The Changing Shape of Practice

Architectural practices worldwide have to deal with increasingly complex design requirements. How do practices acquire the ability to do so?

The Changing Shape of Practice provides a handbook of examples for practices that wish to integrate more research into their work and a reference book for students that seek to prepare themselves for the changing shape of practice in architecture.

It addresses the increasing integration of research undertaken in architectural practices of different sizes ranging from small to very large practices from the UK, USA, Europe and Asia. The book is organized according to the size of the practices which is significant in that it addresses the different structures and resourcing requirements that are enabled by specific practice sizes, as this determines and constrains the type, scope and modes of research available to a given practice. The practices covered include:

Woods Bagot
Perkins + Will
White
AECOM
UN Studio
Shop Architects
PLP Architecture
Kieran Timberlake
3XN
ONL
AZPML
Thomas Herzog + Partners
Herreros Arquitectos
Spacescape
OCEAN Design Research Association

By taking stock of the current shape of practice, the book provides essential information for professional architects who are integrating research into their practice.

Dr Michael U. Hensel is an architect, researcher, educator and writer. He is a professor and director of the Research Center for Architecture and Tectonics at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. He is founding and current chairman of the OCEAN Design Research Association and of SEA (Sustainable Environments Association), and author and editor of numerous books including Performance-oriented Architecture and Grounds and Envelopes, with Jeffrey P. Turko.​

Dr. Fredrik Nilsson is an architect, professor of architectural theory, and head of the Department of Architecture at Chalmers University of Technology. He is Chief Research Strategist at White Arkitekter, where he was head of R&D 2007–2014, and he is currently director of the research environment ‘Architecture in the Making: Architecture as a Making Discipline and Material Practice’, funded by the Swedish research council Formas. Nilsson frequently publishes articles, architectural criticism and reviews of books.