This chapter describes approaches to advancing knowledge through research at Perkins+Will. Some are practitioner-driven initiatives motivated by real project needs and constrained by project budget and schedule. Others are firm-wide initiatives responding to larger global and competitive issues. Research questions are wide-ranging, addressing issues related to advanced materials, building technologies, environmental and energy concerns, design and construction automation, project delivery methods and management, economics, and policy. Research methods vary, from rigorous, reductionist, natural science approaches that rely on researcher detachment and science for developing general theories to more qualitative approaches that rely on human experience and practitioner action as principle sources of research knowledge. Research results are often reported in conference and journal publications, and implemented into projects in the form of tools, processes, data, or policy. Common to all research efforts at the firm is a commitment to engaging in practice-informed research that develops actionable knowledge to improve the profession of architecture, and the human condition. This chapter describes the research mechanisms that have been put in place to foster and communicate research. It also provides several examples of research projects that have emerged through these mechanisms. Conclusions identify challenges and ongoing work.
