Vehicles of Exchange and Change: The Role of the Student in Promoting a Culture of Research in the Profession

In 2008, under a Research for Practice (RFP) grant from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the researcher developed and evaluated a model for incorporating research into architectural education intended to prepare students and practitioners for the growing trend in evidence-based design. Through the design of a “preceptorship program” and a semester-long pilot study, the researcher addressed the question: “How can academic research performed by undergraduates benefit both the undergraduate student and a practitioner?” As a result of this RFP opportunity and the preceptorship pilot study, two parallel strands of research have emerged, one developing and testing a more robust model for integrating research into the undergraduate curriculum, and the other addressing how to facilitate access to, and management of, research evidence by practitioners. This essay discusses how results gleaned in the original RFP project have been shared with architectural practitioners and educators, and how those interactions have informed current and future research trajectories in the undergraduate education and research visualization arenas.