Definition of Research Projects

The definition of the research projects constitutes the first step towards the successful transfer of knowledge to the 3XN architects. Here, the GXN researcher seeks to identify problems and pain points that can be solved through research. Those pain points can emerge from different origins, such as the industry at large, tendencies followed by 3XN, requirements from specific projects, or requests from the management body. The researcher’s responsibility therefore is to recognise those difficulties, and problematise them in a comprehensible way, in order to later look and find for their confirmation (Latour, 1986).

This chapter serves the purpose of depicting the process of problematisation through which GXN

defines the research projects. The focus will be brought onto the different elements influencing the researcher in the definition of research projects.

Three Pillars as a Framework 

As explained before in the case description, GXN structures its knowledge in three design strategies, also referred to as pillars, that are behavior design, circular design, and digital design.

According to GXN, each reflects a specific concern the architectural industry should respond to.

Behaviour design responds to the social expectations of architecture, circular design answers to the environmental issues we are currently facing, and digital design seeks to leverage the technological advancement taking place. Together, the three pillars lay the foundation for the company and create a framework for any research selected and eventually undertaken, as one of the researcher

(researcher 1) explains it:

“We have these three sections as I said, digital design, circular design, behavior design. So, in that sense, there's a framework, a focus area,(...) they're quite broad as well. So you get to do a lot of different stuff within them.” (Interview, Researcher 1, March 2020).

As underlined in the quote, each of those three sections (referred to as pillars) are rather large, and therefore enclose numerous subtopics​​being studied by the researchers at GXN. Therefore, the problematic state of affairs established by the researcher has to fit within one of those three pillars, as all GXN projects are selected to fit in the interest of the company. By making sure that the projects match one of the three research pillars, GXN ensures that it will be purposeful and serve its objectives of impacting the built environment, or supporting 3XN in the completion of its projects.

The ​Building a Circular Future​ book (Jensen & Sommer, 2016) illustrates this way of

problematising. It originates from GXN’s aim to provide circular design and circular economy principles for the architecture and building industry. Strongly anchored at the heart of the circular design strategy of the company, and portrays its intentions of impacting the built environment. It directly responds to the environmental imperative of reducing the global CO2 emissions produced by the built environment, and considers the expectations society has towards this industry.

Ultimately, the book seeks to provide solutions to the different stakeholders of the industry, and convince them that change is possible (Interview, Researcher 3, April 2020).

The researchers pursue the areas in which they lack knowledge, in order to build a more complete and relevant body of knowledge under the predefined focus areas. Without the three pillars, GXN might explore too many and too diverse fields of knowledge, which might not bring value to the industry or the 3XN/GXN organisation (Interview, Researcher 1, March 2020). In this way, GXN wants to make sure that the research project undertaken will have a significant impact when completed and shared with 3XN, or other actors of the network.

Applicability and Scalability of the Projects 

To ensure that each project brings value, GXN relies on two crucial qualities, namely applicability and scalability (Interview, Researcher 3, March 2020). The developed tool or concept therefore has to be applicable to a specific project or to the industry. The project also needs to be scalable and grow with its use. If both positive, applicability and scalability confirms the relevance of the research project, as well the likelihood of a successful implementation of the solution on a industry-wide level. To reassure the applicability and scalability the researchers evaluate all

dimensions required for the implementation of the project. This results in the creation of a business model outlining the viability of the project, providing guidance regarding the budget, production and technicalities (Interview, Researcher 1, March 2020). The GXN researchers make use of their knowledge of the built environment to anticipate the practical needs for the implementation of the product or knowledge. By thoroughly assessing applicability and scalability, GXN drastically reduces the possibility that the resources spent on a research project are wasted because of its inability to be used in practice.

Emergence of Research Projects 

The process of definition and selection of the fields of research is often based on the interaction and discussion between the researchers. Interaction between researchers is an element of establishing the research projects which was also addressed in Confirmation of Relevance. This was supported by Researcher 4:

“(...) we also then discuss these ideas and share knowledge between our different

disciplines. For example, Kåre is an anthropologist, he's doing a PhD in something now,

I'm an architect with a PhD in something else. So those discussions are important.”

(Interview, April 2020).

GXN acts as a cluster within the organisation itself (Interview, Researcher 4, April 2020). In this cluster, discussion and interaction is key to form a relevant and accurate research project. Here, the individual researcher’s specialisation can be valued in sharing ideas. It is a systematic process they go through as a group, by talking with one another, keeping each other updated on the progress of the research, sharing findings, interests and production methods (Interview, Researcher 2, April 2020). Communication is a crucial aspect in the establishment of future research projects, because they offer new points of view, challenge assumptions and help to define the research project.

