempts to develop an artistic approach capable of contending with contemporary forms of violence and power. In late 2023, Architectural Theory Review (ATR), in conjunction with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), invited Easterling to discuss her recent work on the civil rights movement in the US. Easterling sat down with Endriana Audisho (UTS) and Jasper Ludewig (ATR) to elaborate on the themes and questions that emerged from this work, discussing their relevance to her scholarship, pedagogy and broader spatial practice.

Leaders’ perceptions of digitalisation in K–12 education: influencing arrangements for leading the expansion of digital technologies

This paper aims to contribute knowledge about the influences of leaders’ perceptions of digitalisation on arrangements for leading the expansion of access to and application of digital technologies in K–12 education. Supporting the digitalisation of K–12 education requires digital competence. School organisers’ and school leaders’ digital competence and perceptions of digitalisation contribute to how digital technologies are employed in schools. Survey and participant observations were used to investigate leaders’ perceptions of digitalisation in K–12 education. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and theory of practice architecture. The results show that perceptions of digitalisation in K–12 education influence arrangements by allowing opportunities for enhanced quality in teaching and equality within and among schools. Further, collaborations between leaders, sharing ideas and experiences, and enhancing leadership are elements that contribute to the shaping of leaders’ perceptions of digitalisation in schools. This paper contributes to the knowledge of leaders’ perceptions of expanding the access to and application of digital technologies in schools.

Mentors and sponsors: Making a difference for racially and culturally minoritised academics in Australian universities

AbstractMentorship and sponsorships play a significant role in faculty experiences, career trajectories, well‐being and academic success in higher education. In this study, 23 racially and culturally minoritised (RACM) academics were interviewed about their experiences working in Australian universities, and all spoke about the key importance of their mentoring experiences. Mentorship was understood as both enabling and constricting, with unspoken rules of conduct and an embedded hierarchical relationship that could perpetuate the exclusion of both marginalised scholars and scholarship. In this paper, the theory of practice architectures, part of a wider ‘practice turn’ within education and the social sciences, was used to conceptualise the qualitative analysis of how mentoring arrangements are experienced by RACM academics in Australian universities. Here, we view academic mentoring as a social architectural practice whose power is articulated in discursive, material‐economic and social‐political arrangements and enacted through language (sayings), actions (doings) and relationships (relatings). This study offers insight not only into the structural and experiential landscape of mentoring for RACM academics but also provides an opportunity to envision pathways for its transformation.

ALLin4IPE- an international research study on interprofessional health professions education: a protocol for an ethnographic multiple-case study of practice architectures in sites of students’ interprofessional clinical placements across four universities

BackgroundThe global discourse on future health care emphasises that learning to collaborate across professions is crucial to assure patient safety and meet the changing demands of health care. The research on interprofessional education (IPE) is diverse but with gaps in curricula design and how IPE is enacted in practice.Purpose and aimsThis research project will identify. 1) how IPE in clinical placements emerges, evolves, and is enacted by students when embedded in local health care practices, 2) factors critical for the design of IPE for students at clinical placements across the four countries.MethodsA study involving four countries (Sweden, Norway, Australia and New Zealand) using the theory of practice architectures will be undertaken between 2023 and 2027. The project is designed as an international, collaborative multiple-case ethnographic study, using the theoretical framework of practice architectures (TPA). It will include four ethnographic case studies of IPE, one in each country. Data will be collected in the following sequence: (1) participant observation of students during interprofessional placements, (2) interviews with students at clinical placement and stakeholders/professionals, (3) Non-clinical documents may be used to support the analysis, and collection of photos may be use as memory aids for documenting context. An analysis of “sayings, doings and relatings” will address features of the cultural- discursive, material-economic, social-political elements making up the three key dimensions of TPA. Each of the four international cases will be analysed separately. A cross case analysis will be undertaken to establish common learning and critical IPE design elements across the four collaborating universities.DiscussionThe use of TPA framework and methodology in the analysis of data will make it possible to identify comparable dimensions across the four research sites, enabling core questions to be addressed critical for the design of IPE. The ethnographic field studies will generate detailed descriptions that take account of country-specific cultural and practice contexts. The study will also generate new knowledge as to how IPE can be collaboratively researched.

Viewing science teacher learning and curriculum enactment through the lens of theory of practice architectures

Viewing science teacher learning and curriculum enactment through the lens of theory of practice architectures

Recalibrating Our Position

A review of Pari Riahi, Laure Katsaros and Michael T. Davis (eds), Exactitude: On Precision and Play in Contemporary Architecture, Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2022, 216 pages, 38 illus. ISBN: 9781625346728. The book is a timely, well-crafted and wide-ranging collection of essays that stake out contrasting and, at times, contradictory positions toward exactitude in architectural theory and practice. Using Italo Calvino’s Six Memos for the Millenium as a starting point, the essays share a common goal of exploring how a critical understanding of the ethical and imaginative capabilities of exactitude can help us appreciate the agency of architects.