Out of what? Locating the underpinnings of theory

The Building Research and Information special issue 'Developing Theories of the Built Environment' (volume 36(3), 2008) explores the epistemology that underpins the creation of theory. It broadens the perspectives that typically escape the cone of vision of building studies, and thus tend to be ignored by most 'technical' experts in construction or urban development. This commentary raises and examines several implicit challenges that emerge from attempting to construct theory: defining the function of theory itself; what purposes it is being asked to serve; the underlying analytical basis for a theory; its intellectual coherence and the capability to connect disparate environmental, social, political and economic dimensions; and the problems associated with theory-building at the empirical level. An innovative solution might be to approach the problem from the opposite end: as data building. This would provide a fresh insight into the act of conceiving, negotiating and bringing a building artefact into being, as well as gauge the distance between the reality of practice and the aspirations of theory. Directing such a strategic focus at project level could allow for competing logics to inform decisions; for results to be teased out, normalized and assessed; and for bridging conceptual differences in the scope of analysis or the quantification of benefits.