Eventually, it is also through​ th​e conversation that the topic will be confirmed.

The specific research areas do not only emerge from the researchers’ own cluster but also through the interaction with other actors of the organisation, such as the 3XN architects. It is important to have people with different perspectives discussing the same topic in order to extract the challenges that it entails (Interview, Researcher 2, April 2020). Interacting with the architect allows the researcher to gain insight in the practice of architecture and the related needs of the architects. The merger between research and practice is essential for the development of the current research projects undertaken at GXN. The architects provide the researcher with a reflection of the practice through the 3XN projects. In this way, the research projects emerge from a concrete need outlined by the architects. The research projects may also be decided by the management of the two

companies. They can decide that a specific topic will become of interest to the companies in the future. Through a top-down decision making approach, new research projects may emerge. This will happen in the merger between the two companies, where they can both see the benefit from a particular research project.

We suggest that the definition of the research project is produced in three different ways within the 3XN/GXN organisation. A figure has been created to illustrate the relationship between the two companies when initiating research projects (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Emergence of Research Projects

The three ways research projects emerge within the organisation coincide with the individuals defining them. The first one comes from the GXN researchers themselves, motivated by their research and perception of the architectural industry and based within the three research pillars. The production of the book ​Building a Circular Future​ exemplifies such method.

Secondly, the research projects can be identified in the merger between the two companies where a mixed group of individuals from both companies becomes a part of defining the problematic. Here, the management of 3XN & GXN will be the main determinants of a project’s initiation. This was the case of the Artificial Intelligence project, which was initiated by partners of both firms.

Finally, the problematisation might originate from the 3XN architects, providing the GXN researcher with insights of their daily practice of architecture and the problems they continuously face. The architect’s point of view is absolutely vital in the development of a design tool and in general for a proposed solution to a problem to become accepted. The researchers’ theoretical knowledge will not be sufficient. Therefore, the architect will be the main factor in determining if the proposed solution is applicable to practice. Once again this is supported as we also found in the chapter of the Circulatory System of Scientific Facts. By discussing the projects and the design challenges with the architect, the researcher can develop a better understanding of the difficulties that the architect faces and therefore look for solutions.

The process of defining research fields depicted above is what Callon (1986) refers to as

problematisation and is the first step in translation. As suggested, GXN and 3XN work together to determine the correct and most valuable focus areas for the organisation, the definition of the problematic and its solution. In other words the GXN/3XN organisation presents a problem within the architectural industry or the built environment, which they are seeking to bring an answer to.

The problematisation ensues from the aim and the proactive nature of both the 3XN architects and

the GXN researcher to challenge the status quo of the architecture industry, and push the boundary of the current practice (Interview, Researcher 1, March 2020). The foundation of the

problematisation lies in 3XN’s practice of architecture, which goes beyond the aesthetics dimension of the building, but questions its larger impact on society and environment:

“Now, architecture is a lot about solving problems, right? (...) You can't solve problems without knowledge, or you can't solve problems without finding what the problem is.”

(Interview, Manager 1, March 2020).

The manager underlines the need to establish what problems are present in the practice of architecture, and find solutions to those problems. This, in itself, is what GXN was created to do through different mechanisms. As presented above, it can emerge from their own examination of one of the three pillars that are behavior, circular and digital and nurtured the interaction with the 3XN architects, at the merger between research and practice. More importantly, this reflects the internal mechanism taking place in the 3XN/GXN organisation which we are following in this study. In order to achieve its large and overarching goal to impact the built environment, GXN must be able to identify the problems they are trying to solve, and constitute a body of knowledge serving this cause. More concretely, it needs to find out what the problems are in the industry and gather relevant knowledge to solve those problems.

Here, the solution envisioned by GXN, which redefines the articulation of the network, becomes an obligatory passage point. It is deemed as obligatory, because the new state of affairs proposed through the solution aggregates the newly established relations in between the actors. Beyond the project-specific solution, GXN tries to establish itself as an obligatory passage point. GXN is the entity that redefines the status-quo and the current roles around the 3XN/GXN organisation (ibid). It is obligatory in the sense that the situation would not evolve without their input. The discussions taking place within the GXN cluster and with other colleagues are the only systematised process of the researcher’s work, and reveals the necessity of this exchange. The discussions channels and direct the surrounding factors and actors of the network. It redefines the established relations in the network by presenting a solution that aggregates the different actors in a new way. In this way, the obligatory passage points orchestrate the integration of new actors in the network, in order to implement the solutions.​​The integration of the new actors is the object of the following chapter.