Manchester Architecture Research Group

Description

The agenda of the Manchester Architecture Research Group is driven by the growing recognition of architecture as a social practice and the political, cultural, and contested nature of architectural outcomes.

Architecture is understood as a comprehensive social, cultural, and technical network that surpasses the work of architects or buildings as mere objects. The group is interested in creatively exploring the interrelationships between the processes and products of architectural practice.

Their work is motivated by current conditions and ongoing developments in architectural design, aiming to investigate the complex processes and professional practices involved in conceiving, using, sharing, contesting, mediating, adapting, and changing the built environment.

The group has developed an innovative agenda focused on social studies of architecture, drawing upon interdisciplinary approaches to architecture and urban development.

Since its inception, the group has been at the forefront of developing and promoting interdisciplinary approaches to understanding architecture. They utilise archival methods, Actor-Network-Theory, ethnographic and anthropological techniques, digital mapping, and complexity theory to explore the social, economic, and political implications of architectural design. Their research projects are diverse in theme and scope, encompassing buildings and cities, temporary and permanent structures, formal and informal designs, historical and contemporary contexts, and both the North and the Global South. They emphasise social inclusivity and consider the perspectives of users, citizens, designers, policymakers, the media, and others.

Despite this diversity, their projects share a focus on situated knowledge, the practices of design professionals and users, city-making processes, network dynamics, and technical and design innovations. Adhering to a practice-oriented research philosophy, MARG's work is distinct both in the UK and globally. The research projects align with the following strands:

Architecture, Politics, and Networks of Expertise
Design, Climate, and the Anthropocene
The Architectures of Temporality
Event Architecture

MARG has a particular interest in the intersections of architecture and politics, networks of expertise, design processes and user perspectives, architecture and the Anthropocene, architectures of temporality, and event/media architecture.

Their interdisciplinary research interests encompass various fields, including archaeology, art history, popular culture, and structural engineering. The collaborative opportunities for architectural research provided by MARG are unparalleled, and the involvement of their researchers strengthens research proposals across a range of disciplines.