McBride Charles Ryan: Metaphors of Knowledge

BACKGROUND 'McBride Charles Ryan: Metaphors of Knowledge' is a reflective discussion about the contribution this practice has made to education architecture and how their work reflects a nation wide shift towards innovative design within education architecture. The review taps into a long history of architectural critique where figures like Ada Louise Huxley, the well-known architecture critic and writer, awarded the first ever Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, brought architecture into the public realm through writing. This also aligns with a current questioning about the role of architecture within the contemporary climate where the nature of procurement and construction is changing. Of note, the research and writing of Professor Leon van Schaik has been of great importance within this area such as his book 'Procuring Innovative Architecture' (2010). Published within Australia's popular industry magazine, the authors' article continues within this tradition. SIGNIFICANCE 'McBride Charles Ryan: Metaphors of Knowledge' was published within Architecture Australia', one of Australia's leading magazines about architecture. The magazine has been in print in various forms and under various names for over a 100 years. It was first published in 1905 and is now an important part of design discourse. As Professor Philip Goad points out, "after one hundred years, 'Architecture Australia' still remains the focus of the Australian architecture profession's dialogue with its members and its public." CONTRIBUTION In line with contemporary theorists and academics like Jeremy Till and Jane Rendell, this article aligns with the notion of writing as an expanded form of practice beyond the built form and into the realm of ideas, ethics and reflection. This debate stems from a current questioning of the role of architecture within the contemporary climate that has inspired architects to experiment in non-traditional methods of practice.