What is it about?
The paper proposes that architectural practice in India should be regarded as a source of knowledge, not merely as professional work. It examines how architects generate knowledge through complex processes involving multiple actors and contexts, drawing on data from over 300 firms. Architects are shown to mediate among stakeholders, adapt to change, and produce both explicit and implicit knowledge. The study suggests recognising architectural practice as an essential domain of knowledge production and calls for educational systems to include this perspective. It also analyses how knowledge is produced during projects, highlighting the innovative and context-bound nature of current Indian architectural work.
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Why is it important?
This work reframes architectural practice as a source of knowledge, not just the application of theory. It shows that architects create value through negotiation, collaboration, and iterative problem-solving in changing social, technological, environmental, and cultural contexts, and argues that education and institutions should recognise this role more clearly.
Perspectives
The work is a first of its kind. Fundamentally, it lays the foundation for future-oriented conversations regarding the relevance and value proposition of the architectural profession for society and for the planet.
Amrita Madan
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Theorising architectural practice as research: epistemic knowledge production in contemporary Indian architecture, Archnet-IJAR International Journal of Architectural Research, August 2026, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/arch-01-2026-0107.
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