Theory Without Practice: A Defense

The Department of Structural Feeling has never built anything. This is frequently cited against them. This book is their response.

The argument proceeds in four stages. First: that theory in any discipline has value independent of its application. Second: that in architecture specifically, theory that precedes practice has historically been more correct than theory derived from practice after the fact. Third: that the built environment contains enough examples of practice without adequate theory that theory without practice is, at this point, the more cautious approach. Fourth: that the Department has been thinking about this for thirty years and is prepared to keep thinking about it.

The book has generated more response than any other Department publication. Most of the responses are from architects who practice. The Department has read them. Their position has not changed, but they describe the letters as 'useful for understanding the depth of the disagreement.'

Harold agrees with about two-thirds of the argument. He has not said which two-thirds.