Spanning Continuums: Addressing the Separation of Research and Practice in Architecture

How did the artificial division arise between research and practice in architecture, why is it a problem, and how can it be reversed? The RMIT University School of Architecture and Urban Design in Melbourne, Australia has been pioneering practice‐embedded research for three decades, with a PhD programme that has inspired similar approaches at other institutions across the world. Having identified five continuums between research and practice that are required to maximise the potential of architecture, Emeritus Professor Leon van Schaik, who initiated the programme, explores its impact through the work of some of its participants.