RCA School of Architecture ResearchRCA SoA Research

“What is architecture?” Many great architects, from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to Étienne-Louis Boullée, have grappled with this question. This book stems from the author’s personal reflections on the practice of architecture and offers a collection of thoughts on understanding architecture and the architectural project. It does not claim to be exhaustive or systematic. These reflections—shaped by teaching—remain personal, even as they aspire to be shared with others.

The core argument developed here is that the history of architecture must be recognized as the foundational matrix of architectural identity. From this premise, the inquiry explores the essence of architecture and the project; it examines how this discipline can be taught and learned, what constitutes a theoretical text on the project, and what defines architectural research. The book is intended for those who, like an architecture student, wish to “understand better.”