Innovation starts with inquiry.

In our never-ending quest for knowledge, we push limits, take risks, investigate, and discover. We constantly ask ourselves, “What if?” “What’s next?” This makes our ideas clearer, our designs smarter, our teams happier, and our clients more satisfied.

Shanghai Natural History Museum
Shanghai Natural History Museum
Shanghai, China
Our research is inspired by our practice. Our practice is informed by our research.

We believe research holds the key to greater project performance. Our researchers and designers work in partnership from project start to completion. Together, they assess our clients’ goals and innovate ways to achieve them.

We're always testing new ideas and applying what we've learned.

Our seven research labs are trusted sources of information for clients around the world. We’re developing new knowledge every day to stay smarter, nimbler, and more competitive.

We're leading the global research conversation.

We’ve always believed collaboration is the key to scientific advancement. Through our open-source, peer-reviewed journal and nonprofit AREA Research, we partner with colleagues in design and academia to discover and apply new knowledge across the design profession.

Our AX app allows anyone who's curious about design to explore a range of 3D building models using augmented reality.
We're serious about technology.

We regularly invest in state-of-the-art technology to support our research practice. Advanced digital tools help us better understand a project’s performance, raising the value of every design decision we make.

Digital Practice

The convergence of design, technology, innovation and research empower us to create places that improve how we live and work. To stay at the forefront of innovative design, a dedicated team works across all studios and practices to ensure the latest design technology innovations are applied to our interdisciplinary design process.

 

Developed by our Building Technology Lab, the Mobile Robotic Assistant for Architectural Design, or MRAAD, is a robotic arm used for prototyping and design processes.
Video produced by Autodesk
We incubate ideas to nurture curious minds.

Our Innovation Incubator democratizes research and development. Anyone at our firm who wants to explore solutions to pressing design challenges can apply for a firm-funded research grant. It’s just another way we allow our creativity and curiosity to change the world. Learn more about our Innovation Incubator projects—and the people behind them.

LENS
This Fall 2018 Innovation Incubator sought to better understand daylight glare in the workplace by studying lighting simulations, evaluative rendering, node measurements, and systematic workflows.
Tactical Mycelium
This Spring 2017 Innovation Incubator explored the potential of mushroom mycelium as a temporary building material.
Getting Gestural
This Spring 2017 Innovation Incubator explored ways that motion capture and gesture recognition technology might enhance an architect's daily work.
Building in the Woods
This Fall 2016 Innovation Incubator examined ways to facilitate the delivery of computationally designed structures that require specialized construction and documentation.